God Leads

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”[i]

The Gospel is advancing around the world, as the power of God works to free captives and break the power of sin.  What started in the book of Acts, continues as the gospel is preached.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would give us power to be His witnesses throughout the entire earth.

In chapter 8 of the book of Acts, we find that a great persecution broke out against the Church.  Due to this persecution, believers were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.  Verse 4 tells us these scattered believers preached the Gospel wherever they went.

Great joy followed the spread of the Gospel as people experienced its power to save.  The book of Acts begins an account of the unfolding of God’s plan for spreading the Gospel.  Chapter 1 verse 8 gives the outline of how the gospel would spread when it says, “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Up to verse 26 of chapter 8, the Gospel had spread as far as Samaria.

As we read Acts 8:26-40, we see God working to spread the Gospel beyond these borders to the ends of the earth.  Looking at the story of the Apostle Philip witnessing to the Ethiopian Eunuch, we see that God leads in the spread of the Gospel.

In Acts 8:5, we find the Apostle Philip preaching the Gospel in Samaria.  The Gospel made great progress and people rejoiced in its power to save.  At the end of his ministry in Samaria, Philip was visited by an angel of the Lord who said to

him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  (Acts 8:26) 

A simple principle here is the Lord gives direction.

In Philip’s case, the Lord sent an angel.  This seems to be an exceptional way of giving direction.  An angel was sent to Gideon, Daniel, Zechariah, Joseph and Mary.  There have been others, but these seem to be rare cases.  In Paul’s case, the Lord Himself appeared to Paul on the road.  This seems to be similar to the case of Moses and Samuel, where the Lord appeared or spoke to individuals directly.  In all these cases, the Lord gave clear direction.

However, not having an experience of such direct communication does not mean that you and I do not receive direction from the Lord.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  ⁶Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”  According to these verses, if we trust in the Lord, He will show us the way to go.  Isaiah 30:21 reflects this mysterious direction of the Lord when it says, “Your own ears will hear him.  Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” 

The Lord speaks in different ways to different people and at different times.  However, He is always consistent.  His Word is eternal and fixed in Heaven.  For us, this means that He never violates or contradicts His Word.  If a voice or even an angel speaks to anyone contrary to the Word of God, this is a sure sign it is not from God.  Isaiah 8:20 gives a good principle when it says, “Look to God's instructions and teachings!  People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.”

This also points us to the way in which we can be sure God is directing us.  We can be sure God is directing us only as we draw close to Him in His Word.  Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”  (John 8:31)

This does not mean that we become slavishly legalistic about applying the Bible to life.  The Bible is about a relationship.  Jesus criticized the people of His day for not knowing God.  They knew the Scriptures but they did not know God.  Reading the Bible is supposed to be more like a conversation than a textbook.  When Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”  He also said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32)  If His teachings are not leading us into freedom, something is wrong.

God has appointed us as His witnesses for the spread of the Gospel.  We can trust Him completely to direct our steps.  If He wants, He will send an angel.  If He does not send an angel, stay close to Him in His word and trust that He is directing your steps.

Going back to Philip, we see in verse 27 he meets an Ethiopian eunuch.  Following God’s direction, Philip meets with opportunity.

The timing is perfect.  The Ethiopian worshipped in Jerusalem so his mind is on spiritual things.  He is reading in the book of Isaiah chapter 53.  There is no passage that expresses the Gospel clearer than Isaiah 53.  He is riding a long stretch of desert road so he has nothing but time on his hands.  The timing of this meeting could not be better.

Philip did not plan this.  He just did what he was told.  Philip started in Samaria.  It would have been a couple days’ walk for Philip to get between Jerusalem and Gaza.  The Scripture gives no indication that he knew why he was walking that direction.  He was just going.

You and I could not have planned many things that happened in our lives.  I could not have planned to meet the beautiful young woman that eventually became my bride and lifelong companion.  I did not plan to hear references to Moody Bible Institute while growing up and then for a graduate of that school to become my pastor.  These things just happened.  However, these were not coincidences.  These were God directing my path.

Philip’s timing was perfect, and the prospect was the right person.  Philip could not have gained access to the court of the queen of Ethiopia.  Yet, here he was, speaking to one of her high officials.

God led in directing Philip’s steps and God opened the door of opportunity.

The Apostle Paul, who led many to the Savior, asked for prayer.  He said, “Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ.”  (Colossians 4:3)

We can trust the Lord to direct our steps, and He controls the opportunities.  God also provided the fruit.

