Question
Questions:
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Key Verses: 15:3,4
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures...”
1. Of what does Paul remind the Corinthian Christians? Look up the
following references to find out about Corinth and the problems
among Christians there: 1Co 1:22,26,28; 1:12; 11:18; 5:1; 8:1; 11:21;
(ch 12,13).
2. According to verses 3-4, what is the gospel? (Lk 2:10b) Why is
it such good news that Christ died for our sins? What is sin? How
extensive is sin? What does it do to mankind? (Ro 3:23; Ro 3:12;
5:12,19; Ja 1:15; Isa 59:2)
3. What is the payment sin demands? (Ro 6:23a) What comes after
death? (Heb 9:27; 2Co 5:10) What is God's standard of judgment? (Ro
2:6-9) What comes next? (Rev 21:8)
4. What did God do for perishing people? (Ro 6:23b;Jn 3:16; Jn 1:29)
How can we be saved from our sins? (Jn 1:12; Jn 5:24) Why can only
Jesus save us? (1Ti 2:5; Acts 4:12; Jn 14:6)
5. How did God reveal his almighty power? (Ge 1:1) How does this
guarantee the final victory? (Acts 2:23,24) What is the living hope
which the resurrection gives us? (1Pe 1:3,4) What was David's fear?
His hope? (Ac 2:25-28)
6. What attests to the truth of the gospel, and how does the gospel
prove the historicity and authenticity of the scriptures? (1Co 15:3,4)
7. Who were the witnesses of the resurrection? (1Co 15:5-12;Acts
10:40,42) Think about how each of these men were changed by the
power of the resurrection.
Manuscript
Message
Manuscript
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Key Verses: 15:3,4
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures...”
Look at verse 1a. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel
I preached to you." Verse 1 tells us that the Corinthian Christians had
already received the gospel. Once they had been very zealous believers.
But in the course of living in this real world, they had become lukewarm
Christians. So the Apostle Paul wrote them a long, 16-chapter letter. He
wanted to help them live lives worthy of the gospel.
Corinth was a city of mixed cultures. Jews and Greeks lived there
together (1:22). It was an important seaport and a busy commercial city
(1:26,28). God had begun a great gospel work among the Corinthians,
and through them he shamed the wise and strong worldly people. But where
God works powerfully, Satan also works. So, many problems arose in the
church. There was the problem of strife and division (1:12; 11:18). The
problem of free sex arose (5:1). There were problems about eating (8:1;
11:21). Some of the poor could not bring any food to the "love feast,"
while some of the wealthy brought much food and enjoyed it to their
fill. The "love feast" is the same as the "Lord's Supper," or the
"communion ceremony" in modern terms. Chapter 12 mentions that there
was much "showing off" and human competition for recognition in the
church. Paul gave clear advice for solving their problems in chapters
1 through 12. Paul thought that all of these problems could be solved
with the love of God. So he wrote chapter 13, which is called the "love
chapter," or the best love poem in the Bible.
Even after writing the love chapter, Paul was not convinced that the
problems were cleared in their hearts. The basic problems could not be
solved by advice. Paul realized that only the gospel of the resurrection
could solve their basic problems. His own heart was moved as he thought
about the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection. So he wrote in verses
1,2: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to
you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this
gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain." The Corinthian Christians were
mostly people on the bottom of society. They must have been struggling
to survive and to maintain their gospel faith. But Paul stresses the
fact that, in the last analysis, the only thing they really needed was
the gospel of Jesus.
Paul explains in verses 3 and 4 the contents of the gospel. Read
verses 3,4. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures..." Here we find a concise summary of the gospel. There
are two main events: First, Jesus Christ died for our sins; second, Jesus
Christ rose from the dead on the third day. Paul tells us that these two
events are the gospel. The gospel is the best news to anybody, no matter
who he may be (Lk 2:10b). Let's think for a moment about just why Jesus'
death and resurrection are such good news to all the people of the world.
