THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Welcome, beloved friends, to today’s broadcast. I hope you had a good celebration of the death and resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Thank GOD for the good testimonies coming in from listeners and also from people who listened to the audio on WhatAapp and Facebook. We have received great testimonies from USA, Australia, Europe and Canada. All glory be to GOD.
Our topic today is, The Implications of the Resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
We shall take our reading from 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Let us Pray.
PRAYER
Our FATHER in heaven and the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, thank YOU for showing us mercy, and for giving us YOUR only SON JESUS CHRIST. Thank YOU for conceiving the salvation plan and executing it for our benefit. Thank YOU for raising HIM from the dead and invariably giving us hope of resurrection.
Grant that we may understand the implication and appropriate YOUR divine provision for our GOOD…in JESUS Mighty Name I pray Amen!
Yes – the resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST has very many implications. Drawing from out text, some people in Corinth were saying that, there is no resurrection of the dead. They are not different from some of our people today. In addition some people of today believe in reincarnation, a situation where one dies and [he] comes back to life as a child severally to several people sometimes, even in four places at a time.
Apostle Paul was writing to The Corinthian Christians to demolish or debunk or counter this teaching. And to show some of the implications of the teaching, he says that, if there is no resurrection then preaching is in vain. You cannot imagine this that reputable and well-learned over the centuries – men – educated men over the centuries had wasted their time preaching. Secondly, he says that, our faith is in vain if there is no resurrection: which cannot be true. And thirdly, that we are still in our sins. Yes that you are still in your sins. And the fourth thing he said is that that means the dead are gone forever. The dead are gone forever. And the fifth, we are of all men and women most miserable. All these cannot be true.
Believers are the most contented, peaceful – and [the] happiest people on earth.
Let me consider four implications of the resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Four implications:
- The revelation reveals the identity of JESUS that HE is the SON of GOD.
The revelation reveals that JESUS is the SON of GOD.
In Romans 1 – let’s read from Romans 1:2-4
Romans 1:2-4
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Do you hear that? That concerning our LORD JESUS CHRIST our LORD who was born 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.
Christianity begins where other religions end: with the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST from the tomb. Yes other religions like Christianity may have founder and have a founder’s grave. But only Christianity has a founder’s empty tomb. Some tombs are famous because of who they contain – but the tomb of JESUS is famous because of who it does not contain.
HE was condemned because HE said HE was the SON of GOD. HIS resurrection proved HE was the SON of GOD. Jimmy Chapman, a servant of GOD said, “If you will not be convinced by His resurrection from the death you will not be convinced by nothing.” You will not be convinced by nothing. Thank GOD I can shout over the radio: “CHRIST IS RISEN!” It is amazing to know that the prophets prophecy to this regard the Sonship of JESUS CHRIST.
In Psalm 2:7 the bible says,
“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said unto Me,
‘Thou art My Son,
This day I have begotten You.
In the Book of John JESUS HIMSELF declared (John 1:29-34) JESUS HIMSELF declared that HE is the SON of GOD. In the Book of John 25 HE also declared that HE is the SON of GOD.
As a matter of fact that was one of the accusations leveled against HIM, that HE made HIMSELF the SON of GOD.
In Matthew 16:15-17,
Matthew 16:15-17
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
The Apostles said HE was the SON of GOD. In John 20:30-31, John testifies that HE is the SON of GOD. And reading from the Book of Acts 3:26 Apostle Peter said,
26 Unto you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
Apostle Paul in Acts 9:20 the bible says, 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
So one of the implications of the resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST is the confirmation of HIS identity as the SON of GOD.
2. Let’s also speak of the injunction of baptism. The resurrection from the dead makes baptism necessary as an outward show of one’s salvation. In Matthew 28 – that’s the popular commission (We call it commission).
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The same thing you will read from Mark 16:15-16
Baptism is the likeness of the death, burial and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST – Baptism is likened to the death and resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. The resurrection is manifested through baptism.
Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:12 says, that baptism is our statement of faith that we believe that JESUS was raised from the dead.
3. The insurance of our own resurrection. Because HE was risen we can be sure that we will also be risen as well. JESUS said upon the occasion of Lazarus, in Lazarus’ resurrection, in John 11:24-26,
John 11:24-26
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever liveth and believes in Me shall never die. Believe thou this?”
In 1 Peter 1:3 says that our hope of resurrection is based upon the resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, which according to HIS abundant mercy HE has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST from the dead.
Apostle Paul writes numerous times concerning the relationship of JESUS’ resurrection to our own resurrection. These are contained in 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
4. And lastly, let’s consider, the certainty of judgment in the final day for all mankind. It will be like an inspection. Our LORD JESUS CHRIST makes this very clear in John 5:28-29. And Apostle Paul speaking to the Athenians in Acts 17:30-31, begins to tell them that, at the last day every man, every woman, will face the judgment of GOD. And people will rise unto everlasting life or everlasting damnation.
Friends, these are the implications of the resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. To which side do you belong? Are you working towards the resurrection unto life or are you working towards the resurrection unto damnation?
I pray that you will come to terms with these implications, and be informed of all that they entail, and make appropriate decisions for your life, to the Glory of HIS Name.
Let us pray.
PRAYER
Heavenly FATHER, as we consider the various implications of the resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, I pray that YOUR People will become knowledgeable and prepared for this eventual thing that will come to all mankind, that we shall be inspected, and after the inspection we shall receive according to the detects of the inspection, the appropriate remuneration for the life we live here. Help our people, O GOD our FATHER, to live right, to the glory of YOUR Holy Name…in JESUS Mighty Name I pray. Amen!