Acts 8:36&38 say, “³⁶As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”  ³⁸He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Rebirth or the conversion of a soul is a miracle performed by the Holy Spirit.  We get to witness it and even participate in it by sharing the Gospel, but it depends on the power of the Holy Spirit.  This same power raised Jesus from the dead.

Philip baptized the eunuch, which according to the Bible is a picture of us being buried and then raised with Christ.  It is a celebration of a work of God in the heart of a believer.

This is fruit produced by God.

There is also fruit that we do not see.

Verse 39 tells us that as they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and the eunuch never saw him again.  The last we hear of the eunuch in Scripture is he went on his way rejoicing.

History does not tell us much about this man.  However, Eusebius, a Roman historian and the Bishop of Caesarea, wrote in about 300 AD that this Ethiopian eunuch went on to preach the Gospel in his country.  In his words, “through him in truth the prophecy obtained its fulfillment, which declares that “Ethiopia stretcheth out her hand unto God.”[ii]

Eusebius does not give any more information, only that this eunuch was instrumental in turning his nation to Christ.

We also know that the early Church had a strong presence in North Africa.

This does not give much detail about the part the Ethiopian eunuch played.  However, it does illustrate the point that we just do not know.  How can we measure the fruit of our actions?  There are too many repercussions for any of us to measure.

We have seen that God gives direction, provides opportunity and produces fruit.  In this, we learn we can trust God.  The word of God stresses the importance of faith.  We are saved by faith and we walk by faith.  Romans 1:17 says, “The righteous shall live by faith.”[iii]  (ESV)

We have talked about what God does.  Let us consider briefly what our responsibility is.  What did Philip do?

First, he went where God directed.

We do not all receive such obvious messages to go to a particular location, but we all receive direction from the Word of God.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  God directs us as we stay in conversation with Him.

Second, Philip shared the Gospel.

There are so many causes and important issues that it is easy to get off on what is not essential.  Alcohol, drug abuse, adultery, pornography, fornication, homosexuality, lying, stealing, war, hatred, gluttony, selfishness and such things fill our world.  However, there is only one answer.  People need the Lord.  “There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)

The things listed are all sin.  The problem is we are all sinners.  Our battle is against sin, and the only power to defeat sin is Jesus Christ.  Our message is, “Turn to Jesus and live.” “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  (John 3:17, ESV)

Third, Philip baptized the eunuch.

When the eunuch was ready to make a decision Philip did not stand in the way.  He did not hinder the person who would come to Christ.  We must trust God to do His work.  It is not for us to clean up the lives of those who would trust in Jesus.  It is not for us to tell them that they cannot follow Jesus because they are a black gentile in service to a pagan Queen and no gentile had ever followed Christ.  Yes, Philip broke all the rules in getting into a chariot with a Gentile.  This was the first recorded conversion of a gentile.  By Jewish standards, he did not qualify, but Philip did not ask these questions and neither should we.

Let’s trust God to do His part, and by faith let’s do ours.

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[i]Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[ii] http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.vii.ii.html  accessed May 1, 2015

[iii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's Power in Us

1 Corinthians 12

There is power in the name of Jesus.  This power saves us.  The world lies in the power of the evil one.  Wars, death, slavery, disease, violence, hatred, sexual immorality and a long list of other evils attest to this.  The power of the name of Jesus has defeated evil.  When Jesus returns, the power of the evil one over this world will end and sin and death will be done away.

However, until He returns, the power of Jesus works in us individually and as a Church to free us from the power of the evil one.  He also breaks the power of sin in our lives.  The ministry Jesus began in Galilee some 2015 years ago, continues in and through us to this very day.

This is an exciting truth.  Jesus told His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”  (John 20:21)[i]  And, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

This power of the Holy Spirit is at work in us today.  It is at work to break the power of sin in the lives of people, set captives free and bring good news to a lost and dying world.

1 Corinthians 12 explains how this works.  It explains the practical working of the Holy Spirit.  In short, this work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished by the Holy Spirit giving gifts, unifying us as a Body and blessing us with a diversity of members.

Let’s consider each of these in turn.

First, the Holy Spirit gives gifts.  1 Corinthians 12:1-11

It is important to understand that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God and the third member of the Trinity.  He is one with the Father and the Son.  There is only one Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:4 starts out with this truth by saying,  “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.”

