In The Long Run

Things changed in the bulletin and I'm in the pulpit this week because my brother and dear colleague is sick and such, so the responsibility for preaching falls on me today. This is the day that sets the agenda for every Sunday. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. This particular Sunday is when we really spend time thinking about it.

So we want to do that this morning from the Word of God. And before we do, let's pray and ask God to work in us. Father, we just don't want to look into the Word and learn some things. Above all, we want to look into the Word and see truth. We want to see why that truth matters. We want to be changed.

We want to be conformed to Christ. And so, Father, we pray that your Spirit would be at work in this congregation. we are utterly dependent upon you for understanding for change for just seeing you and so we pray help us in our weakness that we might rejoice in the truth that we hear thank you we pray in jesus name amen it wasn't a very big church none were in those days but it did carry on its ministry in a rather important commercial center. It was the church in Corinth.

Of course, with any local church ministry, you always have lots of teaching and always discussion. And some folks in the congregation had proposed an interesting idea, although it was not uncommon in that day. They were saying, you know, current thought makes it clear that the resurrection of dead people is an impossibility. Actually, no one could possibly be raised with an immortal body, a body that is not subject to the natural forces of decay.

That's just impossible. Besides, when it comes to our faith, it doesn't really make much of a difference in the long run if Jesus has been raised from the dead or not. Well, those voices are still in the church today. Scott Korb, a New York University professor who calls himself a non-practicing Catholic, says this, What I mean is that we can reach the lowest points of our lives of going deep into a place that feels like death and then find our way out again.

That's the story the resurrection now tells me. And at Easter, this is expressed in community and at its best through the compassion of others. Marcus Borg, canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, dismisses the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus as inconsequential to our faith, writing, Easter is not about believing in a spectacular long-ago event, but about participating in what we see in Jesus.

In response to a blog on Easter, Doug Sloan wrote, what difference would it make if a vault was found that undeniably obtained the bones of Jesus to the message of Jesus that God is personal and present and characterized by love and grace whose passion for us is to provide justice and compassion, generosity and hospitality and who invites us and welcomes us and includes us without exception or exclusion that message would neither be changed nor diminished in any way. in the long run does it really really honestly does it really make any difference whether jesus came out of the grave was risen bodily and physically would it really make any difference that jesus actually rose from the dead that the message would be neither changed nor diminished in any way can't we still follow jesus teaching Can we not tell others that the way Jesus lived is the way that all men should live? We can do all the things that he did in his magnificent life. We can make that the standard for all of humanity, can't we?

I mean, what difference does it make if he came out of the grave or not? Well, I want to see if that works by running a test case. Let's see if we can, as Marcus Borg says, participate in what we see in Jesus if he never came out of the grave centuries ago. Let's see if, as Sloan asserts, the message would neither be changed nor diminished in any way if Jesus just died on a cross like any other condemned man and had not been raised from the dead.

Let's test the hypothesis. So take your Bibles and turn to John chapter 5. John chapter 5. As you're turning, I'll give you some background here. Jesus had come to Jerusalem for one of the feast days, and he had come through the sheep gate, and he sees this crowd all gathered around the pool of Bethesda. And there is a man who's been sick for 38 years, and Jesus heals him.

The man gets up, picks up his mat, and goes on his way. And by carrying his mat, he incenses the religious leaders because he's now been encouraged to break the Sabbath. and this leads then to a confrontation with Jesus and in verse 16 we see and and this is why the Jews were persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath but Jesus answered them my father is working until now and I'm working he says I'm working like my father verse 18 this is why the Jews were seeking to all the more to kill him because not only was breaking the Sabbath but he was even calling God his own father making himself equal with God From that flows some propositions that Jesus makes then. So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the father doing.

For whatever the father does, that the son does likewise for the father loves the son and shows him all that he himself is doing and greater works than these will he show him so that you may marvel for as the father raises the dead and gives them life so also the son gives life to whom he will the father judges no one but has given all judgment to the son that all may honor the son just as they honor the father whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who has sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

These antagonistic religious leaders seem to understand Jesus better than contemporary people do. Well, as we look into this, let's first of all acknowledge what Jesus claims. Look at verse 19. For whatever the Father, the last part of verse 19, for whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. Jesus claims to be someone who does what God does.

All right? Jesus here responds to the leader's anger about breaking the Sabbath and making himself equal with God. He says, look, I'm only doing what I've seen the Father do. He did the right kind of work on the Sabbath, and so am I. You're angry because I call God my own father, but then I've seen him doing these things, and he gave me the right to do them as well.

