Well, good morning and welcome
to these services this morning. So good to see everyone. We're
thankful for a beautiful day, and we're thankful once again
that we get to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, the
Lord Jesus. We do that every day of the week.
A believer does that every day of the week. Every time we pray,
we're celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, knowing full
well that he's sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven,
making intercession for us. We celebrate the resurrection
of Christ every Sunday, every first day of the week. And today
we have that special opportunity given to us to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Well, last week we spent some
time over in the book of Exodus in preparation for the resurrection
message this morning. We looked over there at a piece
of furniture that was found in the Holy of Holies. And that
piece of furniture was a candlestick. And we notice in the book of
Exodus chapter 25 and there in verse 31. Exodus chapter 25 and
verse 31 that this specific piece of furniture that was to be put
into the holy place in the tabernacle was put there for light and it
was a candlestick. It says in Exodus 25 31 and thou
shalt make a candlestick of pure gold, a beaten work shall the
candlestick be made his shaft, and his branches, his bolts,
and his knops, and his flowers shall be of the same." We noticed
in there that this candlestick was made by a very skilled craftsman
that God had appointed. Moses had been given the information
to appoint this particular person to do this work of building the
tabernacle and the furniture of it. He was very skilled in
all of these labors, these vocations. He was to take a lump of gold. with all these vessels, a talent
of pure gold. It was started out as a talent
of pure gold. Remember the words pure. There
was no addition to it. There was no mixture, no alloy
in this. It was to be pure gold. And then
as we notice there in verse 25, that these, this, excuse me,
verse 31, that this candlestick was to be a beaten work. There
was no melting that gold and then casting it into this form.
We find that the instructions were that it was to be a beaten
work. So they took this talent of pure gold and over a period
of time, It was beaten into a form that had three candlesticks on
one side, three candlesticks on the other side, and one in
the middle, this golden candlestick, and it had some support, some
stand. There's no instructions that
I can find in Scripture that give us the size, how far apart
these lights were to be, or anything like that, but we find that it
was to be beaten. It was a beaten work. Now, this
picture here, this is a picture of something that's going to
happen someone as We know as the Lord Jesus Christ Moses spoke
of me That's what our Lord said with regard to the works of Moses
He spoke of me and he spoke of the Lord in types and shadows
and pictures There was never any real eternal light in this
candlestick. There was never any eternal Bread
in the table of showbread there was never any eternal mercy on
any of these things, all of it pictured what the Lord Jesus
Christ does for us. Everything that God demands,
He provides in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, we looked at this golden candlestick in the beaten work
last week, and we were drawn to another passage of scripture
in the Old Testament, and that is Isaiah chapter 53. Would you
turn there? Now, I'm not going to specifically
read a lot of this scripture, but I'm just going to pull out
some points because that work that this. great artisan did
in producing from a lump of gold, a talent of pure gold, produced
this outstanding, beautiful work by just simply beating it into
a form. It was a beaten work. Remember
that. It was a beaten work. Now when we follow the Lord Jesus
Christ through the Old Testament Scriptures, we find that many
types and shadows are brought out about this that his redemptive
work would be as a result of him being a beaten work. And
here in the book of Isaiah chapter 53 we have a number of verses
that share with us just as a number of verses throughout the Old
Testament and then brought to our attention in the New Testament
that he is going to endure much of what that gold endured in
producing that candlestick. It was a beaten work He is going
to endure the beating of the justice of God. He is going to
endure the beating of the law of God. And He is going to do
that on the behalf of His people. God gave Him a people in eternity
past, all eternity, and He, in the covenant of grace, agreed,
promised, and with great satisfaction, said I will endure the beating
that they should have I will become them in a sense I and
the people are in Christ when he's doing this so it tells us
here In the book of Isaiah chapter 53 it says, there he was wounded
for our transgressions. He was wounded for our transgressions. There in verse five, but he was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. Now that word
bruised means more than just having a bruise like we often
get. This word bruised means to be beaten to pieces. It means
to endure a great beating. And the words that go on through
this chapter here in the book of Isaiah, it shares with us
that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. The
Lord laid on him. Jesus Christ never became a sinner,
but he certainly had our sins imputed to him Laid on him and
we find there in verse 6. It says all we like sheep have
