“The Resurrected Christ Jesus”(Romans 6:5-11 )

Romans 6:5-11 “The Resurrected Christ Jesus”

 

Today is Easter, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  May God’s grace overflow you and your homes.  So many people have lived and died since the creation of the world, but in among them not even one opened the tomb and lived again.  Confucius and Buddha remained in their tombs.  Any King or any hero in world history remains locked in their tomb, there is not one who has come alive.  However, our Lord Jesus Christ’s tomb is empty.  When He was born, he was born in a lowly stable as a carpenter’s son and when He died, He was executed on the cross as one of the worst criminals of Rome.  Jesus seems born in the lowest of circumstances and died in the lowest of circumstances, but He becomes the center of history.  The historians divided time by B.C. and A.D. referring to Jesus Christ.  (Before Christ Jesus was born is called B.C. and after Christ Jesus was born is called A.D.)  Why is this?  It is because He was raised from the dead.  Therefore this morning we will receive grace through a sermon titled “The Resurrected Christ Jesus.”  May God’s grace overflow in your hearts.

 

First, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical event.  Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures and He was buried and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  In fact, Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that after He died He would rise again.  The passages in the Bible that tell us this are John 2:19 where we find, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  Verse 21 says, “He was speaking of the temple of His body.”  And in Matthew 12:39-40 it says, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”  And you certainly remember what Jesus said to Martha, the sister of Lazarus (John 11:25-26), “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  Jesus speaks of Himself saying, “I am the resurrection.”  As a matter of fact many historians, in order to refute this fact, seek and study to refute the resurrection of Jesus, but they can not find anything.  Rather, the more they look to refute this fact the more evidence they find for the resurrection of Jesus.  Not only this, they find evidence for the existence of Christianity and the church on this earth, what does itself prove?  That is, I believe it certainly proves the fact that Jesus our Lord has risen and is working in our lives.  The resurrection of Jesus is historical.  The historians testify and the word of Scripture testifies also.  So many witnesses and Jesus’ disciples prove it.  Also as we see Jesus’ empty tomb, it testifies to the resurrection.  The resurrection of Jesus, Who said, “I am the resurrection and the life” has been a fact to believers of the human race through out the many centuries.  The resurrection of Jesus is an historical event.

 

Secondly, let us think about the privileges the saints have who are united with the resurrected Jesus.  These are jthe power of the resurrection gives vitality to our lives.  The night in which Jesus was arrested and then crucified on the cross, Jesus’ disciples were gathered in one room and were trembling in fear.  They were fearful of when and what time the Jewish people would come in or the Roman soldiers come to arrest or kill them.  They could not even speak loud nor could they breathe deeply, they were so cast down with disappointment.  They believed Jesus would be their great ruler, so they gave up their boats and left their parents and relatives to follow Him.  But now what was left?  Jesus was arrested and killed.  All the disciples had to be disappointed.  Then all of a sudden they meet the resurrected Jesus.  They were suddenly transformed into different people, with strength and vitality, like a newborn Christian.  Therefore in Acts 4:19-20 we see them saying to the Pharisees, high priests, scribes, and Jews, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  They shouted this with courage and with a bold heart.  They were the ones in the room who had fallen completely powerless with fear and desperation and now were born again to be God’s powerful people with vitality and full of life.  It is the same in our life; is there anyone among us today in difficulty and disappointment?  Then I pray this is the time to meet Jesus, Who is the resurrection and the life.  Then you will receive new strength and be full of life in you heart.  I believe this is the new strength which is coming from the power of resurrection.  kThe second privilege is that the resurrection gives us the hope of eternal life.  John 14:19B says, “Because I live, you will live also.”  Jesus gave us the promise that we also will live.  For example, I remember telling you this story once.  There is Westminster, a conservative seminary in Philadelphia in America.  Professor Grasham Machen, who was one of the founders of this school, was on his deathbed.  So his beloved colleagues and students came to be with their professor in his last moments.  They surrounded his bed to see him.  At that time, the dying professor all of a sudden shouted, saying, “I see heaven’s gates open and I go to Jesus’ bosom Who has been with me and lead me into righteous ways all of my life.”  Then he silently closed his eyes with an expression of joy.  Beloved saints!  What a touching moment it must have been?  We who believe Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord have a promised resurrection from our Lord.  This is our privilege, that only in Jesus Christ, is there eternal life.

 

Thirdly, we who believe in the resurrection have a duty to perform before God.  What is that duty?  It is the duty to preach the resurrected Jesus Christ.  We must preach Jesus Christ Who is life Himself, Who leads us in life.  We need to tell others that whoever believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be saved and have eternal life.  This is our duty.  What was the first action of the disciples who were eye witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus?  They witnessed Jesus’ resurrection, which they saw with their own eyes.  Many times they preached Jesus’ resurrection under difficulty and persecution by their opponents, even to their death.  Paul did it ands many other believers before us did it too.  Today, there are so many people who need to hear; in our homes, in our work places, and sometimes our neighbors.  It is OK for them to listen or not to listen, to listen or not is their responsibility not ours.  We need to be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2B).  I bless you in the name of our Lord as we celebrate this Easter Sunday.  We all become blessed saints who believe in the promises of the resurrected Jesus and live with fullness of life.

By: Rev. Samuel Choi