Sermon Nuggets- Monday August 16
Theme Death of Christ
Verses 1 Cor 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,”
Death of Christ
Death is the process we know that prepares us for this body. Just like the seed cannot produce fruit without first dying and being buried, so it is with you and me. That is the way that He has chosen to translate us from this earthly life into the heavenly. That is the only way that we can be forever with the Lord. This is the 4th in the series and I want to look at the Death of Jesus.
Some have called this passage the gospel in a nutshell. It defines the work of Christ in his body while on earth. These four events are the foundation of our faith- He died, was buried, arose and appeared. Without those events Paul says our faith would be in vain.
The events of Jesus coming were all preplanned. He was not a victim of circumstances. The death of Jesus wasn’t a last minute decision. It was planned before creation (1st Peter 1:19-20) That plan for redemption that was planned before creation, has now come to pass through the death of Christ
The prophecies about the crucifixion of the Messiah, were written hundreds of years before there was such a punishment as crucifixion. Psalm 22 is a prophetic psalm pointing to the suffering of the Messiah 950 years before it occurred.
Yet Jesus was not forced by any man to die. It was voluntary. In spite of the cruelty of the cross, Jesus still choose to die. John 10:17-18 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
I sometimes ponder the circumstances recorded both in the out of Scripture to remind myself how unique Jesus death as from any other. I am not just talking about the cross or the beating because many had received at horrific punishment and suffering. Combined with the events we read about how the sky was darkened from the 6th to the 9th hour. In a book on the crucifixion of Jesus I am reminded that it wasn’t an eclipe for those everns last only a few minutes not for 3 hours. This event is also recorded by non-biblical sources –Tertullian writes about it being recorded in the Roman records, and Dionysius of Alexandria, also recorded witnessing this pheromone
We also read that at the moment of Christ’s death the curtain in the Temple was torn in half. This was a heavy curtain that hung between the holy place and the holy of holies. According to rabbinical literature of the first century, the veil in Herod’s temple was 4 fingers thick. Thick enough that no man could see through it, and it separated God from sinful man as we have been studying Sunday mornings when the tabernacle was build in the wilderness. Men would have torn the veil (if they possibly could) from bottom to top, this was done from top to bottom, showing that it was God who had done it.
We also read that at the very moment that Jesus died, there was a great earthquake, that the earth shook and the rocks split. This happened right at the time of his last breath. Calvin Miller describes it as, “The earth shuddering at her awful crime”
This earthquake shook open many of the nearby tombs according to Matthew 27:52-53. A soldier put his spear into the side of Jesus to see that blood and water came out to prove his death and the centurion trying to take in all of this change his whole outlook when he exclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
We will look more at the atonement of His death in the days ahead.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Aug 17
Verses 1 Cor 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,”
The Purpose of Christ’s Death
We defined death earlier as a separation in regards to our body, soul and spirit. We looked at what happens after we die, the teachings of Hades, and Paradise, and Abraham’s bosom, and the presence of God. We talked about near death experiences, and what the Bible teaches.
But since death is the result of sin why did Jesus die? Even though He had human flesh if death was a punishment for sin and a curse upon our world, it should not have affected the one who was completely holy. Since John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, Jesus should not have been baptized by John. John the Baptist was right in objecting to baptize Jesus. But Jesus said He must do so to fulfill the righteousness of God. So as the purpose of his baptism was different, so was the purpose of his death.
The first mention of any death in the Bible was interestingly the day that Adam and Eve sinned. God had prepared skins for them to wear for they saw they were naked and ashamed. That was more than a bodily condition of being without clothes. But it was that sense of wanting to cover up the nature and not expose their sinful character.
If magically God would project on our power point all the thought and images that come into your mind. The things you want to say to people but culture and politeness prevent you. The attitudes you have toward people for whom you respond nicely, or the lusts of the flesh. Even if the wrong people overheard your private conversations sins of your heart would be exposed. You would feel like Adam and Eve, naked and ashamed. You would want to hide.