gone astray We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all now That word Lord there
is Jehovah, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, hath
laid on him, and we read that him, that's the person that this
is gonna be laid on, and this person is Jehovah. This person
is the Lord God Almighty. This is the Lord of glory. This
is the glorious Son of God. So God is taking care of this
transaction. We don't put our sin on him,
but God put our sin on him. We're incapable of doing that,
but God was capable of putting sin, our sin, the sin of the
church, the sin of the sheep, the sin of all of God's people
that were given to Christ in the eternity past, were placed
on Him. And then we read through here. He shall see the travail of his
soul. He shall see the travail of his
soul verse 11 He shall see the travail of his soul and shall
be satisfied This is God shall see the travail of God's soul
God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in such a
glorious Miraculous I can't put words to it They were able to
put the sins lay the sins of the people impute the sins of
the people of God chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world to put them on the Sun and It tells us there that he
made his soul an offering for sin. Yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise him. That's what we find here. The
prophet of old, 800 years before, there in verse 10, it says, Yet
it pleased the Lord to bruise him. It pleased the Lord to beat
him. It pleased the Lord, just as
that artisan was taking that pure talent of gold and pounding
it, hammering it, beating it into that form, we find that
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, they
beat the Son because of God's justice, the requirement that
God's justice had, God's law had, and we find that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the righteous Son of God. He had no sin. He is tempted in all ways that
we are yet without sin. And here it happens. Well, as
we move through the scriptures, We find that in the New Testament
concerning the crucifixion, we heard the Lord say on the cross,
my God, my God. Now that's a quote from Psalm
22. as we see there so often what takes place in the New Testament
is a result of what was said in the Old Testament and the
Old Testament we find in the prophetic statements of Psalm
22 are fulfilled by the very words of our Savior the Lord
Jesus Christ on the cross as he was enduring this beating
as he was suffering and He was putting God was putting on him. He was imputing to him our sin
and then the justice was being poured out on that on him as
He had our sin now sin deserves death The soul that sinneth it
shall die and we have here that the true substitute the Lord
Jesus Christ fulfilling the commands and demands of the law he is
being put to death and because of our sin And it tells us there
in the New Testament, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me? Why hast thou forsaken me? Well,
we know in retrospect, looking over at the Old Testament there
in the book of Exodus and other places in the book of Exodus
and Leviticus, how that an innocent was taken for the guilty. How
the guilty would confess their sin over the innocent and the
innocent would die. Well, we find that with regard
to the Lord Jesus. He is the innocent no sin had
ever went through his soul. No sin had ever went through
his heart No sin had ever went through his thoughts and yet
he is the one that's receiving the punishment for our just do
the Lord was truly the one who stepped in to take the beating
of God's law and God's justice as The substitute for his people
we find he died We find he was buried Turn with me, if you would,
to the book of Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23, an interesting
passage of scripture here with regard to how he was taken care
of in the end. Luke chapter 23 beginning with
verse 50 loose Luke chapter 23 Beginning with verse 50. It says
that Jesus is buried. That's what the Old Testament
scriptures would say They said he would be put into a borrowed
tomb here in the New Testament the fulfillment of that behold
there was a man named Joseph a counselor and he was a good
man and just and a just We like that. We find that a number of
times in the scriptures when that word is used, justified.
The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them.
He was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself waited
for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate and
begged the body of Jesus, and he took it down, took took the
body of Jesus down from the cross, and wrapped it in linen, and
laid it in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone, wherein never
man before was laid. And that day was the preparation,
and the Sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came
with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher,
and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared
spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day according to
the commandment. Well, here we have a man, Joseph
of Arimathea. Well, I'm very thankful that
we don't use place names today. I'd be called Norm of New Pine
Creek, very small community in Southern Oregon, 200 people.
Well, in this day and time, people were often identified, Saul of
Tarsus, Joseph of Arimathea, and other names like this. So
this man, and we notice here he didn't consent to that. But
we also find that he did not say, I am going to try to prevent
this. It seems that he had some understanding.
