First Born From The Dead

Okay, I'm going to talk to you about how Jesus is, what Colossians 1 says, he is the firstborn from the dead.

The firstborn from the dead.

You know, if you grew up in the church, the resurrection, Easter Sunday is a pretty run-of-the-mill thing that you've done before.

It's one of the most concrete apologetics of the Christian faith.

Jesus rose from the dead.

And as happens with many things in life, is the things that we hear a lot, the things that we are told, and even the most fundamental things are sometimes forgotten.

Okay, and the resurrection, I think, along with everything else, can be forgotten in its significance.

And this is a big deal.

This is an incredibly big deal.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there would be no Christians.

No Christian without the resurrection.

In fact, Paul says that if Christ wasn't raised, our preaching is in vain.

All our preaching is vain.

And we're actually the most to be pitied in the world if Christ wasn't raised.

But as it says, in fact, Christ was raised from the dead.

Amen?

So I'm going to talk to you about specifically how Jesus is the firstborn among the dead.

Like I said, that comes from Colossians 1, verse 18, which says,

Colossians 1:18

He is the head of the body.

I'm a little excited there.

He is the head of the body of the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.

Okay?

Jesus is the firstborn among the dead.

Romans 8, 29 says,

There's this idea that Jesus, when He was raised, was the first in His significance.

Okay?

This wasn't the only, Jesus wasn't the only person that was resurrected.

You can think of Lazarus.

There's people who died and came back to life.

But Jesus was significantly, uniquely the firstborn from the dead in that not only was He raised from the dead as the firstborn or as the preeminence,

but that He lives never to die again.

All those who were resurrected, if they were, died.

Okay?

Okay?

Okay?

Okay?

And death is a lingering, a lot of times haunting thing for many, many people.

Christians as well.

But as we will go on, a Christian should not fear death.

Not even in the slightest.

Okay?

But the world fears death.

Death is the final thing in life that haunts many people.

Marcus Aurelius says that, about death, he says,

But death and life, honor and dishonor, pleasure and pain, all these things equally happen to good men and bad.

Okay?

Death, whether you're good, whether you're bad, whether you're rich, whether you're poor, however much pleasure or pain you have,

death is something that happens to everyone.

You cannot escape it.

Okay?

And Jesus came so that He might destroy death.

All right?

And death is something that if we're going to be in the world, that we have to understand in terms of how to deal with it.

And if Jesus didn't deal with it, then we also, like the world, would be swallowed up by it.

Okay?

Okay?

And so, my question to you, Christ Church, is where is your faith in regards to the resurrection of Jesus?

And where is your faith in regards to death?

How do you think about death?

How do you think about death in regards to this world, which the Bible says is passing away?

Okay?

And how does the resurrection of Jesus, the fact that Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, change us as Christians?

Okay?

It makes us Christians.

Okay?

John 3 makes it very clear.

Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, and he says,

Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

I leave with this kind of title of the firstborn from the dead,

because it reminds us all that when Jesus was lifted up, when he was crucified and he rose from the dead,

he is the firstborn that guarantees people being born after him.

Okay?

Romans 8 says that he is the firstborn among many brothers.

So it's not just that we look at Jesus and we see, okay, that's awesome.

He's the Lord.

He conquered death.

It's not just him in his isolation.

It's that what that means is that he has offspring after him.

That he has a host of captives that he has led unto life after him.

That's good news, is it not?

Isaiah 53 near the end says, in view of his resurrection,

Isaiah 53 goes on almost completely about Christ's suffering,

specifically for the sins of his people.

But then in verse 10 it says,

He will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Okay, so not only do we see in Isaiah 53 the excruciating pains of a suffering servant,

but the promise that after his suffering he will see the fruit of his hand.

He will see his offspring.

Okay?

This is good news for us.

All right?

If you trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins,

if you trust in his atoning blood,

what scripture calls the atoning power of the righteous,

more specifically the atoning power of the one and only righteous one, Jesus,

then you are numbered among his offspring.

That's good news, Christchurch.

So he's the firstborn from the dead.

What, I ask you, what would pain, what would suffering,

maybe even the suffering of, you know, a woman in labor, of childbirth,

what would the pain of enduring those things be

if there wasn't an eager expectation of new life on the other side,

of a baby being born?

Okay?

What motivates somebody to go through such pains?

It was the same with Jesus at Calvary.

The scripture says that it was the joy that was set before him

that made him endure the cross.

Okay?

And we, too, will share in the sufferings

that we would actually go after something greater.

You know, suffering is not,

there's nothing worse than meaningless suffering.

Right?

And if you're a Christian,

no suffering is meaningless.

