Easter Sunday - Ephesians 2:1-10

Amen. Good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

!

God's promises are sure because He lives.

This is why we as a church celebrate the resurrection every single Lord's Day.

We are resurrection people.

My wife and I have had discussions about church calendars and why emphasize certain things at certain times.

And I have said that if I were to go to an unreached people, had no concept of Christianity whatsoever,

the only church calendar I would establish is we meet every Lord's Day and we celebrate all that is true for us in Christ.

But we don't live in that culture and there's a lot of pressures that push into the way we might think about this weekend.

So, that's why we think it good to pick up a specific resurrection text.

Had we continued in our study of John, we would have looked at the end of chapter 8.

There Jesus declares in chapter 8, verse 58 and 59,

Truly, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.

He calls himself Yahweh, the God of Israel.

We could have gotten to the resurrection from that text, to be sure.

Verse 59 says,

And so they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

We know this because it wasn't yet the time for his death.

So, it would not have been difficult to talk about the future resurrection from a text

where Jesus calls himself God and the Jewish leaders take action to kill him.

But I think there is an appropriate cultural sensitivity to take a beat from time to time

and be sure we're thinking rightly as we get swept into the moment.

So, we'll look at Ephesians 2, verses 1 through 10.

Ephesians 2:1–10

Let's pray before I read it.

Father, help us.

We ask this morning that you would give us the ability to take your word up together as we should.

We want to do so humbly.

We want to properly understand it.

We want to see how it gives application to us this morning and beyond.

We want to believe its promises, obey its commands,

and we want to have affection for you, its author.

And so we pray that you'll help us to this end in the name of Christ.

Amen.

Ephesians 2, beginning in verse 1.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked,

following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air,

the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience,

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,

carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind,

and were by nature children of wrath.

Like the rest of mankind.

But God,

being rich in mercy,

because of the great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our trespasses,

made us alive together with Christ.

By grace you have been saved.

And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

So that in the coming ages,

he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God,

not a result of works,

so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I hope you caught why this text is a resurrection text.

Just in case you didn't.

Perhaps you were distracted for a moment,

or just zoned out for some unanswerable reason.

I want to draw your attention to verses 4 through 6.

After Paul has stated,

If we're in Christ,

who we once were,

he says,

But God,

being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our trespasses,

made us alive together with Christ,

who is alive.

We are alive with him.

By grace you have been saved.

And raised us up,

resurrected us with him,

and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

A lot depends on whether or not Jesus truly is alive.

Our faith absolutely falls apart if he is not.

Charles Spurgeon once said,

this is in your bulletin if you care to follow along,

quote,

The resurrection of Jesus is the keystone of the arch of our holy faith.

And if you don't know anything about the way arches are built,

there's always a stone in the middle that holds the whole arch together.

If you pull it out,

the whole thing will collapse.

Back to the quote.

If you take the resurrection away,

the whole structure lies in ruins.

The death of Christ,

albeit that it is the ground of our confidence for the pardon of sin,

would not have furnished such a foundation had he not risen from the dead.

Were he dead still,

his death would have been like the death of any other person.

would have given us no assurance of acceptance.

His life,

with all the beauty of its holiness,

would have been simply a perfect example of conduct.

But it could not have become our righteousness

if his burial in the tomb of Joseph

had been the end of all.

It was essential for the confirmation of his life teaching

and his death suffering

that he should be raised from the dead.

End quote.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15,

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

many sermons will be preached from 1 Corinthians 15 this morning,

for good reason.

He says,

if Christ has not been raised,

then our preaching is in vain

and your faith is in vain.

So then,

how can we know that Jesus was raised from the dead?

When all is said and done,

I posit to you

that you will have to accept the reality

as an act of faith.

Ultimately,

you will have to believe that this is what happened.

But,

there are some reasons,

some really good reasons

to be reasonably faithful.

I want to give you three briefly this morning

and then we'll get back to our text.

So again,

the question is,

how can we be confident?

How can we know that Jesus is in fact resurrected?

Well, firstly,

Jesus stated that he would be raised from the dead.

This refers back to the Charles Spurgeon quote,

but in Mark 8, 31,

he began to teach them

that the Son of Man must suffer many things

and be rejected by the elders

and the chief priests

and the scribes

and be killed

and after three days rise again.

Jesus taught this again and again and again

about himself.

You may recall the argument

I have been making to you

as we study through the Gospel of John.

You cannot merely call Jesus

a good teacher.

You have to do something with him.

He makes absolutely audacious claims

about himself.

One of those

is that he would be resurrected.

