Is He Living or Did He Die - Part 1

Christian Blue Cross was once an instrument of torture and execution is no universal symbol of Christianity, a reminder of Jesus is three over the old tuning point. Dr. David Jeremiah reflects on the most essential goal for the resurrection. Continuing his series. The Jesus you may not know to introduce today's message is he living well greenest Easter with this message. It would've been a great one for us to have. In April, but it didn't work out that way in the schedule but I've often thought that we should not restrict the discussion of the resurrection to Easter.

We should find every opportunity we have to teach that. As you know, after Jesus came out of the grave. It became the topic of every sermon that was preached in the book of acts, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our faith and today were going to talk about it come from the book of first Corinthians and the 15th chapter and the question we passed a sort of tongue-in-cheek is this is living or did he die, and of course the answer the question is yes, both. Well let's get started with this lesson from first Corinthians 15 when answering this question is a living God was walking through an art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. On one occasion he came upon a small boy who was gazing upward at a painting of the crucifixion. After watching him a moment. The man laid a hand on the little lad shoulder and he said young fellow. What is that picture and the boy said why, sir, you don't know it's our Lord dying on the cross he is bearing our sins man patted the boy on the shoulder and said thank you and he walked on looking at the other pictures in the gallery. Suddenly he felt a tug at his sleeve. It was that same little boy again and he's pardon me, sir. I forgot one thing. He's not dead anymore. He's alive. When I read that story. I'm reminded of first Corinthians chapter 15 the entire chapter says, pardon me, sir, he's not there anymore. He's alive.

If you have your Bibles today. You should find first Corinthians 15.

I hope you will see in your own Bibles.

The wonderful message that answers the question is he living or did he die, and the answer is both the first. His might not be familiar to you. You may not know what's in that chapter, or perhaps if somebody said what is first Corinthians 15, you would not answer but if you were to select the 10 greatest chapters in the Bible. Hardly anybody who knows the Bible would leave this chapter off that list. I've never seen a list of the great chapters in the Bible where first Corinthians 15 wasn't on the list. It's all about the resurrection I heard a story about a man who only went to church on Easter every Easter he go to church nor any other time you know this.

Here do that. I never facet them when they come on Easter.

I'm just glad they're there. I know I'll see them at Christmas, so I don't worry about it. But this boy came to church only on Easter. One day Mrs. Lehman, the pastor said you know I see you on Easter.

Why don't you come more often. He said the pastor. I would, but every time I come you preach on the same thing and it's boring and I don't want to come anymore. First of always admitting that he only comes to church once a year and then he hasn't figured out that when he comes at Easter and you always preach on the resurrection on Easter in the first four chapters of first grade Vince 15, Paul gives us the clearest and most concise definition of the gospel. If someone will ask you today. What is the gospel. What would you say will here's your answer. I declare to you the gospel, said Paul that which I also received, and here it is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures that is the gospel that is the good news, and Paul insisted that the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Be a part of that definition. It is pivotal to our lives. In fact, the apostle said that if the resurrection is in a part of it. Nothing that we do has any meaning in the next few verses of first Corinthians chapter 15 in verses 17 through 19. Paul says this. If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile.

That mean it's meaningless if Christ is not risen, you are still in your sins.

If Christ is not risen all of those Christians who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If Christ is not risen in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are all men most to be pitied. I remember growing up in a Christian family and going to the church where my father preached and he always preach on the resurrection on Easter, and once in a while he would preach on it. At other times, but I was a student in seminary my second semester as a freshman.

Before I really came to grips with what the resurrection was all about. I'll never forget it. I went to a friendship dinner where Haddon Robinson was the speaker and he spoke on the resurrection, and I will never forget that message the first time in my life. I realize that the death of Christ is without meaning. If there is no resurrection if Christ died and he did not come out of the grave as he said he would. Then his death is no better than the death of any martyr who ever lived before him or after him. The resurrection is the touchstone of the gospel. It was the resurrection. That was the message of the apostles after Jesus came out of the grave that if Jesus Christ is not alive today. Men and women.

Those of us who are Christians should be pitied and here's why. Because we believe there is a better world than the one in which we live. We believe that this world is temporary and if Christ is risen, we have given up both worlds.

We have turned our backs on this world in order to face the world which doesn't even exist. Paul is right, if Christ is not reason we should be pitied. We simply cannot overestimate the importance of Jesus resurrection if it didn't happen. Our lives are futile and meaningless. But look at the next verse in the text, and rejoice with me, but now Christ is risen from the dad and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

It isn't a matter of did he rise is a matter that he did and now we rejoice in the fact that we know the risen Christ, and we understand the resurrection. I don't miss this. The Bible says that Jesus resurrection is not just about him, but it's about us.