Okay?

Every pain that you endure,

any view of God's mercy,

will be later realized.

It will be later seen as,

even however much we say it's meaningless,

it will be a very precious thing.

We might be even found saying

that we shared in Christ's various sufferings

by enduring ourselves.

And so,

Christ is the firstborn among the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead

wasn't just a statement about Jesus' divine identity,

although it was.

It was also a guarantee that he alone would not be the only one

who would enjoy eternal life.

Okay?

Him being the firstborn of the dead,

he has the offspring, as I said.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead

was very much the genesis of salvation.

It was the beginning.

It was his inauguration.

It was his stamp and his seal on something way back in the garden

that the seed of the woman would one day crush the head of the serpent.

Okay?

We see in the garden that on the day that they ate of the fruit,

it says that they will surely die.

Death reigned from Adam up until Jesus came

and confronted death in his own grave.

This is good news for us.

The serpent was laid waste by Jesus' resurrection.

And one day, that will be completely sealed

and completely done on the very last day

when he's cast into the lake of fire.

And then will come the saying

that says death is swallowed up in victory.

We got a foretaste of this when Jesus rose from the dead.

When Jesus rose from the dead, it was a guarantee.

However many feelings we have

about whether or not it was significant,

how that affects us now,

it was a guarantee that one day,

in its totality, death will be swallowed up.

Death is inescapable, like I said.

You know?

But one day, the most inescapable thing in this life,

every single one of us will die,

with the exception maybe if, you know,

we see the day of the Lord.

But if we don't, we're going to die.

Death will be swallowed up in victory.

That inescapable, haunting feeling,

haunting thing that all men face

will be swallowed up in the victory of Jesus.

And this is good news.

Jesus rose from the dead,

which makes him the leader of all his people,

out of death.

His rising from the dead is a proclamation

to death, that he is that.

He's the preeminent one.

Revelation 1 says,

he says,

I died, Jesus speaking about himself,

I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore,

and I have the keys of death and Hades.

May the Lord give us faith in regards to believing

if we've fallen short of remembering the resurrection.

Where is your faith in the resurrection?

If you're a Christian, if you've been born again,

there is no being born again.

There is no hope in the future if Jesus wasn't raised.

This is the thing that must empower us to live a life,

even a life of suffering.

We have to look into not just his pains that he suffered,

but the seal after,

that he did come out of the tomb and it was empty.

The scripture says, I think in Matthew's account,

that when Jesus died on the cross,

that the earth shook,

that there was actually a resurrection of dead saints.

But then something happened in the temple.

It says that the curtain of the temple was torn in two,

from top to bottom, actually, it says.

And to us, to our Gentile minds,

that might seem strange or insignificant,

but there's a lot of significance there,

especially if you were a Jew and heard about it in its time.

The curtain was the division, or the veil, you would say,

between the rest of the congregation of Israel,

between the common man and the Holy of Holies.

That which is sacred and undefiled by man.

And the Holy of Holies in the temple

was where the sacrifices happened once a year.

And the veil separated.

It was a sign that sin had to be separated from God.

The sin of man had to be kept away from God

because God is holy.

When Jesus died on the cross,

it says that from top to bottom, that veil was torn.

In what way was that significant?

Well, number one, that God's dwelling place changed.

It wasn't exclusively hidden in the way

that he dwelt in a temple made with hands.

It changed that his dwelling place actually became with man.

That the separation from the Holy of Holies

was done away with.

That actually that the sin that separated us from God,

God of his own volition,

took responsibility for his own children

and died the death that they deserve

to bring him to God.

Okay?

When we think about,

it's easy to think about a veil in the temple

and maybe the ritual behind that.

But what about the veil in your heart?

What about your own struggle with your sin?

Do you feel separated from God?

How close to God do you feel?

Do you sometimes feel close to God?

Do you say to yourself,

there's something between me and God.

There's something.

God is just an arm's length away,

but he's not quite close.

I think Jesus dying on the cross

and that veil being torn

was a statement that there is

nothing that stands between us and God.

Amen.

Okay?

That you, as a common person,

as a deviled sinner,

can come into the Holy of Holies

with no veil.

With no curtain.

Okay?

I just would want to be a Jew in that day

trying to ponder what happened.

You know?

Like, this curtain is torn up

and we just crucified Jesus.

Something's going on here.

You know?

At the very least, right?

But the powers of the heavens were shaken.

Death itself was laid in his grave

when Jesus died and rose.

And so,

we need to think about,

if we're in Christ,

where is our faith

in regards to this sweet promise

of what Jesus did?

Okay?