Peter wanted to stop this whole scene and the Lord said get thee
behind me my adversary I must do this. This is my appointed. This is my pleasure this is what
I want to do for it pleased the Lord to bruise him and For the
joy that was set before him he endured the cross So this man
at least he understood didn't get involved didn't consent to
it, but he didn't try to prevent it He must have known something
And he went to Pilate. He went to the Roman governor
and begged the body of Jesus. And Pilate was, if we read another
place, was shocked that he was so soon dead. He had to have
the legs of the other two thieves broken so that they could die
before the sundown. And they would be imposing on
their Sabbath, a very special Sabbath in preparation for the
Passover. And he begged the body of Jesus
and took him down and wrapped him in linen. It's interesting
that the Old Testament high priest was also in a robe of linen. Well, he's put in a tomb. It's
a borrowed tomb. No man has ever laid there. And
it is hewn out of a stone. And it just struck me to think
about that, how God was putting this so that no man could be
accused of taking him from this. There's only one entrance. There's
not, they can't go around and dig it out from the back and
all this stuff. God is taking care of business here and making
sure that it would not be, even as was later reported, that they
had stolen his body. Well, we'll look at that in just
a moment, a little bit further. after Jesus gave his life a ransom
for many, after he shed his blood for his people's sins, after
he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, after redemption
is complete, after he cried, it is finished. We ask the question,
what was the only way he could demonstrate that he had absolutely
taken care of the sin issue that stood between his sheep and a
holy God? One item still needed to be taken
care of to demonstrate the absolute success that could be enjoyed,
and these There was no way that there could be an adding of man's
merit or righteousness to the glorious work of the cross. Now
when people attempt to add their righteousness, attempt to add
their works, attempt to add anything to the salvation that is complete
in Christ Jesus, they are saying that Jesus Christ truly never
resurrected. That's what they're saying. Maybe
subtly, maybe in their heart, but when you say that you need
to add something to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, you
are confessing that you do not believe in the demonstration
of how Jesus Christ paid for our sin, how we know that it
was all paid for. What must that be? What must
happen? He must raise from the dead as
promised. He must do that. And if we don't
believe that, we don't have what is salvation. We have a mimic
of it, maybe. We have a similitude of it. But God lets us know in our salvation,
in our new birth, that He has truly raised from the dead. We
will not be given the belief to believe a failure Christ. The words of the Lord Jesus on
this matter are found in Matthew 16. Would you turn back to Matthew
16? Matthew chapter 16. We have here
in Matthew chapter 16 the Lord's words with regard to this very
thing. Now he brings it out a number
of times in the scriptures. This is just one of those. But
notice with me here in the book of Matthew chapter 16 and verse
21. Matthew chapter 16 verse 21. The Lord Jesus foretells his
death. Matthew chapter 16 and verse
21, it says, from that time forth began Jesus to show unto his
disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed. But we're thankful he finished
the sentence. He continued the promise. He
is going to fulfill all Old Testament scriptures about what must take
place in order for Him to save His people. It tells us there,
and be raised again the third day. Now, all those sacrifices
that were taking place in the Old Testament, from the very
beginning, Noah's sacrifice, Abel's sacrifice, Abraham's sacrifice,
all the sacrifices that took place around the tabernacle,
all the sacrifices that took place around the temple, all
the sacrifices, whether they be of the description that the
Lord demanded of being a male of the first year without spot
or blemish, or whether it would be a heifer without spot or blemish,
all of these things, None of those could take away sin because
none of them were ever raised from the dead. The blood of bulls
and goats cannot take away sin. So they were not even demonstrated
in that. We have a similitude when that
one goat was taken off into the wilderness. It's as close as
we can get. We want closer than that. We
want the fulfillment of the Lord Jesus Christ's words that he
be raised again the third day. These were those. There were those in the days
of the Lord's earthly walk on earth that did not even believe
in a resurrection. You remember that passage of
scripture over in the book of Matthew chapter 22? Matthew chapter 22,
when some Sadducees came to the Lord with a question. Matthew
chapter 22, Matthew 22, and there in verse
23. Now this is an interesting passage
of scripture because a bunch of Sadducees came to the Lord
to ask Him a question about the resurrection, and we find that
they didn't even believe in the resurrection. Notice there in
verse 1, the same came to Him, the Sadducees, the same day came
to Him the Sadducees which say that there is no resurrection
and ask Him. Now, if you follow this passage
of scripture through, they ask the Lord Jesus about a resurrection.