He is the firstfruits of those who have slept. I've read that verse hundreds of times without understanding the incredible depth behind it. Today I want you to consider some things we might never have known about Jesus and one of them is this that Jesus is the firstfruits of those who sleep and I want you to just hold your questions about that and let me explain from the Old Testament. This is a doctrine that we believe that Jesus is the firstfruits of those who sleep in the Old Testament book of Leviticus in the 23rd chapter, we have the background of the feast of the firstfruits that was a Jewish feast.

How many of you know that much of the truth of the New Testament rests upon some understanding of the Old Testament. So let me tell you little bit about this feast feast of the firstfruits went like this every year during harvest time a Jewish person would go out into the harvesting he would go out into the grain, and he would mark out a spot in the grain, and he would cut off his chief of the harvest and he would bring it back to the tabernacle and he would give it to the precinct and the priest would take and he would waive that sheaf before the Lord. What was the meaning of that while it was called the firstfruits it came out of the first part of the harvest and by waving it before the Lord, the priest was saying this is the beginning of the harvest, but the harvest hasn't totally come yet. This is the firstfruits. This is a promise, there's more. We bring this offering to you from the harvest but there's more to come.

And he would wave the sheaf now when Jesus says he is the firstfruits of those who sleep in the work sleep there means death. He is waving the resurrection of himself before the Lord and saying on the firstfruits there's more resurrections to come there resurrections are coming Melanie's study something about this feast. It was the third of the seven Jewish feast and the pledge was presented to the Lord on the day after the Sabbath, did you know that Sunday is not the Sabbath, and the word Sabbath mean seven and Sundays. The first day of seventh day so when did they wave the firstfruits offering before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath, which day is that that is Sunday and what is Sunday. It is the reminder to us of the risen Lord on the day after the Sabbath on Sunday.

They waived the sheaf before the Lord, almost as if the connected to the New Testament, for the Lord Jesus is the firstfruits of those who sleep so interesting to me that this puts these two things together because Jesus Christ came out of the grave. We rejoice in his resurrection, but we don't often realize that because he came out of the grave. That's the promise that one day we shall come out of the grave.

He is the firstfruits he is the first of the resurrections and there's more resurrections coming. If you and I if we live and die before Jesus comes back we will go in the grave are spirit and soul will go to be with the Lord. But our bodies will go in the grave and the Bible says one day because Jesus came out of the grave victorious over death.

Our bodies will also be raised up. How do we know that because Jesus was the firstfruits and he's the guarantee he's the promise that there's more resurrections coming.

That's the firstfruits of the resurrection. First Corinthians 1520 to talk with you next about the foundation of the resurrection, and this is in verses 21 and 22, and I'm not trying to get overly theological today. I'm trying to help you grab hold of some truth in this passage that is some things about Jesus, you may not know what I'm pretty sure there's someone here today that did not know that Jesus was the firstfruits of all the resurrections to come. Here's the second thing let me read this passage to you for since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dad for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Now in verse 21 we learned that there was a time when tragedy came into this world through one man who was an eyeglass was Adam for Adam we been piling on him for a long time. We don't often say much about his wife and I'm not going to get into that discussion today. I the viruses by one man death came into this world.

Did you know that before Adam sin. There was no death if Adam had not send everyone would have lived forever, there would've been no death but when Adam sin, death was born.

The tragedy that came into this world through Adam's death, but the Bible says in the same verse that to another man triumphantly came into the world and who was that man that was Jesus Christ and how did that come into the world to the resurrection through one man came down to another man came life.

If you have a Bible like mine looked down at the text and you will notice that the second man in your text is capitalized, because that man by whom came the resurrection is the Lord Jesus Christ. So what we have here are two different categories of men. We have Adam's race and we have Jesus race really there's only two races. We hear a lot about racism today, but in the context of the Bible. There's only two races. There's Adam's race and there's God's race. He saying that basically these two races are in the world today there is the race of natural man enters the race of spiritual man. Adam is the federal head of the natural race and because Adam sin. We've inherited that DNA were all in Adam's race. You don't have to ask you get in that race, you automatically.

The Bible says in sin. We were born we were conceived in sin that is in the anything about what we do. It's just the inheritance that we have from our federal head in the natural race who is Adam because Adam sin we all sin. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Now let me pause here and straighten out something that's gotten all sideways over the years.

How many of you know what universalism is. Universalism is the idea that everybody get saved no matter what they do, that we all go to heaven. Hallelujah. Isn't this a wonderful party. Nobody has to get saved. Nobody had to repent is reborn. God is so loving he's going to take everybody to heaven someday.

Not and one of the verses that use is this verse. They say here says even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But let's go back and look at that verse more carefully the walls in this verse are particular as in Adam all die. That means everyone in the human race. Everyone of us who are of Adam.

One day we shall die as in Adam all die because Adam once died, we will die, but are all of us in Christ. That is the question.

I hope you are but notice it says, as in Adam all die if you're in Christ be all goes with you. All you were in Christ you are, it's not all everybody in the world. It's all everybody in Christ. So, as in Adam all die in Christ everybody was in Christ shall be made alive. Everyone who is in Adam dies. However, everyone was in Christ shall live answer this question.