Not only in his death,

which we talk about a lot,

and rightfully so,

but in his resurrection.

Romans 4 says that

he was raised

for our justification.

Okay?

Do you believe that,

Christ's church?

Do you believe that with your sins

that regularly plague you?

Do you believe that on your good weeks

and your bad weeks?

Do you believe that Jesus

being raised from the dead

was a work that we did not do?

That it was a punishment

that he went on the cross

that we deserve?

And it was completed.

He gave up his spirit.

The KJV says he gave up his ghost

and said,

it's finished.

Okay?

It's done.

If anything,

that I want you guys to hear today

is that that is true.

If all of you go home,

say to yourself and your own soul

that it is finished.

Christ rose from the dead,

and one day we will see that

in its fullness.

Amen?

Amen.

I'm going to read real quick

from Luke 24.

This is about the resurrection.

You guys can open up there if you want,

but I'm going to go through it very quickly.

Luke 24,

starting in verse 1.

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.

While they were perplexed about this,

behold,

two men stood by them

in dazzling apparel.

And as they were frightened

and bowed their faces to the ground,

the men said,

why do you seek the living

among the dead?

He is not here,

but he but has risen.

Remember how he told you

while he was still in Galilee

that the Son of Man

must be delivered

into the hands of sinful men

and be crucified on the third day

and on the third day rise.

And they remembered his words.

And returning from the tomb,

they told all these things

to the eleven

and to the rest.

Now it was Mary Magdalene

and Joanna

and Mary,

the mother of James

and the other women

with them

who told them,

who told these things

to the apostles.

For these words

seemed to them

an idle tale

and they did not believe.

They did not believe them.

For Peter rose

and ran to the tomb,

stooping and looking in

when he saw the linen cloths

by themselves

and he went home

marveling at what had happened.

Okay, so

first day of the week happens.

The women go to the tomb.

They have an encounter

with these angels

and it says

when they went into the tomb,

they did not find

in the body of the Lord

and they were perplexed.

Okay?

You would think

after Jesus' teaching

about what's going to happen,

hey, I'm going to die.

The Son of Man

will suffer and die

but he's going to rise.

You would think,

like, yep,

we believe that.

Of course it's going to happen,

you know?

But it says that

they're confused.

They're perplexed.

They didn't see the body

and they're like,

what's happened?

I think sometimes

in Christianity

there could be a faith

that is

a kind of blind faith

that we just accept things

without any evidence

or any speculation.

And I think that's against

even the witness of the Bible,

especially in regards

to the resurrection,

is that

they didn't understand

what they were seeing.

Why?

Because they were using

normal reason.

This tomb

is empty

which doesn't make sense.

This...

People don't rise

from the dead, right?

So they're thinking

in a carnal way

but

let's not make any mistakes

that this is a witness

to us

that

they weren't just

hoping

in this kind of

ethereal way.

They...

God proved to them

what he said

he would do

in fact.

And

we see that here

that they were

perplexed about it.

And then

when

the women

came to the apostles

they told them

all that had happened

and they said

it seemed to be

an idle tale.

So they're still

in disbelief.

Okay?

And then we move on.

In verse 13

it says

that

that very day

two of them

were going to

the village

named Emmaus

and

about

seven miles

from Jerusalem

and they were

talking

with each other

about

all these things

that had happened

while they were

talking

and discussing

together

Jesus himself

went with them

but their eyes

were kept

from recognizing him

and he said

to them

what is this

conversation

that you're

holding with

each other

as you walk?

And they stood

still

looking sad

then one of them

named

Cleopas

answered

answered him

are you the only

visitor

to Jerusalem

who does not

know the things

that have happened

there these days?

and he said

to them

what things?

Jesus is

trying to gather

intel

tell me about it

what happened?

And they said

concerning Jesus

of Nazareth

a man

who was a

mighty prophet

in deed

and word

before God

and all the people

still in disbelief

he's not God

he was just

a mighty prophet

and keep going

what do they say?