This woman is married to a man. He dies. She marries and marries
and marries the brothers and finally they all die. And whose
will she be in the resurrection? Will the Lord answer in the resurrection? There will be no marrying or
giving in marriage. They didn't even believe in the resurrection.
They're trying to catch him up in his own words. But he answers
them according to the Word of God. He is the Son of God. He
knew He's the only man that could quote the whole Bible. He's the
only man that knew all the scripture. He's the only one that knew all
the Old Testament after it had been written, and he's the only
one who knew all the New Testament before it was written. He is
God, the very God. He is omniscient. He knows all
things. So he knew what was going on
in them. There were those in that day of our Lord Jesus that
did not want a resurrection. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection,
but they didn't want this resurrection. Turn with me if you would here
again in the book of Matthew chapter 27. In Matthew chapter
27, We have a group of these guys that did believe in a resurrection. Remember over there, I believe
it's in the book of Acts, that the Apostle Paul, when he heard
that there were Pharisees and Sadducees together, he brought
up the resurrection, and those guys got in a fight among themselves.
Well, here we hear the Sadducees coming who don't believe in a
resurrection, that there is no resurrection, and now in this
passage of Scripture in the book of Matthew chapter 27, And there
in verse 62, Matthew 27 and verse 62, we have a group of people
come that do believe in the resurrection and yet they don't want this
one. This is going to really be bad if it happens. It says
here in Matthew chapter 27 and verse 62, now the next day that
followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees
came together unto Pilate. Now they had to come to Pilate.
because he's the Roman leader of the area. He's the Roman government.
He has the authority of Rome. It tells us here, saying, Sir,
we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive,
after three days I will rise again. Command, therefore, that
the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples
come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people
that he is risen from the dead, so the last error shall be worse
than the first. Here is a group of people, they
preach, they believe, their congregation believes in a resurrection, but
they do not want this one. They don't even want the semblance
of this one. This deceiver, as they describe
the Lord Jesus, this deceiver has said the third day he would
rise again. Now, let's prevent that from
happening. Command that the sepulcher be
made sure there in verse 64 verse 65 pilot said unto them You have
a watch go your way make it as sure as you can So they went
and made the sepulcher sure sealing the stone and setting a watch
so they do two things after their meeting with pilot pilot gives
them permission to set up a watch and and Pilate gives him permission
to put his signet ring into the mortar of that stone so that
it can be sealed by Roman authority and no one is to disturb this
stone. So they get what they want, but
they don't get what they want. The Lord Jesus is far greater
than anybody's thought about it. So, we have those who don't
believe in the resurrection, we have those who don't want
the resurrection, and yet there is only one way that he could
show that he is the Messiah, the Savior. His name is Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Using an Old
Testament metaphor. I want to say this there was
a time every 50 years when some silver horns were blown that
Shared with us that the year of Jubilee had arrived well on
that third day that glorious silver Trumpets sounded the year
of Jubilee or liberty for God's people now Abel was just as free
in Christ as we are today. Abel was just as saved in Christ
as we are today. Abel was just as filled with
the Spirit as we are today. Abel had to go through the new
birth just like we must be born again. Abel was not given an
instruction on how to be born again just like we're not given
an instruction because it's a birth that is from above. It is a birth
from God. It is not of our making. It's
not by power or by might. It is by my spirit, saith the
Lord. So to listen Those who knew something
there was a the trumpets of the Lord the sound of these silver
trumpets Sounded the year of Jubilee in the courts of heaven.
