Praise God For The Promised Risen King

Would you join with me in prayer as we look into the Word of God and see what He says to us on this day of the Lord's resurrection? God and our Father, we would ask now that You would help us to give our attention to Your Word, help us to be done with distractions to give ourselves wholly to hearing you speak Father I pray that you would keep this from just being another sermon on another Sunday and help us to see that this is the very word of God that we must listen for life and ignore it to our peril give ears to hear I pray I ask that your spirit would work amongst us today. Father, I pray that we would see the glorious gospel truth of the reign of Jesus.

Help us now to that end. In his name. Amen. It was a Sunday several hundred years ago when Jerusalem exploded with the enthusiastic welcome for a king. We call that Sunday Palm Sunday because the people of that day gave Jesus the red carpet treatment. That is, they laid down palm branches and their own cloaks in the road as if it were a red carpet to honor Jesus as he entered the city.

They hailed him as their king, the promised Messiah, the anointed one of God, who would sit on David's throne and, like David, conquer all their enemies and return their nation to glory. But then Jesus told them the nature of his kingdom and what it was really like, and they turned against him. By Friday, those who loved him despised him and demanded his blood at the hands of their Roman overlords.

Crucify him, they screamed. And in the epitome of hypocrisy said to the Roman governor Pilate, we have no king but Caesar. And there before the Roman governor stood this supposed king Vulnerable weak pathetic and powerless against those who oppressed him Now let fast forward about seven weeks later The streets are crowded again with pilgrims, only they're there now for the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost.

Rumors have been flying around the city that this Jesus who'd been crucified had actually emerged from the grave. In fact, 120 of his followers were meeting together on this particular Sunday in an upstairs room. They had experienced an extraordinary event. They claimed it was the coming of the Holy Spirit, which had been promised by Jesus before he ascended into heaven after his resurrection.

And as a result, they went out among the crowds of pilgrims, proclaiming the good news of Jesus and his resurrection in the native tongues and the native languages of all those assembled pilgrims. When the pilgrims expressed the doubt or expressed the opinion that they were drunk, Peter got up and preached a sermon that we now call his sermon at Pentecost. And in that sermon, Peter makes an extraordinary claim that the great pretender that they had crucified, for blasphemy, for claiming to be a king, the great pretender that they had crucified some weeks ago now was, in fact, the promised Messiah.

The one they had nailed to a cross for blasphemy was the promised king. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead actually proved that thing. It proved that Jesus was the king that they had waited for. So turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 2. If you don't have a Bible, there's a Bible for you in the rack in front of you. Find the book of Acts and turn to Acts chapter 2.

And we're going to pick up Peter's sermon at verse 22. We're not going to go from the very beginning of his sermon. But in verse 22, where he starts making this extraordinary claim that this king that they turned against, this king that seemed so powerless against his oppressors, was in fact the king that they'd been waiting for. the one that they had rejected because he disappointed them was actually their king and here how he puts it verse 22 men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst as you yourselves know this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, the patriarch David that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne he foresaw foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to Hades nor did his flesh see corruption this Jesus God raised up And of that, we all are witnesses, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God. And having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

For David did not ascend into heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Jesus has been raised from the dead, says Peter. And because of that, you can have hope in Jesus, the promised king.

Now, Peter addresses Jesus killers by first relating to them a crucial theological fact. that God was behind everything that Jesus did. God was behind everything that happened in Jesus' life and death. God attested to his claims the claims that Jesus made Jesus made extraordinary claims The one that pops into my head right now is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount You know what he says He says on the basis of this I will judge whether you been faithful to God the Father or not You know what Jesus was saying there?

Jesus was saying on Judgment Day, you're not going to be facing a God, you're going to be facing me. Now that's an extraordinary claim, isn't it? On the Judgment Day, when God's going to judge, You're going to be looking at meat on that day. Now that is crazy. That is nuts. Unless what Jesus says is true, that he is God.

Right? And God attested to his claims, Peter says, by all the miracles that Jesus did. And he says, you all know about him. You're all familiar with him. And not only that, he says, but Jesus' death. The fact that you killed Jesus for blasphemy. and in reality you're wicked for doing it guess what that's part of god's plan all along that's what he says there in verse 23 god's even behind his death all your hatred and false accusations culminating in the crucifixion of this man actually fulfilled god's purpose you were wicked in what you did you were responsible for what you did but i want you to know something right now he says to them what happened was part of god's predetermined plan that's exactly what God wanted to happen.

The wickedness of your murder accomplished the plan that God had for Jesus. And to top it all off, what does he go on to say? He says, it's God who raised him from the dead. It's God who raised him from the dead. God was behind his life. God was behind his death.