He would die

and three days later

he would be raised.

So,

he is either

a liar

or he is a lunatic.

He actually thought that

but it was entirely

false

or

and as we should believe

he is in fact

resurrected

and he is

Lord.

You really only have

those three options.

You can't just call him

a good

teacher

teacher

because of the things

he said

about himself.

He is either liar

lunatic

or he is

Lord.

Secondly,

the tomb was empty.

We see a record of this

in Luke chapter 24

Luke 24:1–3

verses 1 through 3.

There Mary Magdalene,

Mary the mother of James

and Salome

go on the first day of the week

at early dawn

they went to the tomb

taking the spices

they had prepared

and they found the stone

rolled away

from the tomb.

But when they went in

they did not find

the body

of the Lord Jesus.

There's historical facts

that show

this stone

would not have been moved

in the middle of the night.

There's a biblical account

that they had to

scheme together

to make up this lie

that his body

had been stolen.

The tomb

was

empty.

And you must do something

with what happened

to the body

of Jesus.

Thirdly,

and this is what's

so helpful

to me

as I thought through

these matters

over the years,

the disciples

were transformed.

Think back

to Peter

leading up

to the time

of Jesus'

crucifixion

and his

three-time denial

like

powering in

the shadows.

And then in Acts

2 and verse 32

we see him

delivering a sermon

on the day of Pentecost

having been

filled with the Spirit.

And there he says

to a vast crowd,

this Jesus

God

raised up

and of that

we are all

witnesses.

Remember,

at the beginning of Acts

these men are

cowering

in an upper room.

They are

hiding

from

the authorities

when they are

visited

by the risen

Christ

and they are

transformed

from mice

into men.

They go out,

they spread

across a 40-year

span

from AD 34

to approximately

AD 74

and they preach

the gospel

everywhere

and not

to their

commendation,

not because

it was the

popular thing

for them

to go forth

and do.

We have

lots of

accounts.

Some are

confidently

historical,

some are

tradition,

but listen

to what

happened

to the

men

who

shared

the

good

news

of

Jesus

Christ.

Stephen,

Acts chapter

Acts 8 · chapter mention

8,

was stoned

as Paul

stood by

and watched.

James

was killed

by Herod Agrippa

with a sword.

Peter

was crucified

upside down.

He himself

requested this,

didn't see himself

worthy

to be

killed

as his

savior.

Andrew

was crucified

on an

olive tree

in a town

called

Patre

in Achaia.

Thomas

was run

through

with spears,

tormented

with red

hot plates

and finally

burned

alive.

Philip

was tortured

then crucified

in Phrygia.

Matthew

was beheaded

at

Nod

Devar.

Bartholomew

or Nathaniel

was flayed

and then

crucified.

the other

James

beaten to

death

with a

club.

Simon

crucified

in Syria.

Judas

Thaddeus

beaten to

death

with sticks

in Mesitamia.

Matthias

stoned

while being

crucified

in Ethiopia.

Paul

beheaded

in Rome.

John

died a

natural death

but it's

rumored

that he

was scarred

horribly

because he

had been

burned

in boiling

oil.

Not to

their

profit

that they

would have

carried out

some kind

of myth

and preached

that Jesus

was resurrected

from the

dead.

So

significant

that they

had this

kind of

fervor,

spines of

steel

to go

forth

and share

because they

had been

witnesses

!

of him

raised.

Now if

none of that

is helpful

to you,

we can

tell them

the

apostles

after

arresting

them,

they

beat

them

and

charged

them

not

to

speak

in

the

name

of

Jesus

and

let

them

go.

Then they

left the

presence

of the

council

rejoicing

that they

were counted

worthy to

suffer

dishonor

for the

name

and

every

day

in the

temple

and from

house

to

house

they

did

not

cease

teaching

and

preaching

that the

Christ

is

Jesus.

Clearly

changed

from

towering

in an

upper

room

to

!

bold

proclaimers

of the

resurrection

of

Christ.

And then

you'll see

Paul say

in Romans

8

and

verse

18

For I

consider

that the

sufferings

of this

present

time

are not

worth

comparing

with the

glory

that is

to be

revealed

to us.

So Paul

so clearly

set against

the church

stood by

at the

stoning

of Stephen

approved

of the

stoning

of Stephen

now declaring

that the

sufferings

of this

present

time

for the

proclamation

of the

gospel

are not

worth

comparing

with the

glory

that is

to be

revealed

to us.

So

some

reasons for

you to

believe if

you don't

already believe

that Jesus

is raised

from the

dead.