I. Jesus died for our sins (3)
Look at verse 3. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures..."
Verse 3 says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. By
the way, why is the death of Christ good news to all people of the world?
We can understand this when we think about what sin is, and what its
results are.
First, sin. In Romans 3:23 Paul says, "...for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God..." According to this verse, sin separated man
from God. When man was separated from his Creator God, he became like
a cut flower in a vase. In Romans 3:23, the word "glory" has in it the
idea of a scale or balance. To "fall short of God's glory" means that
when God weighs a man or his actions on the balance, his weight does not
come up to God's standard. Those who should have been heavyweights were
drained to mosquito-weights because of their sins. Those who should have
looked like the children of God looked like porcupines or old monkeys,
whose desire had been only for bananas. Those who should have looked
like heavenly princesses looked like weary prostitutes. Man became
worthless before God (Ro 3:12). In short, sin disfigures the image of
God in man. Sin makes man very sick with sin.
The words, "all have sinned" explain how sin spread to all mankind.
One man, Adam, sinned. Then he became very sick with sin, and his
sinsickness spread to all mankind. Sin is like a contagious disease
(Ro 5:19a), such as the bubonic plague, AIDS or leprosy. Sin also causes
man to have only sinful desires (Jas 1:15). Sin makes man very sick with
sinsicknesses all his life, and he finally dies in sin.
But many people don't take sin so seriously. Many people think that
sin is enjoyable. Many people think after committing sin, "If I forget
about it, that's all." When they are tormented by their sinsickness,
they try to solve their problem of sin by depending on psychoanalysis
or by making excuses. But they only waste money, having no way to cure
their sinsickness. They become too nervous and sensitive to maintain
their lives. Women become like men, and men, like women.
Second, the wages of sin. Look at Romans 6:23a. "For the wages of sin is
death..." The wages of sin is the second result of sin. Sin is not free
of charge; it demands payment. It does not demand almighty U.S. dollars;
it demands only blood. Before dying, not only do the carriers of the
wages of sin suffer because of their sinsicknesses, but also they
make other people suffer by spreading their sinsickness to others. The
carriers of the wages of sin are likened to the carriers of many kinds
of fatal diseases. One woman committed many sins and became a carrier
of the wages of sin. Then she left the society where she ruined her
life and crept into a Christian fellowship to live a new life. But she
did not repent her sins. As a result, she spread her sinsickness and
made others chew and eat her wages of sins together with her. The Bible
says that all activities of men, whether they be philanthropic work or
educational work or some other seemingly good work, bring the wages of
death if they leave God out.
Third, judgment. What comes after death? After death, judgment comes.
Most people hope that death can be the end of everything. Sorry! Death
is not the end of everything. Hebrews 9:27 says that man is destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment. This is the third result of
sin. It is a universal truth for mankind that man is destined to die
once. No matter how miserable a man's existence is, he does not want
to die. Two million people die in the United States every year. This
means that every day five thousand people throughout this country die
of various causes. Those who died had done their best not to die. But
they died. The unanimous witness of history is to the inevitability of
death. Generations have come and gone, and each succeeding generation
has laid its dead in the grave. It is certain that each of us has an
appointment with death. Death makes man fall into nihilism and pessimism
and finally brings men to utter despair before the authority and power of
death. How nice it would be if death were the end of everything. But the
Bible says, "...and after that to face judgment." 2 Corinthians 5:10 says,
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad." All men must appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done
while in the body, whether good or bad. Each person must account for what
he has done on earth. God judges man according to his life motives and
purpose. Romans 2:7,8 says, "To those who by persistence in doing good
seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for
those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,
there will be wrath and anger." There is no hiding place at the time
of judgment.