God does not give one spirit to one person and another spirit to another person.  God gives His Spirit to believers in Christ.  This one Spirit gives a variety of gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:7 makes it clear that the gifts are given so that we can help each other.  “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”

This is important.  The Spirit takes the things of God and makes them clear to us.  A person cannot say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Spirit.  The Spirit glorifies Christ in all He does.  Therefore, the gifts are all about making the things of God clear, glorifying Christ and building up His Body.  They are practical and needed.  Knowledge, healing, signs, languages and such are all things that are necessary for our work as a Church.

As we go into all the world with the Gospel, making disciples, all the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are essential.  The work cannot and will not happen without these gifts.  These gifts are the power of God working in us and through us.

It is important to note two things about these gifts.  First, it is God’s one and only Spirit who gives these gifts.  Second, He alone decides which gift each person should have.  These two truths are repeated in the early verses of 1 Corinthians 12 because of their importance.

As we continue and consider how the Spirit unifies us as a Body, the truth that the Spirit alone decides which gift each person should have will be re-emphasized and explained.

The Spirit is the power of God working in us and through us to break the power of sin, set captives free and bring good news to a lost and dying world.  We see in 1 Corinthians 12 verses 4-11 that He does this by giving each person a gift for the common good.  This is explained more thoroughly in verses 12 and following with the analogy of a body.

1 Corinthians 12:12 says, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.  So it is with the body of Christ.”

There is one Body.  It is called, “the Body of Christ.”  1 Corinthians 12:13 is important to our understanding of this truth.  It says, “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free.  But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”

“We have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit.” 

Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  (John 3:3)  He explained that this rebirth is the work of the Spirit of God.  Now, from 1 Corinthians 12:13 we understand that when the Holy Spirit “rebirths” us, He also baptizes us into (or unifies us with) the Body of Christ.

This all takes place when we “confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead.  (Romans 10:9)

It is at this time also that God bestows a gift on us. 

The truth communicated here is best left in the words of the text:  

¹⁴Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.  ¹⁵If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.  ¹⁶And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?  ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear?  Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

¹⁸But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.  ¹⁹How strange a body would be if it had only one part!  ²⁰Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.  ²¹The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.”  The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

²²In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.  ²³And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care.  So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴while the more honorable parts do not require this special care.  So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.  ²⁵This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.  ²⁶If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

I trust you gather from this that if you belong to Christ, then you are an important part of the Body of Christ.  God in His infinite wisdom has decided to give you a gift that is a blessing to the rest of us.

However, do not expect the rest of us to see things the way you do.  Hands and feet do not see the world from the same perspective, but both have valid perspectives.

Each one with his or her individual gifts fit together to make the Body.  1 Corinthians 12:27-30 show how these gifts fit together.

Verse 28 says, “Here are some of the parts.”

This then is not a list of the gifts, but of parts of the Body.  As the Body works to break the power of sin, set captives free and bring good news to a lost and dying world, it naturally has parts, offices or functions fit to the task.

The Apostles were those who were directly, in the flesh, trained by Jesus, and given the authority to establish the Church, record the New Testament Scriptures and give testimony to the resurrection.  We understand these qualifications from Acts 1:21-22 where the Apostles chose a replacement for Judas, and from Paul’s testimony that he was “untimely born” as an apostle.  In this way, he spoke of himself as being the single exception to the rule.

The Church is established and Jesus is the head.  We have a continuing need for prophets to speak to us for Him, and teachers to help us learn and grow in our faith.

Miracles and healing are necessary as testimony to the power of God working in and through us.  The world can look and see that God is clearly with us.  Miracles do happen.  They are usually counted as coincidence and/or discounted completely.  God does not show His presence by levitating bodies, making people disappear and reappear.  God shows His presence in ways consistent with breaking the power of sin, setting captives free and bringing good news to a lost and dying world.

Healing is simply the compassion of Christ for physical suffering.  It is the hospitals we build, the prayers we say for the sick and the care we give to the suffering.  It is a gift.  Sometimes God speeds up nature and heals instantly.  However, He always works through the compassion of Christ as displayed in His Body.

Since we are many in number, we need those with gifts in administration, service and those that are good with their hands.

Not all are Apostles.  Not all are prophets.  Not all are teachers.  This should be obvious from the analogy of the Body.  These offices are parts of the Body, but they do not define the gifts of the individual.  Two different teachers will individually have different gifts according to the Spirit’s will, but both will have the ability to teach.

There is a problem that shows itself at this point.

1 Corinthians deals with it in chapter 12 verse 31 and then the entire 13^th chapter.

There is a disagreement among those that study these things over 1 Corinthians 12:31.  There are two ways to translate it.  I am of the opinion that most of our Bibles do not translate it consistent with the context or with what we just said.