Now, God, you got to understand something. God was behind his resurrection. And then he says to them, your very own scripture should tell you that. If you look at verses 24 through 28 or 25 through 28, he's quoting to them Psalm 16. He's quoting from the Old Testament. He's quoting from Psalm 16.

And here he says, you know what? David said there that God's Holy One, that is God's King, would not see corruption. but then that presents a problem doesn't it because you know and I know that the guy who wrote that the holy one the king of Israel he did see corruption and he says pointing to the tomb of David south of Jerusalem he says you know as well as I do David's bones are still there Then why did David write this? How could David say this?

David says that this king would not see corruption. And yet, what do we know? We know David's dead. His body did see corruption. He says, ah, but you see, David understood a promise that God had made. You see that in verse 30.

God had sworn with an oath to him. that one of his descendants would sit on the throne. David knew that promise. And that's why he wrote what he wrote. That promise is found in 2 Samuel chapter 7, beginning in verse 11. And it says this. This is Nathan the prophet speaking to David.

David wanted to build the temple of God. And Nathan came back and said, you know what? God's not going to allow you to build his house. But I'll tell you what, Nathan said. God's going to build your house. Here's what he said.

The Lord declares to you, he's speaking to David, that the Lord himself will establish a house for you. When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I'll punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me. Your throne will be established forever.

Now God had promised that he would build David's house, that he would build David's dynasty, and that that dynasty would last forever. If a king disobeyed his heavenly king, he would be flogged, he would be punished. And yet there's something weird about this promise. You've got to scratch your head here. God says in this promise, I'm going to establish your descendant, the one who's going to sit on this throne, I'm going to establish your house forever.

Well, guess what? The people who are listening to Peter on this day don't have a kingdom. In fact, that kingdom was destroyed 600 years before by Nebuchadnezzar. Wiped off the face of the map the Jews had not had an independent nation with the son of David ruling over it but for a tiny bit of time in those 600 years and it was wiped out again The Romans are there.

Is God playing a joke? Did he mean what he said when he said he was going to establish his kingdom forever? Ah, here's what Peter says. He says, Jesus' resurrection fulfills that promise. You see, a king who would not see corruption, A king who could reign forever would establish the kingdom of God's people forever. And he says, that's Jesus.

He's the one that God was talking about. And David knew it. And that's what he meant when he wrote Psalm 16. That your Holy One would never see corruption. And besides that, look at verse 34 and 35. Besides that, Peter goes on to say, he sits at the right hand of God in heaven.

And now he quotes from Psalm 110. And again, the Old Testament, another Psalm of David. And he says to them, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, David didn't ascend to heaven, did he? And yet he says, the Lord said to my Lord, the Lord, God said to my king, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.

Did David ascend into heaven? No. But you knew who did? Jesus Jesus ascended into heaven Jesus sits at the right hand of God and so he says there's only one conclusion to the events that we have witnessed there's only one interpretation that's possible here it is verse 36 let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made or God has declared him both Lord that is God and Christ that is King.

That's what all this means. But wait a minute. When I read the Old Testament, that's not how I envisioned God would fulfill the promise of a king. Neither did the Jews in Peter's day. When they read those promises, they thought, well, God's going to somehow get a son of David on the throne and something will happen. What they thought was the son of David was going to come and conquer the Romans. and throw them out and sit in Jerusalem on the throne of David.

And yet, Peter says, no that not how God chose to fulfill it God fulfilled it this way He raised Jesus from the dead and He ascended not to a throne in Jerusalem but to the throne of God on the right hand of God just like Psalm 110 says God fulfilled his promise. You can't claim God didn't fulfill his promise because he didn't fulfill it the way you thought. suppose I borrow $100 from you and I say look I'm really tight here but if you lend me $100 I will pay you back in 6 months in 6 months I pay you back $100,000 have I kept my promise? have I kept my promise? sure I have did you envision that? no they couldn't envision this either but Peter says aha don't you see the resurrection of Jesus brings everything into focus. This is what God intended to accomplish.

This is the King of David who rules over God's kingdom forever. He sits in heaven, just like Psalm 110 says, until all his enemies are made a footstool. How did these folks respond to that? Look at verse 37. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, What shall we do? You've got to understand, they are scared out of their wits now.