Now

then

Jesus

was

resurrected

but what

if he

had not

been?

I want

to show

you from

our text

today

three ways

our faith

would all

fall apart.

Number

one,

without the

reality of

the

resurrection

we would

not have

protection

from the

wrath

of God.

Protection

from the

wrath

of God.

and you

were

dead

in the

trespasses

and sins

in which

you once

walked.

Spiritually

dead.

This is not

a picture

of

sickness

in sin.

This is

spiritually

dead.

In the

way

your life

practiced

out,

this walking

out,

you were

dead

in those

trespasses

and sins.

You were

following

the course

of this

world,

following

the prince

of the

power

of the

air,

the spirit

that is

now in

work

and the

sons of

disobedience.

And just

in case

you don't

know who

that is,

he's

talking

about

Satan

at this

point.

Among

whom

we all

once

lived

in the

passions

of our

flesh,

carrying

out the

desires

of the

flesh

and the

mind

and

were

by

nature

children

of

wrath

like the

rest

of

mankind.

We

were

apart

from

Christ

and if

you're

apart

from

Christ

this

morning,

you

are

a

child

of

wrath

by

your

very

nature.

This

wrath

is a

thing

that

should

cause

us

to

tremble.

Great

fear

before a

God

who is

angry,

rightly

angry

at

sin.

Paul

writes in

Romans 1

Romans 1:18

verse 18,

for the

wrath of

God

is revealed

from

heaven

against

all

ungodliness

and

unrighteousness

of men

who by

their

unrighteousness

suppress

the truth.

We

experience in

this life

the effect

of sin.

We are

seeing it

all the

time

all around

us.

This is a

judgment

taking place

even now

as trite

and benign

as this

will seem.

All of

our

pollen

suffering

this past

week.

It's part

of the

judgment

on

sin.

But so

much more

than that,

all of the

things that

we experience

that press

against

goodness

in our

lives

is God's

judgment

in the

world.

But it

is but

a shadow

of the

wrath

that is

to come.

If you

don't think

that you

deserve

God's

wrath

for your

sin,

you think

far

too much

of yourself

and you

don't think

nearly

enough

of God's

holiness.

There is a

wrath that

awaits those

who are not

found in

Christ at

the judgment.

And just

hear me

plead with

you.

Seriously

consider what

the scripture

has to say

about the

wrath to

come.

That

judgment,

it does

await you.

Flee from

that wrath

to

Christ.

The

resurrected

Christ.

Without

the reality

of the

resurrection,

we have

no protection

from the

wrath of

God.

But in

Christ,

we are

saved from

God's

wrath.

Look with me

at two other

places.

Paul shows

that the

doctrine of

the

resurrection

is integral

to our

salvation

from God's

wrath.

You may

want to

turn there.

It's okay

if you

don't.

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

I read

verse 9

and following.

For they

themselves

report

concerning

us the

kind of

reception

we had

among you

and how

you turn

to God

from idols

to serve

the living

and true

God

and to

wait for

his son

from heaven

whom he

raised from

the dead,

Jesus,

who delivers

us from

the wrath

to come.

How is it

that he

accomplished

this work?

It's the

doctrine of

justification.

A declaration

by faith

in Christ

that we

are now

righteous.

The penalty

of our

sin

expunged.

Jesus takes

our sin

on himself

on the

cross.

He pays

the penalty

in full.

The eternal

weight of our

debt paid

by an

eternal

savior.

But not

only that,

we are

granted

his

righteousness,

his

perfect

law

keeping

and the

resurrection

is the

proof

that he

accomplished

the task

that God

gave him

to

accomplish.

God the

Father

raised Jesus

from the

dead

and he

delivers

us

from the

wrath

to come.

Another

place,

Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5,

also verse

9 and

10.

Since

therefore we

have now

been

justified,

by his

blood,

much more

shall we

be saved

by him

from the

wrath of

God.

For

while we

were

enemies,

we were

reconciled

to God

by the

death of

his

son,

much more

now that

we are

reconciled,

shall we

be saved

by his

life.

Without

the reality

of the

resurrection,

we would

not have

protection

from the

wrath of

God.

But praise

God,

because of

the

resurrection,

we can

be saved.

To develop

that a bit

further,

secondly,

without the

reality of

the resurrection,

we would

not have

our sin

pardoned.

Verse 4

begins with

a blessed

conjunction.

It's a

connection to

the discourse

above.

He says,

but

God,

God,

you were

dead in

your

trespasses.

We all

once

were this,

but

God.