How can we get the pictures of a most holy God in our minds? When He abhors sin everyone of us have offended him greatly. And so there is no relationship we can with Him for our sin separates us. The Bible tells us no person is worthy of relationship with a Holy God
We are helpless to correct this situation and can do nothing to hide our sin from God. He has a holy wrath against sin which makes us enemies and condemned to death.
In the Old Testament God demonstrated another important quality. It was grace. He provided a way to allow people to have a relationship with Himself. It came in a sacrificial system where the death of blood of the animal was accepted by God as a substitute for the death we deserve. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls" Lev. 17:11.
The Law required that the sacrificial victims must be free from defect, and buying them always involved some cost to the sinner. But an animal's death did not automatically make people right with God in some simple, mechanical way. The hostility between God and man because of sin is a personal matter. Mankind was personally expected to recognize the seriousness of their sin. They must also identify themselves personally with the victim that dies: "Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him" Lev. 1:4.
All the bulls and sheep and doves and oxen which were killed and bled to death still were only a temporary situation. It was like paying on credit the bill that is owed.
"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" Heb. 10:4. Atonement means to bring something in our place to die for us in order for the price of sin to be paid.
What Jesus represents for us is this: 1) In his divine/human nature he is able to represent us before God. As Priest- carrying out the duties as on anointed to enter the holy of holies. He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Heb. 9:12. He fulfills the place of the sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish provided by God to take away our sins by his death forever since he is without sin. He fulfills the place of the mediator represented us before God. No believer who truly understands the awesome holiness of God's wrath and the terrible hopelessness that comes from personal sin can fail to be overwhelmed by the deep love of Jesus for each of us, and the wonder of God's gracious gift of eternal atonement through Christ. Through Jesus, God will present us "faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy"
His purpose in dying is that we might be redeemed, purchased for God, set apart now with holiness that is given to us as a gift. It is not to be taken lightly as American’s are prone to do. Nor is it to be taken with some thought that we must pay some of the debt ourselves that is not atonement it is self righteousness.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Aug 18 –
Verses- 1 Cor 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,”
The Burial of Christ-
The gospel proclamation was that Christ died. And He was buried. After the atoning blood was shed they took the dead body of Jesus and buried it.
We have various burial customs. The most common explanation of the reason we bury bodies is to depose of it in a memorable way. The dead flesh begins to decay and will rot and stink. Left on its own it can cause disease and rampant infection among the living.
The Bible teaches us that from dust we were taken and to dust we shall return. Entombing the bodies in caves and mounds were common. Most were placed under the ground or burned. Those at sea were tossed overboard. Many cultures have various traditions and rituals among religions as to how to dispose of the bodies.
There is also a finality of our earthly life when it comes to burial. The finality of the customs of burial that allow grief to be expressed and a social acceptable way of coming together to mourn to cry, to remember to bear the pain of separation of loved ones. Something is supposed to happen when we take two or three days, up to a week and have a night or two of visitation. We carry out prescribed steps to help mourn loved ones when we hold a service and walk with dignity out to the grounds for burial. The hole is dug. A vault it purchased so in our sandy soil so it doesn’t collapse before or sink when decay sets in or caskets rot and it is sealed.
My mother laughed at the funeral director when she purchased her own vault and had a prepared burial. She was told it was sealed with a 10 years warranty. She asked, “Who’s going to dig it up and look? What are you going to do, get your money back if it wasn’t hermetically sealed?”
Due to the hot climate of Palestine, dead bodies decayed rapidly, so burial usually took place within a few hours after death. If someone died late in the day, burial took place the next day, but always within 24 hours after death. That was the Jewish custom. Even among orthodox Jews today it is not uncommon to have the burial within 24 hours and some family members do not even know their loved one has died. But they spend a considerable amount of time in mourning in the house afterwards as a gather place for relative’s friends to support one another in the loss.
When death occurred, the oldest son or nearest of kin closed the eyes of the dead and the mouth was closed and the jaws bound up After the body was washed it was usually wrapped in cloth. The wealthy used linen with spices placed between the folds
Depending upon economic and social status, burial at the time of Jesus was either in a shallow grave covered with stones or in a cave or tomb hewn out of stone. Tombs were made secure by rolling a circular stone over the entrance and sealing the tomb. This was done to secure the body from animals. Graves were often marked with a large, upright stone.
