Jesus of Nazareth: Resurrection and Ascension

Happy New Year! I am honored to share with you our first message of 2016. At the beginning of a new year, I often think of the poem God Knows, written in 1908 but only becoming widely known in 1939 after Princess Elizabeth of England handed it to her father, George VI, and he quoted part of it in his 1939 Christmas speech to the British Empire. It was the early days of World War II, a time of great uncertainty and foreboding in the world, not too different from the fear of terrorism that we face now. The poem begins:

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

It’s a great encouragement to remember that whatever 2016 holds we can walk toward it confidently, holding the hand of God. The reason we can have that confidence is because of the reality of what we are going to be talking about today: the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. This truth is at the heart of what we believe as Christians, an essential part of what Jesus came to do. Last Sunday, I believe you talked about Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. His death was the sacrifice that paid the price for all our sins, allowing our relationship with God to be restored. That is what the atonement means. However, the story doesn’t stop there. Jesus came back to life, breaking the power of death, proclaiming his eternal victory over Satan and all the forces of evil. Without the resurrection, it would mean that this life is all that there is – and what a hopeless prospect that would be!

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul explains why this is so important:

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.—1 Corinthians 15:16-26

In this passage Paul is countering some in Corinth who were saying that death is final, the end of a person’s physical existence. Paul says that if you believe that, then there is no reason to believe anything about Jesus. Our faith is useless without the resurrection. It is a pretty pathetic thing if Jesus is just a “good teacher” or a “supreme example” of love and self-sacrifice. His most important demonstration of power was in the miracle of the resurrection. He is referred to as the “firstfruits,” a term that doesn’t mean much to us, but would have been a vivid picture for Paul’s audience. The festival of firstfruits for the Jews was the time when the first sheaf of the harvest was offered to God. It was an offering that was given by faith, representing the entire harvest that would be received as God’s provision and dedicated to him. In Leviticus it says it was to be presented on the day after the Sabbath, just as Jesus was raised on the day after the Sabbath. The resurrection of Jesus anticipates the resurrection of all believers, when Jesus comes again. That will mark the final destruction of death itself. So 2000 years ago, when Jesus rose from the dead, Satan was put on notice: Your final destruction is assured. The power of death has been broken. Even though all people will continue to die for now, someday all believers in Jesus will be resurrected to eternal life, and death will be no more. This is the “good news” of the gospel.

Jesus was resurrected in his body. It wasn’t the same as his previous body, since he could pass through locked doors and instantaneously move from place to place. But he wasn’t just a spirit after his death. He could eat, as we are told in Luke 24, and Thomas was able to touch his physical wounds. On Easter, the tomb was empty! Why was his physical resurrection important? Among Jews to this day there is a debate about resurrection of the body versus mere immortality of the soul. In Jesus’ day it was the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection. However, the physical resurrection of Jesus is important because it counters the gnostic heresy that the material world is inherently evil and that real life exists only in the spiritual realm. Jesus came to redeem all of creation. God the Creator cares about the world and everything in it. That is why we try to help people with their physical needs as well as their spiritual ones.

Since my last message, in October, I have had two important trips: my 6-week trip to Asia and the 4 days that Emma and I just had at the Urbana missions conference in St Louis. Many thanks to those of you who prayed for me as I traveled through some risky areas. All along the way, I was reminded that the message we take to the world is our hope of the resurrection and eternal life through faith in our risen Lord. However, there were two things in particular that I learned about the resurrection of Jesus that I would like to share with you.

The first is from a conference that I attended in Delhi, just before returning to the US in November. It was at a gathering of people with a heart to reach out to Buddhists with a message of hope and salvation in Jesus. There were many encouraging stories of lives transformed by the gospel. There was also a recognition that the message has to be communicated in a way that people can relate to, according to their worldview. One speaker pointed out that there are three types of cultures in the world, based on how they view mankind’s basic problem: guilt, shame, or fear. These are not mutually exclusive; they overlap in every culture. However, there is usually one that is the most important and visible. In most of the western world, including the US, people are most conscious of guilt, so this is typically the lens through which we read the Bible and the way we present the gospel: our sin has separated us from God, so we need to be forgiven. Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. We can receive his righteousness by faith.

However, this approach may not mean much (at least initially) to someone motivated by shame, as is common in Asian cultures. Their desire is for honor to be preserved and restored and enhanced. Fortunately, the Bible has a lot to say about honor! For example in 1 Samuel God says, “Those who honor me I will honor.” Shame and honor are defined in terms of relationships. A person bringing shame on their family is more likely to be rejected than someone merely disobeying the rules. The Paris bombings, for example, were considered shameful by most of the Muslims of the world. People burdened by shame need to hear that Jesus carried that shame when he was crucified, the most shameful death imaginable. They will be able to find true honor in him, by having their relationship with God restored. This is so much better than the shallow and temporary honor that the world offers. Romans tells us that everyone who believes in Jesus “will not be put to shame.” This is good news for people with this worldview.

The third type of culture is a fear culture. People who are harassed by demons, who feel the need to appease capricious gods, or whose lives are controlled by superstitions are mainly motivated by fear. They typically define three worlds: the physical world of things we can see and touch, the unseen (but highly interactive) world of demons and spirits, and the more distant world of god and heaven and hell. Decisions are based on power: How can I protect myself from bad luck or evil influences? What spirit do I need to appease to be healed from this illness? There is a huge element of fear, because no one can be sure if they have done enough or found just the right ritual. Even Christians may use rituals for protection, with the risk of confusing where the power actually is. I heard a story of several people in a south Asian country who were imprisoned for hitting a supposedly demon-possessed woman with Bibles until she died.