Fourth, the second death. What comes after judgment? After judgment
the second death comes. Look at Revelation 21:8. "But the cowardly, the
unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who
practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be
in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." In this
verse, "second death" means spiritual death or eternal punishment after
the judgment. Those who are pronounced guilty at the judgment have to
suffer eternal punishment in "the fiery lake of burning sulfur." Those
who have a first-class ticket to this terrible place are the cowardly,
men and women of fear and calculation. The opposite of faith is not
doubt, but cowardice. We are living in a world where evil men seem to
rule the world. So most people become so cowardly before evil men that
they cannot identify themselves as God's people. It is tragic to live
a hard life in this world and die, and then be assigned to eternal
punishment after the judgment.
Fifth, the gift of God. What did God do for perishing people? The Bible
says that God gave us the gift of God, that is, eternal life in his
one and only Son Jesus Christ. Look at Romans 6:23b. "...but the gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The Bible assures us
that God gave us his one and only Son as a ransom sacrifice to save us
from our sins. John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life."
John the Baptist, who realized this, said in John 1:29, "Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" God, in his great
mercy, sent his one and only Son to save men from their sins. When Jesus
came into the world as God the Son, he humbled himself. He healed the
sick and preached the kingdom of God. But Jesus was despised and rejected
by evil men. Because of our sins he was crushed and smitten. Finally,
he was crucified on the cross in our place to save us from our sins. He
shed his blood on the cross. By his blood our sins are washed away. By
his blood our sins are forgiven.
Sixth, the way of salvation. How can we be saved from our sins? John
1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God..." We are too weak
to save ourselves. But when we believe in Jesus, he gives us the power
to become the children of God. John 5:24 says, "I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and
will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." The way
of salvation sounds too easy. But we are saved simply by hearing his
word and believing in the Son. Then God gives us eternal life right at
the moment we believe, and we will not be condemned.
Seventh, the only mediator. In history, many saints were concerned
with man's salvation from death. Why then can only Jesus save us? It is
because Jesus is the only mediator between God and men. Nobody else died
for man's sin. Nobody else shed his blood to wash away man's sin. But
Jesus died for our sins. Jesus shed his blood to forgive our sins. 1
Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus..." Not only so, but also, nobody else
has ever mentioned the way of salvation. But Jesus said in John 14:6,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me." Jesus is the only mediator between God and men.
II. He was raised on the third day (4)
Jesus shed his blood and died on the cross for our sins. Thus, he
saved us from our sins. Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood. Thus
he forgave our sins. However, if everything had ended with his death on
the cross, he would have been no different from other holy men. His story
on the cross would have been just another beautiful and sad story. But
Jesus rose from the dead. Look at verse 4. "...that he was buried, that
he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." What
does the resurrection of Jesus mean? We cannot say everything about the
resurrection of Christ in this short message. But we want to think about
three things concerning his resurrection.
First, the resurrection of Jesus shows that God is living. Genesis
1:1 says that God created the heavens and the earth. Our God is the
Creator God. At the same time, our God is the God of love. When men
disobeyed God, they were cursed. They became evildoers. They only piled
up the wrath and anger of God. So God should have destroyed them all in
a flash. But God, in his great mercy, sent his one and only Son to this
world to die on the cross to save sinners. God laid all our iniquities
and transgressions on Jesus when he was crucified on the cross (Ga
3:13). God sacrificed his one and only Son on the cross to save men from
their sins. But if God had not raised Jesus, he could not have proved
that he is the living and Almighty God who created the heavens and the
earth. But God raised Jesus from the dead. Thus, he proved that he is
living. Read Acts 2:24. "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him
from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep
its hold on him." Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days;
then, he was vomited out on the land near Nineveh. Likewise, Jesus was
swallowed up by the power of death, but God raised him on the third day.