Do you know why? Because they've just been told that the one they crucified was really their king, and he is alive. You know what it's like to cross somebody who's in a very powerful position? Who's got your life in the balance? That's what they're afraid of. They're scared to death. instead of serving God they have rebelled against God and they've killed the king and he's alive and they are in big trouble what shall we do listen to what Peter says Peter said to them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself and with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying save yourselves from this crooked generation those so those who received his word were baptized and they were added that day about 3 souls see what Peter says Peter responds here what you need to do Repent believe that promise express that commitment in your baptism and the king will forgive you your sins You say, that's an interesting history story, but listen, you're missing the point if you think this is just history.

Because of what Peter says is true. Listen to me. If what Peter says is true, then Jesus is on the throne right now, isn't he? And if he's on the throne right now, then you ought to be saying the same thing. I'm in big trouble if I haven't given my allegiance to that king, just like these folks did. See, it's no different because the king that was on the throne when Jesus or when Peter preached that sermon is still on the throne.

And so the response has to be the same from every one of us. Can you see that? If he is on the throne, then he is king. And if he is king, then he demands your allegiance. And if you haven't given him your allegiance, guess what? You're in trouble with that king.

You can't escape this. The resurrection of Jesus simply means that Jesus is the promised king who offers forgiveness to rebels against his rule. So either you're a rebel or you're forgiven by this king. You're one or the other. He is on the throne. He is still the king.

That's what Easter means. a promised king who offers forgiveness. But that's not all it means. The resurrection and enthronement of Jesus means even more. Look at what he says again in verses 34 and 35. The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Jesus' resurrection and his enthronement means the conquest of all of God's enemies.

Jesus will reign until the job of conquering all of his enemies is complete he is going to reign until he conquers all his enemies that's what Peter is saying here from that promised throne then Jesus begins to conquer from that day Jesus began to conquer he began to make all of his enemies his footstool that's what he's doing today you can have hope in Jesus then the powerful king let's think about that he has conquered all the hostile spiritual powers in this world If you would turn to the book of Colossians, you would find a number of things in chapter 2. The book of Colossians chapter 2 tells us that he conquered the accusation of God. Do you know that Jesus conquered God's law?

Do you know that Jesus conquered God's law? Listen to Colossians chapter 2 verses 13 and 14. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, Notice, God what? Made you alive with Christ. Now, He can't make you alive with someone unless He's alive. So God makes rebels alive.

They were dead in sins. They're dead in their sins. Do you know that? Do you know that coming into this world, you are born dead? No, I didn't say you're born and headed for death. I'm saying to you, you're born dead.

Everyone is a spiritual stillborn baby. That is to say, you're dead in your sins. You can't respond to God. It's impossible. God has to make you alive with Christ first. Or you will never respond to God.

You may think you're responding to God. You may think, oh yeah, I'll do better, God. I'll do better. It's no good. You can't. You're dead.

You know, I've had many funerals. I've yet to see someone in a funeral respond to my preaching who's in the casket. Not one of them, after everybody's left, has said, Pastor Tim, thank you for preaching at my funeral. That was good. Not one. You know why?

That person is incapable. You are incapable of responding to God. He's got to make you alive. But notice what he goes on to say. when you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh god made you alive with christ he forgave us all our sins having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness which stood against us and condemned us he has taken it away nailing it to the cross you know what he says there the law of god stands against you and says you haven't obeyed perfectly it It doesn do any good by the way to say I done my best because your best isn good enough You got to obey it all And because you haven the law stands as an indictment against you And what does it say in that verse It says that that indictment to those who trusted in Jesus that indictment is nailed to the cross The law can no longer accuse you.

Jesus has conquered it. It was nailed to the cross. now I want you to think about that have you obeyed God's law? no if you trust in Jesus the law is not an issue anymore it can't accuse you anymore it was nailed with Jesus to the cross you can stand before God with confidence you don't have to say oh God I'll do better if I do better will you let me in you don't have to even think that way it's a done deal he conquered the demonic powers that hold you captive did you know that you're born captive not only you're not only dead in your sins but you're captive to demonic powers now look listen to me even if you don't sacrifice babies in dark satanic rituals you're a captive of demonic powers the bible says it it says in the very next verse colossians 2 15 says this he disarmed the rulers and the authorities disarmed them disarmed them from controlling you. They can't threaten you anymore.

They're disarmed. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in Him. At the cross, Jesus triumphed over all the demonic powers that hold people captive. When you trust in Jesus, you're no longer under their powers. Look at Colossians chapter 1. He's conquered the hostile powers by his redeeming death and resurrection so that he can conquer the hearts of rebels through the gospel.

Verse 13, Colossians 1, verse 13. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. You see that? you're moved from one kingdom into another, into the kingdom of King Jesus, where there's redemption and forgiveness of sins. He's rescued you. If you put your faith in Jesus, that means he has rescued you.