They were heard this great Sound was heard In the courts of heaven,
God was pleased to raise His Son from the dead because of
His completed work and that the satisfaction of God, the satisfaction
of the law, the satisfaction of justice had been made on the
cross. The same Jesus, the Savior, came
forth from the tomb. Now, that resurrection was unwanted
by most. It was unexpected by many. anticipated by a few, but he
came gloriously out of the tomb, glorious to all those whose names
are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Sin is put away. The penalty of all the sin of
his people fell on him and he has put it away. There was one
way and one way only for success to be enjoyed and that is the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That tomb was
opened for the demonstration to people who came and visited.
but he no more needed to use that door, that stone, than he
did later when he came, entered the door, entered a room without
opening the door. Well, turn with me if you would
here as we look at this wonderful subject of the resurrection,
the end of our redemption, if you please, the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. In the book of Romans, chapter
one, Romans chapter one, We have some wonderful words mentioned
here as the Apostle Paul was opening up his letter to the
Romans. As he's opening up his letter
to the saints at Rome. As God the Holy Spirit impressed
Paul to write. He gave the words by inspiration. The Apostle Paul is writing this
letter But he has no more control over the words than anything.
He had more control over the weather than he did over the
words that he was going to write to Rome because the Holy Spirit
gave him. Now he had no control over the weather, we know that.
But he had no control. The Holy Spirit gave him the
words to write to the Romans. And here in the first chapter
he says, Paul, a servant, a bondservant, a bondslave of Jesus Christ,
Jesus is the name Christ is his title Messiah. He's the anointed
one He shall save his people from their sins, and he's been
anointed to do this from the foundation of the world. From
before the foundation of the world, he is the lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. Called to be an apostle, this
is God's work. He called the apostle Paul to
be an apostle, separated into the gospel of God. He was moved
away from the gospel of men, and that is, there is no good
news in keeping the law. He had attempted in every way
possible to keep the law. He had his righteousness, which
was by the law, which is no righteousness at all. And it says here, which
he had promised. Now he promised this gospel of
four by the prophets in the holy scriptures. Now the only scriptures
that were given at that time were the Old Testament scriptures.
They had been finished for about 400 years. Genesis to Malachi. Now, in various scrolls, there
are different orders for them, but it doesn't matter the order.
It matters who gave them. That's what matters. So, the
four that had been promised, the four by the prophets, Jesus
Christ had been promised by the prophets of old. Why did they
give that promise? Because they had been moved upon
just like the Apostle Paul is moved upon to write the scriptures.
Now this gospel is concerning God's Son, His Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord. First words that Saul of Tarsus
spoke after the Lord gave him the new birth was Lord. He understood
something. God gives us an understanding
in the new birth that God is in charge of salvation. God is
in charge of our salvation. God is the sovereign of our salvation. We may have agreed that He's
the sovereign over the world, but now He's the sovereign of
our salvation. Concerning His Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the
flesh. What does that mean? He meant God came in the flesh,
Emmanuel, God with us. This is a promise that was given
throughout the scriptures to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David,
Down through the years, there was a promise. And here, particularly,
a promise was given to David. As it says there, made of the
seed of David according to the flesh. David understood that
through his generations, through those after him, would come the
Messiah. And it tells us there in verse
four, this one, his son, God's son, Jesus Christ, our Lord,
which was promised in the Old Testament, to come in the flesh,
to come as God in the flesh, perfect man. No sin, but he came
in the flesh for the suffering of death. That's what we find
in the church in the scriptures and here this one is Declared
now that that's just that is God the voice that created the
world's is the voice that is declaring to be This one is declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness. How? By the resurrection from
the dead. By His very resurrection, He
is declared to be the promised Messiah. He is declared. Many
understood that through the scriptures. I am often drawn to the words
of the Apostle Peter when when Christ himself broached him and
said, who do you say that I am? And the apostle Peter's words
are profound. Thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God. And many people would like to
stop there and say, see what Peter came to the conclusion
of, but we must go on through the scriptures and we find, blessed
are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood did not reveal this
to you, but my father, which is in heaven. That's where it
comes from. That's where the new birth comes from. That's
where this comes from, that if you truly believe, if God has
given you belief in regeneration, fruit of regeneration is belief
and repentance and faith concerning the Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the
spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. The church just
bows at those words. He has declared. He has demonstrated. He has manifested that he is
truly the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. It was essential. It had been promised. Old Testament
prophets had promised. Christ himself said a number
of times during his own personal ministry, he promised to come
forth the third day. There was those Pharisees that
were so concerned. They had heard those words. that
he promised to come out of the tomb the third day. And they
did their dead-level best to prevent that. If they could have,
they'd have went into that tomb and sat on top of his body to
prevent it. But nothing was gonna prevent
this because all that God promised, all that God said was required
to put away sin, the sin of his people, had been taken care of
on the cross, and this one, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ,
had been placed in the tomb resting, letting people know he's actually
dead until that third day and the silver trumpets blew. Freedom, freedom, freedom in
Christ. And then it says there in verse
five, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience
to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom we are
also the called of Jesus Christ. When God calls his people, calls
them out of darkness to his marvelous light, this is one of the profound
things he reveals to our heart. This one Jesus, our savior, is
raised from the dead, declared to be the son of God. If you'll
turn back with me to the book of Luke, let's go just a little
bit further here in the resurrection story in the book of Luke. Book
of Luke, chapter 24. The book of Luke, chapter 24.
In the book of Luke, chapter 24, beginning with verse one,
we find those ladies that had observed the tomb. They went
home and prepared more spices. Now, when they came very early
the first day of the week, They did not come expecting what they
found. They have bundles of spices,
oils, and other things to completely to do what was required in those
days for burying someone. They were to put these around
it. They came very early. It says there, now upon the first
day of the week, very early in the morning, They came unto the
sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and
certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled
away from the sepulchre. Now in another one of the Gospels,
it says, I wonder who's gonna roll the stone away for us. Well,
here, they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and
they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass as they were
much perplexed. They were out of words. They didn't know what to say. They were perplexed. No way out. This isn't what we expected.
Only twice in the scriptures is this word used, and they're
both used in the book of Luke. One in chapter 9 when Herod was
perplexed and the other is here in Luke chapter 24 when these
ladies are perplexed. There's no way out. This isn't
what I expected. They didn't expect to find the
body of the Lord Jesus raised. They didn't expect the body to
be moved. They didn't expect this to happen. It says they
entered in, it came to pass, as verse four, as they were much
perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining
garments. And as they were afraid and bowed
down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, they were
perplexed, afraid, respectful, and these two said unto them,
why seek ye the living among the dead? This is a place of
death. He's not here. He is not here,
but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you
when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third
day rise again. Now the next verse is so powerful. It is only, in our translation,
five words long. This sentence is five words long,
and yet it is filled, for it says, and they remembered His
words. Now that's by revelation. Whatever
we have of the gospel, whatever we believe of the gospel, the
truth of the gospel has been given to us. And these that came
and were perplexed before as they entered in and found not
his body. They were perplexed, but when these two spoke of the
word of the Lord, the word of God, the word of Christ, the
word that was given to them, they remembered his words. Now,
wouldn't that be great? Every time we come to a position
where we are perplexed, this isn't what I expected. This isn't
what I expected, that we would remember his words. Be gracious
to us and let us hear those words and it will take away our perplexity
What graciousness Oh to believe the Word of God to believe the
Word of God? How gracious is God to allow
us to do that? Well as we see here, he's not
here. He is risen Now we know those
who guarded the tomb went and lied and said why we slept someone
came and took the body and this was a crime punishable by death
but they paid him off and told him to go lie about this some
more well in the book of first corinthians chapter fifteen would
you turn there with me as the apostle paul again writing to
a church of believers a group of believers in first corinthians
chapter fifteen he writes this glorious thought first corinthians
chapter fifteen beginning with verse one Paul's writing here,
laid in this book, this letter, Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel, which I preach unto you. Now, gospel is good
news. In religion, there is no good news. In Christ, it's all
good news. In the gospel, the truth of the
gospel, in the true gospel, there's always good news. Sin has been
put away by the sacrifice of himself. You are declared holy. I have redeemed you. You are
my redemptive work fulfilled. All of these sweet promises that
God gives us is ours to have. If you have Christ, you're free
indeed. Well, hear the gospel, and by which also you are saved.