Second, the resurrection of Jesus guarantees us the final victory. When
Jesus was hung on the tree, receiving capital punishment like a criminal,
evil seemed to triumph over righteousness. But God raised him from the
dead on the third day. God made the Risen Jesus the Judge of the living
and the dead. Peter said in Acts 10:40,42b: "But God raised him from
the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen...(and) he is the
one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead." They judged
Jesus and killed him on the cross. But God raised him and made him the
judge over them. The resurrection of Jesus is the final victory over evil
men and the evil world. In the Risen Jesus, we have final victory. The
other day we heard the story of a woman. An African boy proposed to her
and she married him. As soon as he received permanent resident status
he divorced her. We tremble at the evilness of men. Whenever we think
about one person, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, we tremble at the
evilness of mankind. We see there are so many Judas Iscariots in this
society because of the influence of pragmatism. Many God-haters make
false accusations against sincere Christians or Christian organizations.
Sorry to say, Christian leaders are too silent before the evils of the
world. But God was not quiet; God raised Jesus from the dead and showed
us that evil and evil men are already destroyed by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. At the same time, through his resurrection, God assured
the children of God of the final victory.
Third, the resurrection of Jesus gives us a living hope. There is no
greater attachment to every man than his attachment to his own life. Most
people make great efforts to be better off. But the sad news is that all
people die once, no matter how hard they try not to. We can see this same
agony in King David's life. He was a poet. He was a mighty warrior and
a king. He lacked nothing. But whenever he was captured by the thought
of death, he felt he was being eaten by maggots and earthworms little
by little (Isa 14:11). Because of this, he trembled (Ac 2:27). But he
could have hope when God showed him that his body would live.
Men put their hope in stocks, bonds, gadgets, pleasures and thrills.
Actually, we have no hope, because we must die someday. We cannot put
hope in the things of the world because all of them slowly and steadily
perish, spoil or fade. Everything will be swallowed up by death. But we
have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look at 1
Peter 1:3,4. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In
his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that
can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you..." In the past
we put our hope in the things of the world which will soon perish. But
when we believe in the resurrection of Jesus, we no more put our hope in
the things of the world, but in the kingdom of God. Frankly speaking,
when we believe in Jesus we feel that we suffer too much loss. But we
lose nothing, because the kingdom of God is our inheritance. Wow! It's
unbelievable that the kingdom of God is our inheritance. But God promises
us so.
III. Resurrection witnesses (5-11)
Paul repeated the words, "according to the Scriptures" twice
in verses 3,4 to emphasize the historicity and authenticity of the
Scriptures. But if no one had seen the resurrected Jesus, if there
had been no witnesses, how could the resurrection be believed? So
Paul introduces witnesses who could attest to the truth of Jesus'
resurrection. They were once clumps of worldly desires, but when they met
the Risen Jesus, they were changed into spiritual men. The greatest and
most indisputable testimony to the resurrection of Jesus is the changed
lives of people.
The resurrected Jesus first appeared to Peter, the top disciple (Mk
1:16; Jn 1:40,41). When Jesus called him, he left everything and followed
(Mk 1:18; 10:28). He followed Jesus until he made a confession of faith,
"You are the Christ" (Mk 8:29). At the time of Jesus' crucifixion, Peter
denied him three times and despaired. There on the shore of the Sea of
Galilee Peter met the Risen Jesus again (Jn 21:12). After meeting the
Risen Jesus personally, he was changed into a new man, a courageous man
of faith. He became a witness of the resurrection as a matter of life
and death (1Pe 1:3,4).
The Risen Jesus also appeared to the Twelve disciples. Then he
appeared to more than 500 brethren at the same time. Then he appeared to
James, one of his disciples. James was a man who had a habit of chasing
rainbows (Mt 20:20,21; Mk 10:35). But when he met the Risen Jesus,
his inner desires were changed. After this, he witnessed to Jesus'
resurrection through his martyrdom (Ac 12:2).