Are you in Christ you say how do I get in Christ you get Christ in you, you asking to come and live in your heart you accept him as your Savior.

Bible says if you're just in Adam you're going to die.

But if you're in Christ you live. There's a little paradigm that I remembered from way back when it goes like this. If you been born once you have to die twice, but if you been born twice. You only have to die once. That's a pretty good deal right there you say I was at work. Pastor well it works like this. If you been born once and you haven't been born again. You're going to die physically and you're going to die spiritually. Physical death is the separation of soul from the body.

Spiritual death is the separation from your soul from God forever. You don't want the second death. People want that. The Bible says you can avoid the second death by being born twice Yorty been born physically now did born spiritually let Jesus Christ come into your life and when you are born spiritually. You may die once physically, but you will never die spiritually.

So any state again.

If you have been born once you will die twice, but if you have been born twice, you will only have to die once and some of you. Some of us I believe I will be one of I might not have to die at all because of Jesus comes back before I die die no more at all. How would you like the house you like escape it all. Jesus came back and none of us have to die at all.

Not physically, not spiritually. Hallelujah. Even so, Lord Jesus. Amen. So you have the firstfruits of the resurrection, and then you have the foundation of the resurrection. Now this is going to get a little complicated but I think if you stay with me we can get through this. This is the future order of the resurrection verse 23 says, but each one in his own order Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming in the Bible. Resurrection is a preeminent theme we have the resurrection of Christ.

But there's other resurrections I want to go 30s with you so you understand them and we don't leave here ignorant. Stage one is the resurrection of Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago Christ was raised from the dead doesn't mean he was the first one ever to overcome death.

Some people say no Jeremiah. He wasn't the first. There were people in the Old Testament were resurrected. What about Lazarus and the little son and gyrus daughter. There were at least 10 events in which people rise from the dead in the Bible. That's true, but Christ's resurrection was different from of all because whereas they rose to die again, Jesus rose to die. No more. And when he rose to live in the power of an endless life. He rose with the glorified body so he is the first resurrection. This is a wonderful reminder for all of us that when we get to know the resurrected Jesus were getting to know Jesus as he really is today, we remember we not that we discovered one of things we made a note about Jesus that he's in heaven. In his body in his glorified resurrected body. He is in heaven. When we pray to him, he hears us, not just through his beard but he hears us through his humanity is in heaven will be see him in heaven someday he will show us the scars in his hands in the world in his side and probably were the thorns went on his head forever. Whenever we see him throughout eternity will be reminded of the price that was paid for us to be in heaven with the Lord Jesus.

The degree to which we neglect the resurrection is the degree to which we neglect to think about Jesus as he really is. Jesus is in heaven and his resurrected body.

So stage one in the resurrections is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you know, there's another resurrection coming.

Here's how that works.

Let me just paint this picture the best I can hear we are. Folks were living in the church age.

That's where we are right now you know the end of the church age is when Jesus comes back in the rapture.

He doesn't come all the way back to the earth. We go up to meet him, and socially ever be with the Lord and the Bible says in first Thessalonians chapter 4 that when Jesus comes back in the rapture.

What will happen is those who have died already, those who are asleep in Jesus. The Bible says it this way they will hear the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God and that dad in Christ shall rise there is the second resurrection rise first solicitor of the dead in Christ will are not the people to fall asleep in church there.

The people who died the dead in Christ are the people who die as Christians before Jesus comes back Thessalonians were all concerned when they heard about all the good things will happen in the future because their loved ones had already died and they were in the grave, and they were saying what about mom and dad. What about grandson and grandma was good happen to them in Jesus and worry about that Paul wrote he said when Jesus comes back to shout the voice of the archangel and when that happens, the dead in Christ shall rise first. That means that all of us who have loved ones who've already died as Christians, they will participate in stage II of the resurrections. The next resurrection that is coming is the resurrection of all who have died in Christ during the church age. During this time as we await the return of Jesus Christ. Resurrection number two somebody says why they come first and some I said because they have 6 feet further to go. I don't want tomorrow we will finish up our discussion of this question. Is he living or did he die with love for you to join us every day, especially during this time when know a lot of you are still sequestered in your homes and maybe just kinda getting around to get out were here for you here to teach you to encourage you to bless you with the word of God. Have a great day will see you next time right here on this good station.

For more information on the Jeremiah series the changes you laying on please visit our website when we offer ways to help you stay coming. No monthly magazine Turning Points and L daily email. Sign up today. Jeremiah don't look/writing to ask for our company of David's new book Jesus, you may not reason to help weakening with Christ as we discover the joy of your salvation in the amount just the Jeremiah study my English standard version and the new international as well as in standard large print James with helpful blogs and articles by Dr. Jeremiah tells coming with us. Join us tomorrow as we continue the series Jesus, you may not know you are on point with David Jeremiah from the