He says

mighty word

and deed

before God

and all the people

and how our chief

priests and rulers

delivered them up

to be condemned

to death

and crucified them

and we had hoped

that he was the one

to redeem Israel

fill in disbelief

you know

yes and besides

all this

there's not a third day

since these things

happened

moreover some women

of our company

amazed us

they were out

to him early

in the morning

and when they

did not find

his body

they came back

saying that

they had even

seen a vision

of angels

that said

that he was alive

some of those

who were with us

went to the tomb

and found

it just as the woman

had said

but him

they did not see

so the news comes

still don't believe it

so they go check it out

and they're like

where's the body?

yeah it's not here

but we didn't find them

and he said to them

oh foolish ones

so Jesus

yeah

directly confronts

all of that

he said

oh foolish ones

and slow of heart

to believe

all that the prophets

have spoken

was it not necessary

that the Christ

should suffer these things

and enter into his glory?

and beginning with Moses

and all the prophets

he interpreted to them

and all the scriptures

the things concerning himself

and so they drew near

to the village

to which they were going

he acted as if

he was going farther

but they urged him

strongly saying

stay with us

for it is toward evening

and the day is now

far spent

and so he went in

to stay with them

and when he was at table

with them

he took the bread

and blessed

and broke it

and gave it to them

and their eyes were opened

and they recognized him

and he vanished

from their sight

they said to each other

did not our hearts

burn within us

while he talked to us

on the road

while he opened

to us the scriptures

and they rose

that same hour

and returned to Jerusalem

and they found the eleven

and those who were with them

and gathered them

saying

the Lord has risen indeed

and he has appeared

to Simon

then they told

then they told

what had happened

on the road

and how

he was known to them

in the breaking

of the bread

so Jesus reveals himself

not like a

a

you know

superhero

coming down

you know

out of the sky

and saying

I'm here

it's me

but he's cryptic

about it

he comes

specifically

to specific people

and

he reveals himself

in ways

that they would

understand

they recognize

the way he broke

the bread

and blessed it

something was different

about him

and

not only that

but he was

on this earth

alive for 40 days

teaching

and revealing himself

all the more

this really happened

sometimes we can think

this is a

this is an idle tale

ourselves

okay

it was long ago

but still as true

and as new

then

as it is

today

for us

okay

spiritually speaking

Christ is dwelling

with us

by his spirit

man how I would

love to

be taught

by him

for 40 days

post resurrection

but Jesus said

it's better

that I go

and send you

to the spirit

to teach you

bring to remembrance

all the things

that I taught

and then all that

will be brought

one day

in the end

so

how

how do we

reckon

with all these

things

how do we

as a church

say

Lord

what does

what does

the power

of your resurrection

mean

on our lives

this is what

Paul said

that I might

know him

and the power

of his resurrection

Christ

church

do we have

faith that

that not only

will God

destroy death

for us

for that one

day

whatever

sufferings

we endure

will be

for the glory

of God

and ultimately

at the end

will be worth

it

every single

sacrifice

every single

cross that we

bear

will be worth

it

okay

let's not lose

hope in the

small areas

that we

sacrifice

but realize

that Christ

was the one

who led

an example

and did not

fail

he lived

a perfect

life

a sinless

life

never once

did he sin

and he was

crucified

in weakness

but the scripture

says he was

but he lives

by the power

of God

amen

where we at

I have two

points

I was thinking

about three

but I'm like

God

do that

two

resurrection

points

in light

of Jesus

rising from

the dead

number one

I was thinking

about

and praying

about our

church

and just

thinking about

Lord how

would you

have us

think about

the concrete

and

undissolvable

truth that you

rose

I came up

with two

things

number one

we lack

nothing

we lack

nothing

Romans 8

31-32

what then

shall we say

to these

things

if God

is for us

who can

be against

us

he who

did not

spare his

own son

but gave

him up

for us

all

how will

he not

also

with him

graciously

give us

all things

what are the

things in your

heart that you

more regularly

tell yourself

you don't

have

what are

they

Christ

church

what are

the things

that you

say

that you're

constantly

saying I

need this

I need

this

I'm not

whole

until I

have

this

what are

the things

what are

the little

things in

relationships

that you

desperately

envy and

want

what are

the things

that unsettle

you

what are

the things

that the

world promises

that say

you must

have this

when the

truth is in

Christ we

lack

nothing

we lack

nothing

God has

given us

everything in

Christ

God has

given us

Jesus

he's given

us himself

and we

lack

nothing

Christ is

enough for

you right

now

apart from

all the

things that

are your

wants

and desires

although they

might not be

bad

but the

truth is

do you

believe that

Christ is

enough for

you right

now

he is

he is

enough for

you presently

and if

any

if any

of you

have a

lingering

feeling