Paul, too, met the Risen Jesus. He was a scholar, well-versed in
the philosophies and in the Jewish Law. In his zeal, he persecuted the
church of Jesus Christ. He approved the stoning of Saint Stephen. But
on the way to Damascus, he was met by the Risen Jesus. At the light of
the glory of Jesus, his eyes were blinded for three days. On the basis
of this experience he claimed that he was one of the apostles. When Paul
tried to fix himself up to be a great man and be happy, he only became
a murderer. But when he met the Risen Jesus Christ, he was completely
changed into a new man, a spiritual man. Paul lived out his life as a
forgiven sinner and faithful witness to the resurrection of Jesus. From
that time on, he lived only by the grace of God. He said in verses 9,10,
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called
an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace
of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No,
I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that
was with me." Paul was abundantly happy, always saying, "But by the grace
of God I am what I am." How can we meet the Risen Jesus? We must believe
in our hearts that Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third
day. Then God can change each one of us into a new man or a new woman.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was raised
on the third day according to the Scriptures. At this time, may God help
you to believe the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. When
you do so, may God forgive all your sins and give you a living hope in
the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Key Verses: 15:3,4
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures...”
Look at verse 1a. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel
I preached to you." Verse 1 tells us that the Corinthian Christians had
already received the gospel. Once they had been very zealous believers.
But in the course of living in this real world, they had become lukewarm
Christians. So the Apostle Paul wrote them a long, 16-chapter letter. He
wanted to help them live lives worthy of the gospel.
Corinth was a city of mixed cultures. Jews and Greeks lived there
together (1:22). It was an important seaport and a busy commercial city
(1:26,28). God had begun a great gospel work among the Corinthians,
and through them he shamed the wise and strong worldly people. But where
God works powerfully, Satan also works. So, many problems arose in the
church. There was the problem of strife and division (1:12; 11:18). The
problem of free sex arose (5:1). There were problems about eating (8:1;
11:21). Some of the poor could not bring any food to the "love feast,"
while some of the wealthy brought much food and enjoyed it to their
fill. The "love feast" is the same as the "Lord's Supper," or the
"communion ceremony" in modern terms. Chapter 12 mentions that there
was much "showing off" and human competition for recognition in the
church. Paul gave clear advice for solving their problems in chapters
1 through 12. Paul thought that all of these problems could be solved
with the love of God. So he wrote chapter 13, which is called the "love
chapter," or the best love poem in the Bible.
Even after writing the love chapter, Paul was not convinced that the
problems were cleared in their hearts. The basic problems could not be
solved by advice. Paul realized that only the gospel of the resurrection
could solve their basic problems. His own heart was moved as he thought
about the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection. So he wrote in verses
1,2: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to
you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this
gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain." The Corinthian Christians were
mostly people on the bottom of society. They must have been struggling
to survive and to maintain their gospel faith. But Paul stresses the
fact that, in the last analysis, the only thing they really needed was
the gospel of Jesus.
Paul explains in verses 3 and 4 the contents of the gospel. Read
verses 3,4. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures..." Here we find a concise summary of the gospel. There
are two main events: First, Jesus Christ died for our sins; second, Jesus
Christ rose from the dead on the third day. Paul tells us that these two
events are the gospel. The gospel is the best news to anybody, no matter
who he may be (Lk 2:10b). Let's think for a moment about just why Jesus'
death and resurrection are such good news to all the people of the world.
I. Jesus died for our sins (3)
Look at verse 3. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures..."
Verse 3 says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. By
the way, why is the death of Christ good news to all people of the world?
We can understand this when we think about what sin is, and what its
results are.
First, sin. In Romans 3:23 Paul says, "...for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God..." According to this verse, sin separated man
from God. When man was separated from his Creator God, he became like
a cut flower in a vase. In Romans 3:23, the word "glory" has in it the
idea of a scale or balance. To "fall short of God's glory" means that
when God weighs a man or his actions on the balance, his weight does not
come up to God's standard. Those who should have been heavyweights were
drained to mosquito-weights because of their sins. Those who should have
looked like the children of God looked like porcupines or old monkeys,
whose desire had been only for bananas. Those who should have looked
like heavenly princesses looked like weary prostitutes. Man became
worthless before God (Ro 3:12). In short, sin disfigures the image of
God in man. Sin makes man very sick with sin.