It can and should be translated, “You [only] want the better gifts, but I will show you the best thing to do.” (God’s Word Translation, 1995)

We have a tendency to desire gifts that have more status or recognition.

The answer is to operate out of love.

Just because I stand up in front of people every week does not make me more important than the one who does the cleaning.  Our office and function is different as are our gifts, but we are both members of the Body and important to each other.

I believe this is why some still call themselves Apostles. 

Jesus said:

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  ⁴³But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:42-45)

The conclusion is to rejoice in the gift God has given you.  Do everything for God’s glory.  Offer yourself as a living sacrifice.  Do what thrills your heart.  “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”  (Philippians 2:3)

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Power of Jesus Name

There is a popular song that says, “There is power in the name of Jesus.”

I grew up singing, “There is Power in the Blood.”

These songs speak a truth that can transform our lives.

We all face enemies in life.  However, our struggle is not against flesh and blood.  The Bible tells us as much.  In Ephesians 6:12, it tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”[i]

The struggle we are in can impact us in a number of ways.  For example, the struggle we are in can bring fear and trouble, doubt and uncertainty and/or leave us lost and in the dark.

The death of Jesus on the cross brought all of these on His disciples.

Jesus spent 3 years building into the lives of a core group of 12, plus an assorted group of followers.  If we go by the number of people gathered together after the resurrection in Acts 1:16, we can number these followers at about 120.  The training of the 12 was especially intense as it was a 24/7/365 deal.  They were with the Teacher constantly, and developed a close relationship with Him.

When Jesus went to the cross, He confronted all of the evil rulers of the unseen world.  He confronted the mighty powers in this dark world, and He fought against the evil spirits in the heavenly places.  He battled all of these and won.  This was the ultimate confrontation of good and evil.

When they laid Jesus in the tomb, His followers thought the battle was over.  Fear, uncertainty and dark ruled the day.  John 20 tells us of the resurrection, and through this account, we will see how the power in the name of Jesus overcame the fear, uncertainty and darkness of that day.  We will also see how this same power works in our lives today.

First, let us talk about fear and trouble.

Notice that John 20:19 says, “The disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.” 

They had a lot to fear.  There was more than a strong possibility that the Jewish leaders would try to round up all of Jesus’s followers and make sure that this was the last they would hear about Jesus.

These people were not being cowardly.  They were in danger.  The angel at the tomb told the women to tell the disciples that Jesus would meet them in Galilee.  The Bible does not say why Jesus chose to meet them in Galilee, but one obvious reason was safety.  Jerusalem was not safe.  This was trouble, trouble that brought on the fear they were experiencing.

We all confront troubles in life that threaten our safety.

Trouble comes in all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes trouble keeps us awake at night.  At other times, we hide from it behind locked doors.  We all have fears that we have to face as a part of our troubles.

In John 14 Jesus was preparing His disciples for the trouble they were about to face.  He said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, and trust also in me.”  (John 14:1)  In John 20 at the conclusion of the trouble, He appeared in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”  (John 20:19)  He gave the same message before and after the trouble. 

Notice He came in spite of locked doors.  This is consistent with His character.  When we shut the world out because of our fears and troubles, He still has a way of getting in.

He does not just give us words of comfort.  Jesus gave His disciples an assignment.  “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”  (John 20:21)  And then, He gave them His power, the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus did not take away the troubles.  He reassured the disciples that they could trust God.  He gave them purpose so there was a reason to face their fear.  Then, finally, He gave them power to face the trouble.

Because of the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ, the presence of Christ and the power of Christ in our lives.  This is the meaning of Jesus’s promise to be with us to the end of the age.

Whatever the trouble, we have His reassurance that we can trust God.  We have the purpose of being His witnesses in all our trials.  Then finally, we have the power to face the trouble. 

There is power in the name of Jesus to help us face fear and trouble.

Next, we will talk about doubt and uncertainty.

John 20:24 tells us one of the twelve named Thomas was not there when Jesus appeared.  When they told Thomas what had happened Thomas said, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”  (John 20:24) 

Thomas was no different from the other disciples.  If you look back at verse 20, you will see that as Jesus was standing among them, He still needed to show them the wounds in His hands and side in order to convince them.

They had been through a traumatic week.  They had seen Jesus stripped, beaten, nailed to a cross and pierced with a spear. 

