|
Resurrection, Ascension, Return
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is central to the
Gospel. Without this truth - and if it is not true - Christianity is
merely a religious philosophy among many. The fact that it is true, and
that it is one of the foundations of Christianity is shown by it's role in
Scripture.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Rom. 10:9
(emphasis added by author)
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
I Cor. 15: 1-4 (emphasis added by author)
The resurrection of Jesus was physical and literal. There was no body
left in the grave!
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
Luke
24:26-40
Note that the Scripture says it was Jesus "..himself.."
(v.36) and that He reassured them that it was Him and not a ghost (v. 37) and
that He encouraged them to touch Him and see for themselves that He was real.
He was alive! Changed, glorified, yes. But it was Him!
Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth "....But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept..".(I
Cor. 15:20). Jesus is the "firstfruits"! What does that
mean? The "firstfruit" is the fruit that is ripe FIRST.
The "firstfruit" means there is more fruit!
In practical terms this means that what Jesus experienced, His followers will
experience. He was the First. There shall be more!
The
early Church taught this truth.
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the
dead.
Acts 4:1-2 (emphasis added by author)
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the
dead?
Acts 26: 6-8 (emphasis added by author)
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Acts 26:22-23 (emphasis added by author)
Note
that in v. 23 it says that Jesus is the "...first..." to
rise from the dead. The plain meaning is .. "there will be more!"
The
resurrection of the dead had not happened by Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.
There Peter, while preaching, says that David's body is still in the
grave. (Acts 2:29) Therefore the resurrection the dead had not yet
happened.
Years
later Paul says that the resurrection of the dead has not yet happened.
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of
some. II Tim. 2:16-18
The
bodies of the saints were still in the graves. The resurrection of the
dead had not yet happened.
Today
as I write this, the bodies of the saints (including my family) are still the
graves. The resurrection has not yet happened. BUT IT SHALL!
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Phil. 3:20-21
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I Thess. 4:13-18 (emphasis added by author)
Note v.
16 - "...the Lord himself shall descend ..." Why does the
Scripture say "descend"?
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1:9-11
Note
the words "...this same Jesus.." and "..shall
so come in like manner as you have seen him go..."
It will
not be another Jesus that comes again when the dead shall be raised and we shall
be changed. It will be the SAME JESUS! And He will come in the same way
that He left!
How did
He leave? He went UP. Physically. Bodily. Personally.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
Luke 24:50-51
He
physically went UP. He shall return physically, coming DOWN.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
I Tim. 3:16
-
His
resurrection from the dead was literal/physical.
-
His
ascension to heaven was literal/physical.
-
His
return shall be literal/physical.
And
because of Him, we shall have immortality!
"...our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel:" II Tim. 1:10
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. I Thess 4:16-17
The
dead shall rise! There will be NO BODIES left in the graves!! We
shall be changed ... glorified... immortal. Our bodies will be changed to
be like the Lord's body.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
I John 3:2
Some
will argue that this is all an allegory or cannot be taken literally. The
Scriptures show us differently.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
I Cor. 15:12-23
The
resurrection of Jesus is central to the Gospel. If it is not true, the
whole thing is a lie and can be ignored. But...IT IS TRUE! And we
only ignore it to our eternal peril.
You
see... there is a Down Side to all this.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
John 5:28-29
In the
above verses Jesus is speaking and He says that the resurrection of the dead is
not all glorious! Notice He says some will have a
"..resurrection of life.." and some will have a
"...resurrection unto damnation.."!!
Two
resurrections? Note what the prophet Daniel had to say in the Old
Testament...
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan. 12:2
The
Apostle John had visions of the resurrection and what would accompany it. He
recorded them in what is known as the Book of the Revelation. He speaks of
two resurrections:
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the
first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev. 20:4-6 (emphasis added by author)
Note
that he says "...this is the first resurrection..." and that those who
are part of the first resurrection will not be under the power of the
"...second death..." He continues in verses 11-15:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
(emphasis added by author)
Here
John says the "second death" is the lake of fire. He points out
that the only thing that will save a person from the lake of fire is to have
their name in "..the Lamb's Book of Life...".
The
question is... is YOUR NAME there?
If it's
not the future is pretty bleak.
So how
do you get your name in The Lamb's Book of Life?
Rom.
10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The
choice MUST be made in this life... for Jesus or against Him. There is no
middle ground.
Jesus
died, rose again, ascended to Heaven, and is coming again one day.
If you
are not ready to meet Him your immortal life is in danger. God says
"There is ONE WAY and only One Way."
If we
refuse that way He cannot help us.
Receive
Jesus as Lord today.
|