The words, "all have sinned" explain how sin spread to all mankind.
One man, Adam, sinned. Then he became very sick with sin, and his
sinsickness spread to all mankind. Sin is like a contagious disease
(Ro 5:19a), such as the bubonic plague, AIDS or leprosy. Sin also causes
man to have only sinful desires (Jas 1:15). Sin makes man very sick with
sinsicknesses all his life, and he finally dies in sin.
But many people don't take sin so seriously. Many people think that
sin is enjoyable. Many people think after committing sin, "If I forget
about it, that's all." When they are tormented by their sinsickness,
they try to solve their problem of sin by depending on psychoanalysis
or by making excuses. But they only waste money, having no way to cure
their sinsickness. They become too nervous and sensitive to maintain
their lives. Women become like men, and men, like women.
Second, the wages of sin. Look at Romans 6:23a. "For the wages of sin is
death..." The wages of sin is the second result of sin. Sin is not free
of charge; it demands payment. It does not demand almighty U.S. dollars;
it demands only blood. Before dying, not only do the carriers of the
wages of sin suffer because of their sinsicknesses, but also they
make other people suffer by spreading their sinsickness to others. The
carriers of the wages of sin are likened to the carriers of many kinds
of fatal diseases. One woman committed many sins and became a carrier
of the wages of sin. Then she left the society where she ruined her
life and crept into a Christian fellowship to live a new life. But she
did not repent her sins. As a result, she spread her sinsickness and
made others chew and eat her wages of sins together with her. The Bible
says that all activities of men, whether they be philanthropic work or
educational work or some other seemingly good work, bring the wages of
death if they leave God out.
Third, judgment. What comes after death? After death, judgment comes.
Most people hope that death can be the end of everything. Sorry! Death
is not the end of everything. Hebrews 9:27 says that man is destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment. This is the third result of
sin. It is a universal truth for mankind that man is destined to die
once. No matter how miserable a man's existence is, he does not want
to die. Two million people die in the United States every year. This
means that every day five thousand people throughout this country die
of various causes. Those who died had done their best not to die. But
they died. The unanimous witness of history is to the inevitability of
death. Generations have come and gone, and each succeeding generation
has laid its dead in the grave. It is certain that each of us has an
appointment with death. Death makes man fall into nihilism and pessimism
and finally brings men to utter despair before the authority and power of
death. How nice it would be if death were the end of everything. But the
Bible says, "...and after that to face judgment." 2 Corinthians 5:10 says,
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad." All men must appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done
while in the body, whether good or bad. Each person must account for what
he has done on earth. God judges man according to his life motives and
purpose. Romans 2:7,8 says, "To those who by persistence in doing good
seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for
those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,
there will be wrath and anger." There is no hiding place at the time
of judgment.
Fourth, the second death. What comes after judgment? After judgment
the second death comes. Look at Revelation 21:8. "But the cowardly, the
unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who
practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be
in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." In this
verse, "second death" means spiritual death or eternal punishment after
the judgment. Those who are pronounced guilty at the judgment have to
suffer eternal punishment in "the fiery lake of burning sulfur." Those
who have a first-class ticket to this terrible place are the cowardly,
men and women of fear and calculation. The opposite of faith is not
doubt, but cowardice. We are living in a world where evil men seem to
rule the world. So most people become so cowardly before evil men that
they cannot identify themselves as God's people. It is tragic to live
a hard life in this world and die, and then be assigned to eternal
punishment after the judgment.
Fifth, the gift of God. What did God do for perishing people? The Bible
says that God gave us the gift of God, that is, eternal life in his
one and only Son Jesus Christ. Look at Romans 6:23b. "...but the gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The Bible assures us
that God gave us his one and only Son as a ransom sacrifice to save us
from our sins. John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life."