You know what? Listen to me. Jesus can snatch at will anybody he wants to from the dominion of darkness He has conquered them so that he can take anybody he wants to and snatch them out of the kingdom of darkness whenever he wants to, just like that. All he does is have the gospel go out, brings faith from people, they believe in Jesus, and they're in his kingdom.

He'll take them when he wants. And in all of this, he sits on the throne, ruling on behalf of his people. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1. You're going to hear the echo here of what we just heard in Acts 2. Ephesians 1, we'll pick it up in verse 20. No, it's the middle of the sentence.

He talks about his great might in the resurrection that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Do you see that?

He raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand. There's the echo of Psalm 110, right? And he put everything under his feet so that he can rule in the church. Easter is all about a king who has the power to save his people from darkness and captivity. He is a powerful king. And he rules the kingdom of God and he can take you because he has conquered everything that stands against him.

And because of his resurrection, he's going to finish the job. Turn over to Revelation chapter 11. Last book of the Bible. We all know where Revelation is, don't we? By the way, if some of you are visiting with us, I've been preaching through the book of Revelation and I'd encourage you to come back and hear more from the book of Revelation. But let's look at Revelation chapter 11, verse 15.

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever. Now when Jesus comes again, this is a picture of Jesus returning. He says the angels said these loud voices say the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever Now, what do these voices mean when they say the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ?

Simply this, that everything now willingly, when Jesus comes, everything willingly submits to him. Now someone might say, wait a minute, pastor, I've heard enough from this pulpit to know that you believe that God already rules over the universe, that he's the ruler over the entire universe. And in one sense, that's true. The whole universe from the germs to the galaxies are under the control of God, even those powers that oppose him.

Listen to the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar from Daniel chapter four. At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored him who lives forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him what are you doing god does whatever he wants in the world but this is the kingdom where god controls his opposition we say to me but pastor didn't you just tell us a minute ago that when Jesus came and conquered at the cross that he has the power to snatch people out of Satan's kingdom that's right he delivers us from the domain of darkness and transfers us into the kingdom of God's son this is the redeeming rule of Jesus where God redeems some of his opposition so he controls his opposition he redeems some of that opposition so that now they willingly submit to Jesus as king. And yet he's coming.

And chapter 11 of Revelation says here he eliminates his opposition. He controls it. He redeems some of it. But when Jesus comes, he eliminates it. There will be no opposition. All of the world.

The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Nothing will ever oppose him again you know what that looks like that looks like Peace. Now, not peace that we know already. Not peace in today's world. You know what peace is today? Peace is just getting ready for the next conflict.

That's all it is. That's all peace is in our understanding. But peace when Jesus comes means nothing stands opposed to God and his rule. And all of creation and all of mankind who are going to be there, whoever he has redeemed finally operates the way God intended. No more abuse. No more children left to wander the streets.

No more ghettos. No more gangs. The rich and the powerful can no longer manipulate the system and trampling on those who have no voice. No more war. No more bloodshed. No more starvation.

No persecution. No hatred. You know what else? No longer labor and toil as we fight against nature to eke out a living. All of nature will be at peace with us and us with nature. When the kingdom arrives, it arrives with peace.

Easter means that Jesus is going to bring peace. This is a powerful king. And all of his enemies will be made his footstool. and yet until the very end there remains one final enemy one enemy the last one that's going to be conquered listen to Mark Whitmer in his book The Last Enemy you are going to die let that sink in take a moment and let that sink in you are going to die one morning the sun will rise and you won't see it.

Birds will greet the dawn and you won't hear them. Friends and family will gather to celebrate your life and after you're buried, they'll return to the church for ham and scallop potatoes. Soon your job, your favorite chair, your spot on the team will be filled by someone else. And the rest of the world may pause to remember it will give you a moment of silence if you are rich or famous But then it will carry on as it did before you arrived Let that sink in That the last enemy.

This is the enemy that no one can conquer. You know, I'm not very old. I don't think I am. I'm only 56. I'm still young, right? You know what I've seen, though, in my short 56 years, and some of you are older than me, and you've seen it longer than me, it doesn't matter what technology does, it doesn't matter what technology comes down the pike, it doesn't matter what you do with the human genome, no one has ever figured out how to keep death from getting what it wants.

There is nothing that stops death. You will die. what hope is there? Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. You know, I just want to sit here and think about that. I want to think about this.

I think of my father-in-law. He walked out of his door one day, out of the front door, expecting to go and work on a tractor or something, and he tripped on the steps and hit his head. And within weeks, he was gone. He didn't expect to die that way. I can think of my own mother. She was one year older than I was right now when she died. you're going to wake up someday and you might not see the sunset that day.