Not because

we did

anything to

deserve it.

We were

this,

but

God

acted.

Being

rich

in

mercy,

verse 4

tells us.

Abundant

mercy,

overflowing

mercy.

God is

himself

merciful,

full of

wrath for

sin,

but merciful

at the

exact same

time,

and always

being those

things at

all times.

The doctrine

is called the

simplicity

of God,

and it's

hard to wrap

your mind

around how

he is who

he is

all the

time,

and does

not change.

but because

he's

merciful,

and because

he is

love,

the text

goes on,

because of

the great

love with

which he

loved us.

Even

when we

were dead

in our

trespasses,

enemies of

God,

he made

us alive

together

with Christ.

Because Christ

is raised,

we can be

made alive

with Christ.

by grace

you have

been saved.

And not

only that,

we've been

raised up

with him

and seated

with him

in the

heavenly

places in

Christ

Jesus,

so that

in the

coming

ages,

that is not

this age,

that's the

ages that

will come,

he might

show the

immeasurable

riches of

his grace

in kindness

toward us

in Christ

Jesus.

at our

Good Friday

service,

I read the

first eight

chapters from

a book

called

The Biggest

Story.

My hope

for the sake

of the

children with

us that

evening and

perhaps for

some of us

adults who

can appreciate

things simplified

and in

childlike

language,

myself included,

was to

present the

grand narrative

of God's

rescuing work

in the

atoning

death of

Jesus Christ.

It's a

story that

starts all

the way

back at

creation and

we live in

that story

today.

Now, I

don't know

if that

reading was

a hit or

a miss.

The kids

were fussy

that night,

I'm not

sure, and

it might

have been

too long.

But for

those children

paying attention

that evening

and perhaps

a few adults,

I want to

spend just a

little bit

of my allotted

time to

finish reading

this book.

So settle

in with me

just for a

moment, and

then I'll

turn our

attention back

to Ephesians

2.

The very

end of the

last chapter

we read,

after speaking

of the death

of Christ,

says this,

but the

biggest surprise

to everyone

was that the

chosen one of

God was

chosen by

God to

die.

It just

didn't seem

right that the

one destined

to crush the

serpent would

be crushed

himself.

So when

Jesus, the

Christ, the

Son of the

living God,

died on the

cross that

Friday afternoon,

it seemed a

shocking evil

beyond belief.

And it was

the worst

thing that's

ever happened

in the

world.

But it was

also the

best thing

that's ever

happened in

the world,

just as we

would expect

from God,

and just as

God planned

it.

We break

promises,

so God

keeps his.

We run

from God,

so he

comes to

us.

We suffer

for sin,

so the

Savior suffers

for us.

Our story

is the story

of God

doing what

we can't

in order to

make up for

us doing

what we

shouldn't.

The Christ

suffers for

our sin that

we might

share in

his

sinlessness.

And so

deliverers are

born to

die.

Things fall

apart so they

can come

together.

God kicks

his own

people out

of paradise

and then

does whatever

it takes

to bring

them back

again.

As you

may have

heard and

should definitely

tell someone

else,

the snake

crusher who

died on the

cross didn't

stay dead.

He couldn't.

Death had no

claim on him.

The devil had

no case against

him.

And sin had

no wages for

him that he

couldn't pay.

Jesus just

couldn't stay

dead and God

just wouldn't

let him rot

in the tomb.

So on the

third day,

God raised

him from

the dead.

A whole

bunch of

people saw

him and

ate with

him and

told their

friends that

he was

really alive.

Forty days

later, God

lifted him into

the sky and

gave him the

seat of honor

at his right

hand.

And you

know what

the snake

crusher did

next?

Jesus, because

his work was

done, he

sat down.

And God

gave him the

name above

all names so

that at the

name of

Jesus, everybody

and everything

would start to

sing and

shout and

worship.

Then just to

make things even

better and to

make good on

even more

promises, God

the Father and

God the Son sent

the best present

of all time down

to earth.

They gave the

gift of the

Holy Spirit.

And because of

the Spirit, we

can have power and

peace and the

presence of

Christ with

us all the

time.

As you can

tell, this

story is a

big story.

In fact, it's

the biggest

story.

It's a familiar

story to some

of us.

It's a true

story for all

of us.

But we haven't

seen the end

of the story,

not yet.

We live in the

beginning of the

end of the

story that we

are still in

the middle of.

We know it's

not the end

because we

haven't made

it back to

the garden.

We get

glimpses of

the garden

here and

there, in

our hearts,

in our

families, in

the church.