Luke tells of two men on the road to Emmaus who walked with Jesus and did not recognize Him.  Mary, at the tomb, did not recognize Jesus until He said her name.  Whatever else was going on, these individuals were not able to see past what they had experienced.  In other words, the beating, hanging and death were such great realities to them that they could not process what their eyes were telling them.

There are times in life when the physical reality of life seems to negate everything we profess to believe.  We all face doubt and uncertainty.  It may be different for you than it is for me, but we will all face it.  It may be the death of a loved one, sickness and disease, financial collapse or the failure of a relationship.  Whatever it is, the reality challenges our faith and brings us doubt and uncertainty.

This is what happened to the disciples and to Thomas in particular.

Jesus handles this by showing Himself to Thomas, addressing Thomas’s doubts and challenging Him to be more trusting.

However, Jesus waited 8 days. 

These must have been the most difficult days of Thomas’s life.  For some reason, the growth of our faith requires these dry, silent times.  These are days when God does not seem to be there.  These are painful, trying days.  Job went through them.  Thomas went through them.  We all go through them.

These are days worth enduring.  The reason is that at the end, we see Jesus more clearly.  Jesus singled out Thomas, and showed him exactly what he needed.  He does this for us too.  James tells us, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”  (James 1:2-3)

Look at Thomas’s response.  He says, “My Lord and my God!”  (John 20:28) 

Once we pass through the doubt and uncertainty and are confirmed in our faith, it results in praise to God.  This is why I say these are days worth enduring.  I never want to go through these days again.  However, I am so much richer for having endured them.

Jesus then challenges Thomas to be more trusting.  It is the same advice He gave the disciples before He went to the cross.  Trust in God.  Trust also in me.  (John 14:1)  I find this meaning strongest in the words, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Isaiah 26:3 teaches this when it says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.”[ii]  (ESV)

This is the key to weathering the storms of uncertainty and doubt.  We must trust God.  We cannot allow what has so clearly been displayed to us in the light of day to be stripped away by dark days.

The disciples had just been through the darkest days in all history.  The sun had been darkened and an earthquake had accompanied the death of the Son of God.  Now they were on the other side of these events. 

Jesus won victory over death, hell and the grave.  Jesus was alive.  Jesus is alive still today.

John tells us, “The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book.”

This world is a dark place.  John starts out His account of the life of Jesus by saying Jesus was a light that shined in the darkness.  He healed the sick, freed those oppressed by demons, gave the blind their sight, turned water to wine and even raised the dead to life.  According to the gospel writers, He did too many of these things to record them all.

The ones that are recorded are for our benefit, so that we can believe.  They are for light and hope in this dark world.  

The disciples had found hope.  All of them were willing to die for what they believed, and all but John had the privilege of dying for their testimony.  They had seen the darkness in the world and had tasted of the victory over it that Jesus won.  They knew that there is only one place to go for life.  There is life in Jesus.

They wanted us to know that there is power in the name of Jesus.

They wanted us to know: “by believing in him you will have life by the power of His name.”  (John 20:31)

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[i]  Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Resurrection

Read Mark 16:1-8

Jesus rose bodily from the grave.

It is necessary to say bodily, because there are inventive storytellers in the world.

There are those who say that Jesus never died.

The theories, explanations and denials are too numerous to list.  Some say the disciples stole the body.  Some say that Jesus fainted.  Some say that Jesus is a mythical figure that never really existed.

There have been recent claims that the tomb of Jesus has been discovered and that He stayed dead.

The very morning He rose from the dead the resurrection was attacked.  The soldiers came back to Jerusalem with the report of the resurrection and immediately the Jewish leaders invented a story and paid the soldiers to tell everyone that the disciples had stolen the body.

Muslims dispute the fact of Jesus's crucifixion, arguing that Allah would never have dishonored His prophet by allowing Him to undergo such a death. Muslims believe that Jesus was miraculously caught up into heaven and that someone (perhaps Judas Iscariot) surreptitiously took His place on the cross.[i]

It is not surprising that there is such a concentrated attack on the resurrection.  It is the single most significant event of history.

I am not going to try to give all the historical proofs and evidence for the resurrection in the short time we have together.  Rather, I am going to point out some relevant facts that can help us in our lives.  Lee Strobel recently wrote a book titled, The Case for the Real Jesus, where he brilliantly lays out many convincing arguments and evidences for the historical facts surrounding the life of Jesus.

What is significant for you and me today is that Jesus rose bodily from the grave.  Notice, I said, “Bodily.”  This is an important point.  To deny that Jesus rose bodily from the grave is to deny the resurrection.  The body is not evil.  However, the body also must be redeemed.  It has been corrupted or damaged by sin.  The consequences of sin are far reaching. What God created perfect is now subject to pain, suffering, disease and death.  The body also has to be freed from the effects of sin.