Essentially, Jesus says, look at what I'm doing. It's the very same things that only God can do. So Jesus here claims that he's no mere human being. I've seen God and I do the same things he does not in the sense of yeah I'm like God I'm compassionate I do compassionate things it's just I'm doing everything that God does right? what an incredible claim then verse 21 for as the father raises the dead and gives them life so also the son gives life to whom he will.

He says the same way that God gives life, Jesus says he gives life. The same way that God gives life, he gives life. Here Jesus says this may be the realm where death reigns, this may be the realm where death reigns, but I have the power of life. What an extraordinary extraordinary claim. How many of you have the power of life and death? Do you have the power of life and death?

Death may come quietly and unexpectedly. It may come violently. It may come in an unsurprising way. But however it comes, you can't stop it. You can't stop it. Have you ever been with people who are facing certain death?

Most of us have. I have spent many times with people who were breathing their last. And they can't stop it. They know their life has only got months. And there's nothing they can do to stop that. Jesus says, I can give life to anyone I choose to.

Later in the same book, in chapter 10, he'll expand on that claim. He says this, for this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may 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 I have authority to take it up again. You hear what he's saying? He's saying, no one's going to take my life.

Death is not going to come on me unexpectedly. I have the authority. I have the authority to give it up. But also, I can take it up again when I want. You want to escape death? Jesus delivers you from the undeliverable.

He can rescue you from the unrelenting power of death. That's what he says. He says, I give life. he's the only one who can rescue you from the unrelenting irresistible power of death verse 22 another claim the father judges no one but has given all judgment to the son that all may honor the son just as they honor the father all right god has given his authority to judge to jesus wow i want you to hear what he's saying he's saying this when you face that final judgment you won't face god the father you'll be facing me now can put yourself in the audience then if someone said to you at the end of that life you know what who's going to judge you i am if i said that to you, what would you do?

My guess is the elders would meet immediately after the morning service. And I would never be in this pulpit again. Right? But that's what Jesus is saying. He says, look, when you face judgment, guess what? You'll see me.

Okay And then verse 23 Because of that authority to judge here the fourth claim he makes because of his authority to judge jesus deserves the listen he deserves the exact same honor that you give to god here is his statement you must honor me with the same devotion and you must honor me with the same intensity that you give God. Just as you hold God in awe and submit to every one of His commandments and worship Him, listen to what He says, so you must hold Me in awe, submit to all My commandments, and worship Me. the same devotion you give to God you must give to me what an incredible astounding breathtaking claim to make and then verse 24 truly truly I say to you whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but is passed from death to life.

Jesus has the message that gives you life. He's saying this, if you want to escape God's judgment and move from the realm of death to the realm of life, then you must believe what I say. If you want to move from the realm of death and judgment to the realm of life, then you must believe what I say. Yes, you live in the domain where death rules because of the condemnation of God, but if you listen to my message, it will deliver you from God's judgment.

Well, those are the claims that Jesus makes. Those are the claims that Jesus makes. Now, acknowledge what happens to his claims if he is not resurrected. What happens to those claims if he is not resurrected? Let's imagine that next May, in an archaeological dig, this May, a few months from now, they're digging in the Holy Land, and the archaeological team comes across the vault that clearly says Jesus of Nazareth on it.

Let's just assume that. what happens to all those claims that Jesus has made? What happens to them all? Again, some would assert that it makes no difference at all. Easter is not believing in a spectacular long-ago event, but about participating in what we see in Jesus. The message would neither be changed nor diminished in any way, says Sloan. well if jesus was not raised from the dead then he's just another human being it would be impossible for him to do the same things that god does wouldn't it it sounds like it would sounds to me like it would change and diminish the message call me silly but it sounds to me like it would change and diminish his message Could he give life?

Could he give life? Because frankly, he's as dead as the next man. And what makes him think that he will judge all the world? Come on. He's dead. And if it was no different than you or me, then why should you give him the same honor and devotion that you give to God? just another man's message could never deliver you from death and condemnation his message wouldn't get you anywhere listen jesus in this light is no more than a maniacal deluded blaspheming idolater c.s lewis once said either Jesus is who he says he is or he is as I just stated a maniacal deluded blaspheming idolater there's no in-between choice no one can say well Jesus was just a man he was a good teacher a good teacher one who demands the same devotion that you give to God would you call that a good teacher, I'd call that blasphemy.

I wouldn't call that good teaching. So you don't have that middle choice. You only have one choice. Either he is a maniacal, deluded, right, blaspheming idolater, or he's what he says he is. That's all you got. That's the only choice you have.