John the Baptist, who realized this, said in John 1:29, "Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" God, in his great
mercy, sent his one and only Son to save men from their sins. When Jesus
came into the world as God the Son, he humbled himself. He healed the
sick and preached the kingdom of God. But Jesus was despised and rejected
by evil men. Because of our sins he was crushed and smitten. Finally,
he was crucified on the cross in our place to save us from our sins. He
shed his blood on the cross. By his blood our sins are washed away. By
his blood our sins are forgiven.
Sixth, the way of salvation. How can we be saved from our sins? John
1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God..." We are too weak
to save ourselves. But when we believe in Jesus, he gives us the power
to become the children of God. John 5:24 says, "I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and
will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." The way
of salvation sounds too easy. But we are saved simply by hearing his
word and believing in the Son. Then God gives us eternal life right at
the moment we believe, and we will not be condemned.
Seventh, the only mediator. In history, many saints were concerned
with man's salvation from death. Why then can only Jesus save us? It is
because Jesus is the only mediator between God and men. Nobody else died
for man's sin. Nobody else shed his blood to wash away man's sin. But
Jesus died for our sins. Jesus shed his blood to forgive our sins. 1
Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus..." Not only so, but also, nobody else
has ever mentioned the way of salvation. But Jesus said in John 14:6,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me." Jesus is the only mediator between God and men.
II. He was raised on the third day (4)
Jesus shed his blood and died on the cross for our sins. Thus, he
saved us from our sins. Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood. Thus
he forgave our sins. However, if everything had ended with his death on
the cross, he would have been no different from other holy men. His story
on the cross would have been just another beautiful and sad story. But
Jesus rose from the dead. Look at verse 4. "...that he was buried, that
he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...." What
does the resurrection of Jesus mean? We cannot say everything about the
resurrection of Christ in this short message. But we want to think about
three things concerning his resurrection.
First, the resurrection of Jesus shows that God is living. Genesis
1:1 says that God created the heavens and the earth. Our God is the
Creator God. At the same time, our God is the God of love. When men
disobeyed God, they were cursed. They became evildoers. They only piled
up the wrath and anger of God. So God should have destroyed them all in
a flash. But God, in his great mercy, sent his one and only Son to this
world to die on the cross to save sinners. God laid all our iniquities
and transgressions on Jesus when he was crucified on the cross (Ga
3:13). God sacrificed his one and only Son on the cross to save men from
their sins. But if God had not raised Jesus, he could not have proved
that he is the living and Almighty God who created the heavens and the
earth. But God raised Jesus from the dead. Thus, he proved that he is
living. Read Acts 2:24. "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him
from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep
its hold on him." Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days;
then, he was vomited out on the land near Nineveh. Likewise, Jesus was
swallowed up by the power of death, but God raised him on the third day.
Second, the resurrection of Jesus guarantees us the final victory. When
Jesus was hung on the tree, receiving capital punishment like a criminal,
evil seemed to triumph over righteousness. But God raised him from the
dead on the third day. God made the Risen Jesus the Judge of the living
and the dead. Peter said in Acts 10:40,42b: "But God raised him from
the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen...(and) he is the
one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead." They judged
Jesus and killed him on the cross. But God raised him and made him the
judge over them. The resurrection of Jesus is the final victory over evil
men and the evil world. In the Risen Jesus, we have final victory. The
other day we heard the story of a woman. An African boy proposed to her
and she married him. As soon as he received permanent resident status
he divorced her. We tremble at the evilness of men. Whenever we think
about one person, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, we tremble at the
evilness of mankind. We see there are so many Judas Iscariots in this
society because of the influence of pragmatism. Many God-haters make
false accusations against sincere Christians or Christian organizations.
Sorry to say, Christian leaders are too silent before the evils of the
world. But God was not quiet; God raised Jesus from the dead and showed
us that evil and evil men are already destroyed by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. At the same time, through his resurrection, God assured
the children of God of the final victory.