Notice that I say, “the body also.”  The soul is separate from the body and is also subject to death because of sin.  A resurrected body is no good to a condemned soul.  The resurrection is the proof that God accepted Jesus’s sacrifice on our behalf.

The bodily resurrection also shows us that Jesus was completely human.

One might think that it would not be necessary to say this.  However, we tend to forget just what it means that Jesus was human.

Hebrews 5:8 speaks of Jesus learning obedience from the things that He suffered.  Isaiah 53 speaks of Him growing up before Him.  Jesus was not born with the ability to speak.  He was not preaching after 3 days on Earth, nor was He doing advanced calculus within the first weeks of His birth.

We cannot comprehend how Jesus could be fully God and fully man, but this is the truth that we learn from Scripture.

The women were bringing burial spices to the tomb to anoint a dead body.  The spices would have been used to cover up the smell of a corpse.  While the Psalmist said that God would not allow His chosen one to undergo decay, these women were not thinking in these terms.  They were thinking “dead body.” 

This serves to point out the fact that Jesus was very human and that His death was very real.

Hebrews 4:15 teaches us one of the meanings of this fact.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin.”  (NIV)

We worship Jesus.  He is our Savior and our God.  Yet, during His time on earth His stomach would have gurgled when it was empty. In John 4, John tells us that Jesus was tired from the journey as He sat by the well.  The gospel writers tell us that Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, apparently tired from a long day of teaching.

It is essential to our faith that we understand that Jesus was a historical person.  That He had a body with needs, appetites and desires like you and me. 

This is important for us to be able to understand how He can both identify with us and intercede for us.  This is what Hebrews 4:15 points out.  He understands.

However, the bodily resurrection is also important to us for our understanding of our hope.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 says, “²²Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.  ²³But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

We who are believers live in hope of the resurrection of the dead.  We speak of heaven quite frequently.  The stories of people who have apparently died and come back to life are fascinating and spark our imagination for what life will be like after death.  However, this is not the end of the story.  1 Corinthians 15 goes on to tell us:

⁵¹But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret.  We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!  ⁵²It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.  For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever.  And we who are living will also be transformed.  ⁵³For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

⁵⁴Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

⁵⁵O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

This is it!  Victory over death!

Jesus is still fully God and fully man. 

We will have a body like His resurrection body.  He is the first to be raised, and we will all be raised with Him.  Please do not misunderstand.  We will not become God like Him.  We will have a resurrection body like His.

This is the great hope of the believer and we must not lose sight of it.  One reason we must not lose sight of this hope is given in 1 John 3:3, “All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.”  (NIV)  Our joyful hope in the resurrection is a purifying influence in our lives.  It gives us perspective.  It helps us to see and choose what is truly good, rather than having vision limited only to what our physical eyes can see.

Jesus was completely human and we see it gives us hope that He can identify with our weakness.  It also promises us the great and final victory over death.

I want us to notice one more thing.  It has to do with His bodily resurrection and His humanity.  It is His consideration of His friends.

Jesus had just won a tremendous battle.  He had sweat drops of blood.  He had cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”  Now He was on the other side of that battle.

The women came to the tomb.  Mark tells us they entered the tomb and were shocked to see a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side.  Mark also tells us this is an angel, a messenger of God.  There are so many miraculous details: the stone rolled away, the empty tomb and the announcement that Jesus had risen.  Mark tells us that the women left so terrified that they did not speak about it.

In all this victory and all this joy, Peter’s name comes up.  The angel said, “Now go and tell his disciples including Peter . . .” 

Peter had failed Jesus.  When Jesus was going through the worst part of the battle, Peter had denied he even knew Jesus.

We can see ourselves like Peter.  Easter and the resurrection are exciting for the rest of the world, but Jesus cannot love me.  I have done something that I cannot forgive myself for; why would Jesus forgive me?

One of Jesus’s first concerns upon His resurrection was Peter.

Jesus told a story about a shepherd who at the end of the day was missing one sheep.  That shepherd left ninety-nine sheep alone in their pen to go and search for the one missing sheep.

At the resurrection, He showed what this meant.  His first order of business was to check on His friend.  Can’t you see He does the same for you?

Whatever your failure, put your name in here:

            Go tell my disciples and ____________.

He is just that human.

He is just that Divine.

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[i] http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aiia/islam-cross.html