But anyone

who loves this

story longs to

see the one

who is the

center of the

story.

The snake

crusher is

coming back

again to

wipe away all

the bad guys

and wipe away

every tear.

He's coming

to make a new

beginning and to

finish what he

started.

He's coming to

give us the

home we once

had and might

have forgotten

that we lost.

So keep

waiting for

him.

Keep believing

in him.

Keep trusting

that the story

isn't over

yet.

God's promises

never fail

and the

promised one

never

disappoints.

One day we

will see him.

One day we

will be with

him.

One day there

will be nothing

but the best of

days, day

after day

after day

after day

and forever

and ever

it will be a

wonderful time

to be God's

children in

God's wonderful

world.

We live in

the beginning

of the end

of the story

that we are

still in the

middle of.

We have

so much

to look

forward to.

Our

sin is

pardoned

by faith

in the

resurrected

Christ.

Verse 8

says,

For by grace

you have been

saved through

faith.

And this is

not your own

doing, it is

the gift

of God,

not a

result of

works,

so that no

one may

boast.

What a

wonderful,

blessed thing

it is that

we are not

asked to

earn our

salvation,

because none

of us

would be

saved if

this was

the case.

none of

us would

measure up

to the

perfect

expectation

of God.

We would

all

fail.

Christianity

is the

only world

religion

that gets

this right,

understands

our sinful

state,

our deadness

in our

trespasses

and sins,

and presents

to us

a God,

the true

living God,

who acts

on our

behalf,

because he's

merciful and

he's full

of love.

So we

get to

live and

be free

in him,

free to

obey,

a faith

that finds

itself

working,

but not a

faith that

thinks it

earns

salvation.

Paul says

in Galatians

6.14,

far be it

for me to

boast,

except in

the cross

of our

Lord,

Jesus

Christ.

Now Paul

is not the

only one

who closely

unites the

doctrine of

resurrection

with our

salvation.

Peter says

in 1 Peter

1 Peter 1:3

chapter 1

verse 3,

blessed be

the God

and Father

of our

Lord,

Jesus

Christ.

According

to his

great mercy,

he has

caused us

to be

born again

to a

living hope

through the

resurrection

of Jesus

Christ

from the

dead.

Beloved,

we do not

differ in

degree,

but in

kind,

born again,

new

creation.

If you

are in

Christ,

then you

have been

made alive

eternally

because

Jesus

is

alive.

Listen to

what Jesus

says in

Luke chapter

Luke 20 · chapter mention

20 and

verse 36.

They cannot

die

anymore,

those who

are in

heaven,

because they

are equal

to angels

and are

sons of

God,

being sons

of the

resurrection.

Without the

reality of

the resurrection,

we would

not have

our sin

pardoned.

And then

lastly,

without the

resurrection,

we would

not have

the presence

of Jesus.

Have you

ever imagined

what it might

be like to

walk with

Jesus?

on the

earth.

The road

to Emmaus

where he

expounds

all of

the Old

Testament

and shows

how it

all points

to him

as the

moment I

would have

wanted to

experience.

If you

consider that

it's a

better thing

still,

that is

given to

us the

spirit

of Christ.

We have

his very

presence with

us by

faith in

him.

Verse 10

says,

for we

are his

workmanship

created in

Christ Jesus

for good

works,

which God

prepared

beforehand

that we

should walk

in them.

Paul's

going to

go on

to talk

about God

working in

us to

will and

to work

for his

good

pleasure.

John 14

15

and following

there Jesus

says,

if you

love me

you will

keep my

commandments

and I

lost the

father and

he will

give you

another

helper

to be

with you

forever.

Even the

spirit of

truth whom

the world

cannot receive

because it

neither sees

him nor

knows him

you know

him for

he dwells

with you

and will

be in

you.

I will

not leave

you as

orphans.

I will

come to

you.

Yet a

little

while

in the

world

will

see

me

no

more

but

you

will

see

me

because

I

live

you

also

will

live.

Paul

writes in

Romans 8

Romans 8:9

verse 9

and following

you however

are not

in the

flesh

but in

the

spirit

if in

fact

the

spirit

of

God

dwells

in

you.

Anyone

who does

not

have

the

spirit

of

Christ

does

not

belong

to

him.

But

if

Christ

is

in

you

although

the

body

is

dead

because

of

sin

the

spirit

is

life

because

of

righteousness

the

spirit

of

him

who

raised

Jesus

from

the

dead

dwells

in

you

he

who

raised

Christ

Jesus

from

the

dead

will

also

give

life

to

your

mortal

bodies

through

his