You may die that day. That's depressing, isn't it? That is really depressing. I don't want to die. I'll be honest with you, I don't want to die. I want to enjoy my grandkids for another 30 years.

I want to join my wife for another 30 I had a thought one day you know what one day I was thinking one of us is going to die first I tell you that really took the wind out of my sails that day Man, I'm facing the fact that someday I will be at Becca's funeral, or she will be at mine. One of us is going to die first. Man, that is depressing. What hope is there in this world? where nothing can stop death.

1 Corinthians 15, verse 20. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. And he means by that who are dead. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive, but each in his own order. Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after destroying every rule and every authority and power, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. Do you hear the phrase again? Do you hear it? Peter had said it. He's going to put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. but when it says all things are put in subjection it is plain that he's accepted who put all things in subjection under him when all things are subjected to him including death then the son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him that god may be all in all god says i am going to be glorified and here's how i'm going to do it everything as peter said is going to be made a footstool of my son Jesus and the last thing the very last enemy that will be conquered is the enemy called death the unconquerable foe will be conquered by Jesus this is a powerful king for God to fulfill his promise that all of God's enemies will be made his son's footstool, that means that death has to be conquered. It cannot be left alone. So for God to fulfill the promise, his king has to conquer the unconquerable enemy, death itself.

And guess what Jesus has done that He did that when he was raised from the dead That what he says But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who fall asleep Now listen please understand when Jesus was raised from the dead, this isn't resuscitation. You know, resuscitation is it's when it's Lazarus in John chapter 11. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

But that wasn't the resurrection. That was a resuscitation. He brought Lazarus back from the dead. And we don't know how long Lazarus lived, but guess what? He died again. Man, that must have been a bummer.

I've experienced death once. I'm alive. This is great, but I'm going to die again. But see, that's resuscitation. This is resurrection. You know what resurrection is?

Jesus was raised with a body that will never see corruption. It will not die. Death cannot get to that body. It will live forever. And he is the only human being who has that body. See, we're still getting cut down by the enemy death.

Jesus it says here is the first fruits of all those who will be raised from the dead that is to say he's the first of all that follows the first fruits was when the children of Israel would gather their harvest the harvest would begin they would bring the first fruits into God the first of the harvest Jesus is that crop he's the first one the rest of the crop will follow that's us who believed in him what's going on here? Why do we die? Would you jump way back to the end of chapter 15 here?

Look at verse 54. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

You sin, the law demands your death, therefore you die. All right? But Jesus has been raised from the dead, never to die again. The first one that that's going to happen And when he comes, it says in verse 23, then at his coming, those who belong to Christ will be raised with that same body that will never, ever die. Wow. Jesus is like when you put money down on the house, right?

You're going to buy a house, you put the money down. That means, okay, we figure you're going to buy this house, right? Everyone else, back off. These folks, they get to buy the house. Jesus is that payment. He's the guarantee that those who belong to him will be raised with bodies incorruptible, never to die again.

Jesus has conquered death. It's not been applied to us yet. And so when he comes, the last enemy death will be wiped out of existence. There is hope. Do you know why Christians can face death with confidence? You know what?

Christians don't like death. I hate the thought of dying. I hate the thought of leaving behind people I love. All right? But I'm not afraid of it. Why?

Because the sting of death is sin and my sin has been taken care of in Jesus. And he's been raised from the dead and he has promised that I will be raised from the dead. If you trust in Jesus, death has been conquered for you. And when he comes, it's wiped out of existence. This day says to all, like Peter said that very first Pentecost day, that Jesus is the king promised by God. and his resurrection proclaims that he is the powerful king because all of God enemies will be made his footstool He will not be done until he has conquered every enemy He has conquered the powers that stand against us now.

And we have hope because the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever. He has conquered death and someday we will experience that victory. And so we can say with the scriptures of Jesus, this raised one, the one from the dead, that he is king of kings and lord of lords. Father, thank you for your word.

We thank you that you've revealed to us a powerful king. that all of your enemies will be made his footstools and we will be able to sing that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That we will be able to sing that the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Father, give us hope in the resurrection. Lord, I pray for those who have never trusted in Jesus, who have heard my voice today.

I beg you, work in their hearts. Give them no rest. until they come to terms that they must bow their knee before Jesus as king and accept the promise of forgiveness, that you would make them alive and forgive their sins. We thank you for revealing to us a powerful king who will not rest until all his enemies are made his footstool. God thank you for Jesus the risen king Amen