Can you trust anything he says? So let's just eliminate his claims to be God. Let's just eliminate them. Does that mean now that everything else he taught is good? Well, you know, when I was a kid, there was a man in the Chicago area named John Wayne Gacy. Most of you probably never heard of him.

He made a lot of headlines because he was a guy who killed 33 teenage boys. okay that's who John Wayne Gacy was would you buy a book from him entitled how to be a good neighbor I wouldn't right if these are wrong why would you believe anything else that Jesus says yeah okay they say let's live like Jesus told us to let's love our enemies Why would you If he such a blasphemer Why would you even want to do that Right Why even listen to that sort of thing You know we shouldn fool ourselves with such talk as participating in what we see in Jesus And guess what? Good Friday goes out the door. Why mourn the death?

Why do you think, why would we say Jesus' death is a travesty of justice? Rather, we should rejoice that a blasphemer got his just desserts. That's what it ought to be. We ought to rejoice then that a blasphemer of such incredible pride was executed. We ought to say, good job. Thank you.

Well, then that leaves us with only one other alternative. Acknowledge how you must respond to Jesus' claims if he is resurrected. resurrected. Now the nature of Jesus' claims does not leave you with a choice of whether or not you want to follow him. Suppose you wanted to buy a new pickup truck. So you buy all the, used to be consumer's report, now you just go online and find these reviews and you're looking at Chevys, Dodges, Toyotas, and Fords.

And it tells you that Ford... Okay, now don't. This is just an illustration. Do not... You know, don't come to me afterwards and tell me, you idiot, we all know Toyota or Honda has the best vehicle, okay? That's not the point.

Listen to me now. If the sources tell you that Ford is the best pickup truck, all right? Well, you could buy the Dodge if you wanted. It's no big deal. You might not have the best, but at least you got a truck. Or if you don't buy a truck at all, right?

If you don't buy a truck at all, your life is not radically changed. It's no big deal. Here's the best. Well, you don't follow through on the best. Well, big deal. It's not a big deal. but you cannot say well I'll just ignore what Jesus says and do what I think is best you can't do that here it's not like an advertisement for toothpaste it isn't because his claims are life and death issues if he's been resurrected from the dead then his claims are life and death issues if Jesus came out of the grave then he is God and he deserves your worship and your obedience.

To follow Jesus means you worship and love him and you organize your entire life around him. If he came out of the grave, then he is your judge and you ignore him at your peril. Right? If he came out of the grave, then he does have the power of life and death and to his nor his message means that you will be condemned to eternal death you do not have the choice of saying I'm not going to follow Jesus and thinking it's no big deal if he's been resurrected from the dead it is a big deal it's eternity at stake you cannot ignore the claims of Jesus now you're sitting here this morning and you've heard the claims of Jesus.

If he has been resurrected, then you need to respond with faith and obedience, or you're doomed. If he's been resurrected from the dead, that's the choice you have to make. If he remained in the grave, then let's quit playing at religion. If he remained in the grave, we are wasting our time. wouldn't you love to have this hour free every week why not if jesus hasn't been raised from the dead then we are we're wasting our time we are absolutely foolish so what difference does it make in the long run whether jesus was raised now some of you here this morning have not embraced christ in faith you have not believed in his message of life.

If you believe that Jesus' resurrection did happen and you haven't believed in him, you're playing with fire. You're playing with fire. If you do not believe in Jesus' resurrection, then at least be honest and say, I'm not going to follow the teachings of Jesus because they're just lies and gibberish. Stop trying to live a life that seems based on them.

Why even do that? if you don't believe in jesus resurrection then you really have no hope in the face of death you in all honesty should have no optimism about anything because you have no reason for that optimism death is the great darkness why what purpose do you have in life then but if you have embraced jesus and his claims you have reason for hope. Jesus is exactly who he says he is, and you're not foolish. You are not foolish for denying everything you have and everything you are to follow him.

Jesus can accomplish all that he's promised. He will bring judgment, but he also brings freedom and life to all those who believe in him. the resurrection means there is no neutrality when it comes to jesus father thank you that your word exalts the lord jesus christ the resurrected lord of life and we thank you that because you raised him from the dead we of all people in this world are the only ones who have a reason to hope we are the only ones who can face death with confidence only ones who can live life with purpose. Oh God, thank you that you raised Jesus to affirm, to exalt everything that he claimed about himself so that we could find life and meaning and hope.

Father, for those here today who have never embraced Christ in faith, I pray that you would impress upon them this message that they would leave here thinking about what they've heard. And for those of us who have embraced the Lord Jesus in faith, we pray that we would be sure in our hope and deeper in our confidence in Him and what He's done for us. we thank you in Jesus name Amen