The Meaning of Christ's Resurrection (Sermon Recap)

RECAP OF 04.01.18 SERMON

Christ is risen! This is unspeakably good news! In our most recent sermon, we concluded our celebration of Holy Week by reflecting on the meaning of Christ's resurrection.

1) Christ's resurrection means that the power of sin has been broken, because death can only be reversed if sin is defanged. The Bible is clear that sin-and-death are a reality that rise or fall together. Therefore Christ's reversal of death (i.e., His resurrection from the dead) means that He dealt a death-blow to sin itself, that His sacrificial death was totally effective in atoning for and removing our sin. Through faith in His name, we believers are forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Now we can walk with Jesus in newness of life and bear fruit for the Father's glory.

2) Christ's resurrection means that that the physical world is good, and that God intends to redeem it. Redemption comes to us not in some ethereal non-physical world somewhere across the galaxy, but it comes to us here in the context of our embodied existence within this physical world. Here in our physical world the God-Man Jesus became enfleshed, grew up, ministered, lived, died, and rose again bodily. Christ's physical resurrection is a strong affirmation of the goodness of the physical world and, as such, it teaches us to appreciate the physicality of our life, work, and stewardship as well as the beauty of the physical world around us. The physical world is not an obstacle to a God-honoring life, but is actually the occasion for it. Offer your embodied life to the Lord as a living sacrifice.

3) Christ's resurrection means that one day we believers will share in the glory of His physical resurrection. Christianity is not an impersonal set of ideals and duties. Christianity is rather Christ and His people in a close inter-personal union in which believers are conformed to the likeness of our Lord. This conformity to Christ includes sharing in the glory of His bodily resurrection. His resurrection is "the first fruits" (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23 ESV) and anticipates our future resurrection when the risen Lord will transform our lowly physical body into a glorious physical body (Philippians 3:20-21), one that is no longer subject to weakness, corruption, and death. Our hope is not the replacement of our bodies – nor the setting aside of our bodies – but "the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23 ESV). We believers are destined to enjoy a glorified embodied life with our Lord and with all of His people in a renewed creation. Rest in His promise, and look forward to glory!

4) Christ's resurrection means that we have good news to share with the world. Without the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, there is ultimately no good news for the world. But in the resurrection of Christ, we have: victory over sin-and-death, access to the Holy Spirit's peace and transforming power, and a steady hope that will outlive the foolish ambitions of men. When the early church went forth to make disciples of all the nations, they proclaimed the good news of Christ's resurrection wherever they went. It is our responsibility and privilege to continue this faithful proclamation and offer the promise of forgiveness and adoption into God's forever family for everyone who believes.