that goes

something like

this

like I'll

come to

God

when X

Y and Z

happen

or I'll

come to

God

once I'm

ready

or I'll

come to

God

insert your

own thing

that hinders

you

remember that

the veil was

torn on

purpose

okay

outside of

you doing

anything to

bridge the

separation

God tore

that veil

and today

you can

come to

Jesus

presently

okay

that's

point number

one

we lack

nothing

point number

two

resurrected

identity

I think

identity is

a crucial

thing

if we

are in

Christ

then we

have to

know who

we are

we have

to know

who we

are

and Christ

has made

us sons

through his

resurrection

resurrected

identity

Romans 6

tells us

that our

old self

was buried

with Christ

as he died

was buried

into the

ground

into death

so that we

would also be

raised with

him to walk

in newness

of life

although we

wrestle with

our old

passions

our faults

and foibles

the Bible

says that our

old self

has died

do you

reckon your

old self

dead

in that

respect

all the

things that

presently

aggravate you

about yourself

about others

the old

self has

been crucified

with Christ

Romans 6

says

so that we

might walk

in newness

of life

resurrected

identity

do you know

who you are

in Christ

I was listening

to Tim Keller

talk and he

was

talking about

why

did Jesus

with Mary

reveal

himself

the way

that he

did

you guys

can recount

when he's

talking with

Mary

he's the

gardener

you know

or whatever

and

you know

Tim Keller

is like

why didn't

Jesus

just be like

it's me

it's me

but all

we have

is that he

just said

her name

and her eyes

were open

he said

Mary

and

what about

that

did it

for them

I think

it's similar

to actually

how he revealed

himself to his

disciples

they didn't

recognize him

because they

saw his wounds

first

they recognized

him because

of the way

that he lifted

up the cup

and the bread

that he blessed

it

something about

him

showed them

something about

their self

and what I

mean is this

there's one

person who

had a quote

that said

all of my

life

I have been

a bell

all of my

life I have

been a bell

and not

known it

until I was

lifted up

and rung

okay so

what that

means

and Tim Keller

talks about this

is basically

that

when Jesus

reveals himself

to Mary

he says

Mary

Mary knew

that the only

person

who could

know her

like that

however that

was

was the

Lord himself

that he

called her

by name

and she knew

this must

be the Lord

okay

when Christ

rose from

the dead

not only

did he

stamp on

his own

name

who he was

as the

divine king

prophet

and priest

but he

also

called us

who we

truly are

where does

where does

Christ call

your name

where does

where does

Christ

call Judah

and Samir

and Amber

you know

where does

Christ say

to us

our own

names

so that

we're

finally

known

I believe

that Christ

reveals us

in this

precious way

that makes

us say

in our

heart of hearts

in our souls

we lack

nothing

and

we will

follow after

the Lord

at whatever

cost

because he's

given everything

for us

so

we lack

nothing

and

let us

lay to

heart

our new

identity

in Christ

if you

feel

unsure

about your

identity

in Christ

or who

you are

in him

Christ

wants to

make you

sure

he wants

to make

you sure

he wants

to give

you a

revelation

of his

love

that isn't

whimsical

isn't

fading

but it's

it's

constant

that you

know it's

always there

that's kept

in heaven

until the

last day

okay I'm

going to

close with

this verse

I'm going to

close with

this verse

in Revelation

21

that happened

long ago

Jesus rose

long ago

but

the

reality

of us

being

raised

and

the

Bible

says

that we'll

get new

bodies

in the

resurrection

that reality

will happen

when he

comes again

and Revelation

21

will

I think

describes this

and even

that picture

of the veil

being torn

God's dwelling

place actually

going out

from the

holy of

holies

and being

with man

you can really

see here

I was actually

reading this

and tearing

up

in longing

yesterday

for this

day

Revelation

Revelation 21:3–4

21

verse 3

to 4

and I

saw the

holy city

new

Jerusalem

coming down

out of

heaven

from God

prepared

as a

bride

adorned

for her

husband

and I

heard a

loud voice

from the

throne

saying

behold

the dwelling

place of

God

is with

man

he will

dwell

with them

and they

will be

his people

and God

himself

will be

with them

as their

God

he will

wipe away

every tear

from

their eyes

and death

shall be

no more

neither

shall there

be mourning

nor crying

nor pain

anymore

for the

former things

have passed

away

one day

God's

dwelling

place

will be

with man

in its

completion

isn't that

amazing

that was

inaugurated

when Jesus

rose

that veil

was torn

that was

the promise

one day

God will

dwell

with man

with no

veil

in its

totality

death

shall be

no more

okay

how does

that

fuel us

okay

how does

that

wake us

up in the

morning

how does

that

increase

our faith

and tell

other people

one day

death

shall be

no more

the most

sure thing

in this

life

other than

death

and taxes

you know

death

shall be

no more

neither

shall there

be mourning

nor crying

nor pain

anymore

for the

former things

have passed

away

believe this

Christ

church

take this

to the

bank

in your

daily

life

all this

because

Christ was

raised

amen

amen

a

ending

a

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending

ending