Matt 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
With burial there is finality; there is the affirmation that it was real death. There is the contrast between resuscitation and resurrection. For someone who has just died or been in a near death experience and brought back to life can be easily referred to as a resuscitation. There is no question in anyone’s mind that a burial is leaving on dead without the hope of recovery.
But burial has another emphasis for us. It is yes, the prelude to life, but if we consider the symbolism of Romans 6 that we are united with Christ in this death and burial and resurrection. It implies that our old self is put to death and we are created new Creatures in Him.
Burial is the final act related to our bodies on earth. The job of Jesus was completed. There was no more use for his earthly body. It was finished.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs August 19, 2010
Verses- 1 Cor 15:4-8…that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
The Resurrection of Christ
The power of the gospel of course is climaxed in the tremendous victory that is ours by Jesus overcoming death. Paul went so far as to say the death and burial of Jesus means really nothing without the resurrection. But with the resurrection of Jesus Christ then the significance of His death is made clear.
It certainly validates that Jesus is true. It affirms for us the victory we have over sin and death and Satan. It takes away the fear of the death as it did for the all the apostles and followers that looked not at this life only but most importantly on the life to come.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ affirms for us forgiveness of sin. Coming up out of the waters of baptism doesn’t buy us anything, it is only Jesus coming out of the tomb and our faith in Him that says we are new creatures and cleansed, but baptism symbolizes that. It proclaims our healing and our salvation and eternal life and our righteousness our sanctification and our reconciliation, and the hope of eternal life.
This thing called death now had a different perspective for the children of God. That which was and is feared above all things is now put in perspective by the power of Jesus Christ. It is a transition, nothing more for those who follow HIM.
The fact that he died was well established. People understood that. But how can the facts of the resurrection from the bodily death be well established by those who have not experienced anything like this before. There have been some temporary incidents given to mankind in the likes of a resurrected sons in the Old Testament. Both Elijah and Elisha were used in these unusual examples.
But when Jesus came on the scene he demonstrated power over death before He gave up his physical body. He raised some children who were the objects of great love by their parents. He changed their grief into joy. What was lost was now found again.
He opened the grave of Lazarus before many witnesses. It was undeniable the greatest of miracles so far since no one could possibly do any tricks after being gone for four days. It was too late! But Jesus came before the tomb and called out the body of Lazarus and his clothing was untied and walked and ate and talked among them again. Grief was turned to joy. Satan lost, Jesus won.
Matt 12:40-41 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
It was there in Scripture but of course, who could understand prophecies? There were given for another generation to marvel at the works of God in times of old and how they pointed to the Messiah brought new appreciation and understanding not only to the Holy Word, but to God. Jonah was rebellious. He was disobedient. But he was to preach to the gentiles the good news. Jesus was obedient. He was willing to do the will of His Father and after his resurrection the gospel was preached to pagan people. It is there in the Scriptures. Paul is doing the preaching. Hearts are moved by the Spirit to see Jesus.
But now does one get proof these things are true? Mark 8:31-33 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
No one wants suffering. No one wants death. Those things are the result of sin. No one wants pain or hardship or difficulties, but they are here among us daily. It is fact. But do not stop at resenting what we cannot escape. Look to the one who serves as our victory over these things and shows us how He defeated the things we fear the most. He took on the sufferings, the pain, the rejection, and even death. But with the appearances of the resurrected body on earth for those 40 days there were over 500 witnesses. Now these words came back to them. He told them these things were happen.
Now he tells us what will happen to us. What is it hard to believe? What does the fear of death still grip us? What other proofs can convince us? What can take our grief and turn it into joy? The answer is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that validates who He is and what He will do and for proof there were hundreds who saw Him again.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Aug 20
Verses- 1Thes 4:16-18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Christ’s resurrected body
In I Thes 4:16-18 the teaching is on the return of Christ and the bodily resurrection of the saints. This is also called the rapture of the church to meet the Lord in the air. At that time when Christ returns the souls of the saints will join with Christ and the angels and receive their permanent resurrected bodies, and the dead in Christ will rise.