Third, the resurrection of Jesus gives us a living hope. There is no
greater attachment to every man than his attachment to his own life. Most
people make great efforts to be better off. But the sad news is that all
people die once, no matter how hard they try not to. We can see this same
agony in King David's life. He was a poet. He was a mighty warrior and
a king. He lacked nothing. But whenever he was captured by the thought
of death, he felt he was being eaten by maggots and earthworms little
by little (Isa 14:11). Because of this, he trembled (Ac 2:27). But he
could have hope when God showed him that his body would live.
Men put their hope in stocks, bonds, gadgets, pleasures and thrills.
Actually, we have no hope, because we must die someday. We cannot put
hope in the things of the world because all of them slowly and steadily
perish, spoil or fade. Everything will be swallowed up by death. But we
have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look at 1
Peter 1:3,4. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In
his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that
can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you..." In the past
we put our hope in the things of the world which will soon perish. But
when we believe in the resurrection of Jesus, we no more put our hope in
the things of the world, but in the kingdom of God. Frankly speaking,
when we believe in Jesus we feel that we suffer too much loss. But we
lose nothing, because the kingdom of God is our inheritance. Wow! It's
unbelievable that the kingdom of God is our inheritance. But God promises
us so.
III. Resurrection witnesses (5-11)
Paul repeated the words, "according to the Scriptures" twice
in verses 3,4 to emphasize the historicity and authenticity of the
Scriptures. But if no one had seen the resurrected Jesus, if there
had been no witnesses, how could the resurrection be believed? So
Paul introduces witnesses who could attest to the truth of Jesus'
resurrection. They were once clumps of worldly desires, but when they met
the Risen Jesus, they were changed into spiritual men. The greatest and
most indisputable testimony to the resurrection of Jesus is the changed
lives of people.
The resurrected Jesus first appeared to Peter, the top disciple (Mk
1:16; Jn 1:40,41). When Jesus called him, he left everything and followed
(Mk 1:18; 10:28). He followed Jesus until he made a confession of faith,
"You are the Christ" (Mk 8:29). At the time of Jesus' crucifixion, Peter
denied him three times and despaired. There on the shore of the Sea of
Galilee Peter met the Risen Jesus again (Jn 21:12). After meeting the
Risen Jesus personally, he was changed into a new man, a courageous man
of faith. He became a witness of the resurrection as a matter of life
and death (1Pe 1:3,4).
The Risen Jesus also appeared to the Twelve disciples. Then he
appeared to more than 500 brethren at the same time. Then he appeared to
James, one of his disciples. James was a man who had a habit of chasing
rainbows (Mt 20:20,21; Mk 10:35). But when he met the Risen Jesus,
his inner desires were changed. After this, he witnessed to Jesus'
resurrection through his martyrdom (Ac 12:2).
Paul, too, met the Risen Jesus. He was a scholar, well-versed in
the philosophies and in the Jewish Law. In his zeal, he persecuted the
church of Jesus Christ. He approved the stoning of Saint Stephen. But
on the way to Damascus, he was met by the Risen Jesus. At the light of
the glory of Jesus, his eyes were blinded for three days. On the basis
of this experience he claimed that he was one of the apostles. When Paul
tried to fix himself up to be a great man and be happy, he only became
a murderer. But when he met the Risen Jesus Christ, he was completely
changed into a new man, a spiritual man. Paul lived out his life as a
forgiven sinner and faithful witness to the resurrection of Jesus. From
that time on, he lived only by the grace of God. He said in verses 9,10,
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called
an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace
of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No,
I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that
was with me." Paul was abundantly happy, always saying, "But by the grace
of God I am what I am." How can we meet the Risen Jesus? We must believe
in our hearts that Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third
day. Then God can change each one of us into a new man or a new woman.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was raised
on the third day according to the Scriptures. At this time, may God help
you to believe the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. When
you do so, may God forgive all your sins and give you a living hope in
the kingdom of God.