The gospel in a fear culture needs to be about the power of Jesus, greater than any other power in the universe. He demonstrated his power through the miracles that he did and still does through his people: healing the sick, casting out demons, protecting from the forces of nature. His ultimate victory was in his death and resurrection. What is more fearful than death? Jesus was tortured, he died an excruciating death, he went to hell (surely the most fearful place imaginable), and then he came back to life, emerging victorious over all of these things. He promises to give us that same power and to be with us forever. No matter what we face we have the assurance of his presence and power. As it says in Romans 8:

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.—Romans 8:10-17

So our physical bodies still wear out and die because of the sin that we are born into – that came from Adam, as we read earlier in 1 Corinthians – but we have the assurance of eternal life through the Holy Spirit. This is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and will raise us up on the last day. It is the same Spirit that gives us power to put to death the misdeeds of the body. We do not have to be afraid of anything anymore because we are now the children of God. This gives us free access to him, and we can address him as Abba, Daddy. We will not be exempt from suffering; indeed we should expect to share in the sufferings of Christ, in order to share in his glory. Francis Chan was one of the speakers at the Urbana conference, and he gave a very powerful seminar on the necessity of suffering for Jesus. I will say a bit more about that at the end of this message.

Before we leave the consideration of the three worldviews that I mentioned, let me just summarize those again, along with how the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection speaks to them all.

Man’s basic problem	Sin and guilt	Shame	Fear
The solution	Forgiveness	Acceptance	Power
Jesus’ provision	Substitutionary sacrifice on the cross	Bearing the shame of the crucifixion	Descending into hell and rising again
Our final state	Righteousness	Honor	Security

So, I am more than halfway through this message, but we have yet to look at an account of the resurrection! Let’s read it from Matthew 28, since this was the account that we just “happened” to study a couple of days ago in our morning Bible study time at Urbana.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”—Matthew 28:1-10

In the Bible study we were supposed to share our observations from the passage. Some things that people noted were that it was two women who first went to the tomb. The disciples had hidden themselves away at this point. The angel appeared just to show them that Jesus had been raised. He was already gone. Both the guards and the women were afraid, but only the women held it together enough to talk to the angel. As with other angelic messages, the first word is, “Do not be afraid.” The other commands of the angel are come and see and then go and tell. It needs to be an eyewitness account. And that kind of personal testimony is still essential as we talk about Jesus today. We tell what we have seen and experienced for ourselves.

Something that stood out to me as we studied this passage was that the women were “afraid yet filled with joy” as they went to tell the story. It’s okay to be afraid, as long as we are obedient. God may call us to bring his truth into some scary places. If we are bold with speaking his truth, we will be persecuted and that is not an easy, comfortable thing. We heard some firsthand accounts at Urbana of people who had suffered for their faith. One fellow said, “I am afraid of crickets, how could I be the one to be hung upside down and beaten for being a Christian?” The women were afraid, but they were also filled with joy, so they went. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, as it says in Hebrews 12:2. Fear and joy go hand in hand as we take the gospel to the world.

As they were going, the women met Jesus. He met them suddenly, unexpectedly. And as we go, to tell the resurrection story, we will meet Jesus and be filled with wonder and worship, just as they were. This is especially true as we suffer for him. As it says in 1 Peter 3 and 4,

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,  keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.—1 Peter 3:14-16

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.—1 Peter 4:13

We are blessed if we suffer for what is right. We should be ready to explain the hope that we have. What has Jesus done for me? We shouldn’t be obnoxious about the truth. If we speak with gentleness and respect, demonstrating loving behavior, then people will ultimately be ashamed for opposing us. But the opposition will be there, and suffering will be painful at times. Another story that we heard at Urbana was of a Korean pastor who was in the group of Christians who were kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2007. It was an extremely painful, stressful experience for the entire group, especially as some of them began to be killed. The pastor was held for a time in a pit, surrounded by armed guards. Describing the experience after he was released, he said that in the midst of that hardship and threat of death he enjoyed sweet fellowship with Jesus like he had never had before. Now that he was back in Korea, enjoying a safe, comfortable life, he actually longed to go back to that pit, if he could have that intense, intimate sense of God’s presence again. He would certainly have known what this verse was talking about: overjoyed when God’s glory is revealed. If our sufferings can truly be a participation in the sufferings of Christ we will experience joy unlike any other. Francis Chan is a prophetic voice on this. At the end of his seminar he prayed for those in the room who will die for their faith. It’s a sobering thought, but the expectation of suffering and martyrdom is throughout the New Testament. Maybe we just try to avoid those passages.

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to many of his followers at various times to substantiate the reality of his victory over death. Just before the passage that we read in 1 Corinthians 15 it says that Jesus appeared to 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time. Then having accomplished his purpose on earth, he ascended to heaven. Let’s read from Acts 1:

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”—Acts 1:3-11

Jesus had said earlier that he would need to leave in order for the Holy Spirit to come on the disciples. This baptism of the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and gave the disciples the boldness that they needed to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The Greek word translated as “witness” here is martus. It can also be translated “martyr,” so in a way Jesus was saying that they would be his “martyrs” throughout the earth.

In Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, he says that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God, a place of honor and authority. And we have the promise that he will come again, not as a lowly baby this time, but as the judge and ruler of the whole earth. So we have the dual image of him taking his exalted place once again in heaven, while being present with continually through the Holy Spirit. “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” as he says, right at the very end of Matthew.

I would like to close with the “I am” statement made by Jesus in John 11. Jesus was just arriving in Bethany after the death of Lazarus. Martha comes out to meet him.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”—John 11:21-26

Jesus didn’t just rise again from the dead. He is the resurrection and the life. This verse meant so much to my brother and his wife after their first daughter died shortly after she was born. Jesus is the only one with power over life and death. Whoever believes in him will live, even if they die. Do you believe this?