God is pleased that this gospel must be preached, and then He
will honor the gospel, the Spirit will honor the gospel, and save
His people from their sins. That's required, we must preach
the gospel. And God is going to get the gospel
to his people. Whether we're moved or the preacher's
moved, someone is moved, that we might hear it. He says, which
was saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless
you believed in vain. The Apostle Paul understood by
this experience of being a pastor, a preacher, a missionary, a declarer
of the word of God, an evangelist, he understood that the seed falls
where it falls. and some falls, and it looks
like there's growth, but there is none. But that that falls
on good ground, prepared ground, God's ground, there's going to
be salvation. This is promised. We don't have
any control over where it falls, and we have no control over the
results of it. If we could just remember that,
we have no control over the results. It is God that giveth the increase. goes on to say, for I delivered
unto you, first of all, that which I also received. How that
Christ died for our sins. Now, in religion, it's usually
Christ just died. But he didn't die specifically
for our sins, because if he died specifically for our sins, then
the sin debt is paid. And if the sin debt is paid,
I can't hold fear over you, and I can't preach that, oh, you're
going to have to answer for that. Well, the gospel is good news,
and we find out sin debt has been paid. How that Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures. The Old Testament scripture said
he'd be successful. The Old Testament scripture said
he is the Lamb of God, not the picture. He's the reality. And
that he was buried. Death was so sure that they took
him down from that tree, wrapped his body in linen, and buried
it in a borrowed tomb. According to the scriptures,
that too. And that he rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures, according to his own words, according to the words
of the prophets, according to what he told a group of people,
asking a sign. There shall no sign be given
except the sign of the prophet Jonah. As he was three days and
three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth. That's the
prophet speaking. That is the true prophet speaking. He was buried. He arose again
the third day according to the scriptures. And you know, he
didn't do this in a corner. It was right on to tell us that
there were 500 brethren at once. His disciples saw him. There
was one disciple that never saw him after his resurrection. He had taken his own life, Judas,
as it was appointed. The other eleven saw him. There
were many others that saw him. The person who took the place
of Judas saw him in his resurrected glory. That was one of the requirements,
to see him in his resurrected glory. And yet, the Apostle Paul
goes on to say, and last of all, he was seen of me. You know,
we can say that too. If you know Christ, If He's revealed
Himself to you, if you have the new birth, then last of all,
He was seen of me, He was seen of you. The effects of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ are continuing. He is the heart of
the gospel that is preached to the lost sheep, and by that preaching,
the Holy Spirit honors the word preached by regenerating those
lost sheep from the dead. He raises them from the dead.
They are no longer lost sheep, but found sheep. He raises them
from the dead with the same power and blessing of the raising of
Jesus Christ. The same power is required to
raise us from the spiritual dead as it was involved in raising
Jesus Christ from the dead. And yet we find that God is all
powerful. There's nothing he cannot do.
He has confirmed it with an oath. I will raise all mine from the
spiritual dead. They are dead, but I'll raise
them. I will breathe into their nostrils the breath of life and
they will become a living soul. Now in conclusion, would you
turn with me over to the book of Revelation chapter 20? The
book of Revelation chapter 20, we have this wonderful passage
of scripture left to us in that glorious book of Revelation,
Revelation chapter 20 and verse 6. It says here, Revelation chapter
20 and verse 6. Now, in retrospect, we can look
back and say how blessed it is to be in the first resurrection.
The new birth is given to us. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We were in Him when He was raised. And in that, He promised to raise
us from the spiritual dead. The first resurrection. On such,
the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of
God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And
that word thousand means ever and ever and ever. Oh, blessed
and holy is the Lord's great grace to us. and we are called
blessed and holy because he gives the new birth to his people on
the promise and fulfillment of his death on the cross, his burial,
and his resurrection from the dead. We can say hallelujah,
Lord God Almighty, for our salvation is complete in all that you have
done for us. Well, until next time, God bless
you. We hope you have a good week.