Let’s reflect a bit on the resurrected body. Some people ask how could God take bodies which have deteriorated, burned, or been destroyed in different ways and reconstruct them again? What if a cannibal ate a person? There are all kinds of things that are hard to understand.
Yet when God first made mankind he did so out of dust. Do you think re-created new bodies are any harder for the God of all creation? But the spiritual bodies will be far different than our present physical bodies. In 1 Cor 15 Paul compares the seed as one form to the mature tree which is an entirely different form, but the same ingredients in that acorn. Unless that seed dies and is put into the ground it does not become a full tree.
1 Cor 15:35-44 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"
How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.
There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
Our resurrected body does not wear out. I am not sure if I’ll have a new gall bladder or not, I suspect I won’t need one at all for my life won’t be dependent upon food as we know it. But imagine ladies when people ask your age, “Oh I’m million and 34 years today.”
“ O dearer don’t give out your age, You don’t look at day over 1 million 29.”
No one will comment on your age or notice the years taking their toll. Dr. Hinson wrote: “The stars shall live for a million years A million years and a day. But God and I will live and love when the stars have passed away.”
The Bible teaches the bodies will be raised in power and in strength. Like Jesus resurrected bodies, barriers and walls will not be a problem for us. Little Anders died at two years of age. But I do not believe His resurrected body will be that of a 2 year old dependent upon others for needs, he will be strong, and whatever our new bodies can do so will his. Babies who have died will not remain babies but have the completeness that awaits us all regardless of our age. The one who dies with one leg or paralyzed or burned at the stake will all be completed able to run and jump and fly for even gravity will not hinder the resurrected body.
But life will be different. Christ made it clear that we will not marry or be married in heaven. Race, gender, age, and looks will not be important, but we will know one another. A wife will know her husband and a husband will know his wife. We will recognize friends and relatives, but as mentioned clearly not all will be with the Lord. Those who will be are all equal before the throne of God. Our attentions will be more on the magnificent wonder of God whose loves is the purest.
I am imagining we will be able to exist on other planets- planets, say, without oxygen or water, without having to resort to “space suits” and other cumbersome apparatuses. It seems God will use the same atoms, but rearrange them in such ways as to “conform” to the heavenly world.
I’ve read a couple of people use the caterpillar and butterfly as an illustration. They provide insight as to what happens to us when we physically die. The caterpillar is a fuzzy worm crawling on the ground. To the naked, unaided, unaided by scientific knowledge, human eye it is only a worm. But inside that caterpillar there is a butterfly. Oh, not a fully-grown butterfly, but only the potential for one. At just the right time in its life the caterpillar turns gray and hangs upside down on a tree and weaves a cocoon. It looks like it is dying and creating its own casket and tomb. But the cocoon is no tomb. It is an in-between house, a place where a process takes place. So it is more a process than place. Inside the cocoon the caterpillar is transforming into a butterfly. It uses the same atoms as it had as a caterpillar, only rearranges them, recycles them, in order to emerge, rise, from the cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, no longer crawling but flying! Its atmosphere, its arena, it environment is not longer limited to the earth. It can now travel in the “outer space” of the air, the sky, the heavens.
The same is true of us when we die. Our bodies will be transformed, using the same atoms, into a “body” equipped to live on a different level. When the caterpillar “dies” to being a caterpillar it looks to the casual observer that that is the end. It is not, of course. It is the beginning of a new life as a butterfly. That “different level,” that potential, was always present in us, but not awakened until the right time.
Dear people some have stood on the threshold and told their experiences, but there is one who went through the threshold into death and life and knows what is even beyond. Christ is the only One who is qualified to tell what we can expect on the other side. He was dead- laid in a tomb for three days. He arose with a glorified body. Here is someone whose opinion can be trusted and comes to us in love. To John the risen Christ said, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, the living One, and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades.” For that we remember and praise our God
Pastor Dale
