‘Ground to Glory’ – Day Seven (Sunday): Resurrection Days

Rejoice:   Sing again, the song "Christ is Risen", by Matt Maher.

Read:

Luke 24:45-48 "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

John 5:24-30 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me."

Revelation 20:11-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Reflect:  Every person who has ever died will rise from the dead.  Just as we had no choice in the matter of our birth, so we will have no choice in our rising from the dead.  This will be either a time of great joy or sorrow.  It is very ironic that Christians are often called close-minded.  We see in the Luke 24 passage that Jesus had to ‘open the minds’ of the disciples so they could get a handle on believing in the resurrection.  In the following two passages we see that the promise of the resurrection is a double-edged promise.  Jesus is basically warning his hearers that you will be raised from death.  The question is where you will be raised to; to eternal life or to eternal condemnation. So, everyone on earth must come to terms with two days of resurrection. The first is the resurrection of Jesus that occurred in the past and the second is our resurrection that occurs at the return of Christ in the fast-approaching future.
        Most people today try to avoid talking about death.  When the topic of death does come up, most quickly become uncomfortable and try avoid talking about specifics.  We see this when people even avoid using the word death and instead use softer expressions such as, "passed away", "no longer with us", "is in a better place", etc. Lastly, some will try and remove the sting of death by making joke of it.  Comedians, sitcoms, and editorial cartoons often try and make light of the traumatic experience of death.
        Still, as the saying goes, "death comes for us all".  Avoiding, evading, or laughing at it only tries to dodge one of the most sure things in this fallen world.  The Christian hope doesn’t avoid, evade, or laugh at this grave reality (no pun intended, but that was still kind of funny, wasn’t it.).  Christians are given the promise of overcoming death from Jesus Christ, the one one who was first to have victory over it.
        Unfortunately, many Christians often fall into the other extreme.  Unlike our world that avoids the subject of death, we Christians sometimes over talk death and leave out the resurrection.  Even some questions we use, such as, "Where do you think you will be going when you die?" or "If you were to die tonight…"  Or, "When you die and stand before God…"  Death, death, death.  That’s all people often hear from Christians.  I know these questions are well-intentioned, but are the questions turning the focus and attention to the Christian hope or someplace else?  We may need to reconsider how we ask people questions when we are trying to talk about matters of death and life. 
        Christians have a great opportunity to act like Jesus: to treat death seriously (remember, Jesus wept) and to to speak clearly and fully on the issue (Jesus also corrected the despair of his friends when his friend Lazarus died.  See John 11 again.)
        Christians must live in the light of two realities.  Death reminds us of the penalty of our sin that drove Jesus to lay his life down on the cross.  The resurrection shows us that Jesus has conquered death and has promised to return and defeat whatever remains of sin and death on the earth.
Resolve: 

1 Peter 3:14-16  "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart 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.
        This passage instructs us to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have.  What does it mean to be prepared?  I am writing this just as the winter Olympics have wrapped up.  If you want to compete in an Olympic event, what has to happen in the years leading up to that event?  Preparation.  Hours, days, and months of practice to work on all the mechanics of the event so by the time of the event, the mechanics become second nature.  The same is true for "preparing to give an answer". 
        Let me ask you a hard question: When was the last time someone was interested in talking with you about the hope that you have?  Has it been a day, a week, a month, a year?  Do you think it is possible that God has not opened doors for you to share the hope you have because you have not taken the time to prepare to give an answer?  What would it look like if an Olympic figure skater who had not practiced over the last few years stepped out on the ice and just before beginning his routine he offered up this simple prayer:  "Lord, give me the skills, versatility, and balance that only you can give.  Amen!"  How do you think it would turn out? 
        Now, I am not saying that God cannot do the miraculous.  I also am not saying that prayer does not have a pivotal part in how people respond to the gospel.  But, God wants and instructs us to be prepared.  This means, we need to spend the time doing the studying, the reading, the asking, and the wrestling over one of the foundations of our faith: our future hope.  Our Father in heaven wants us to grow and he wants to use us to bring the praise that is due his Son Jesus.  But, he often will only bring people in our lives when He knows we are prepared.  He may not be using you now because he is using other Christians who have been diligent in preparing.  While God will sometimes use the willing even if they are unprepared, he prefers to use those who were willing to prepare.
         Some may argue that preparing turns our attention away from the work of God in the salvation of people and puts the focus back on ourselves. It is suggested that if we prepare we become reliant on our own efforts and not on his grace.  No doubt, this can happen.  But it usually happens to those immature in the faith or those who are very ignorant of how God has worked through people in history.  If you spend anytime in the gospels you will see that salvation is totally by God’s grace.  Even the fact of the disciples even being able to accept the teaching of the resurrection was dependent on Jesus opening their minds to understand it.  So if preparing is leading to boasting instead of praising Jesus, that person should be reminded about how much God has really done for us to make it even possible to share the gospel with others.
        So, resolve to prepare.  Think about what you really believe about the Christian hope of the resurrection and examine yourself regularly to see if your life reflects your belief in the resurrection.  Also, ask other godly and mature Christian elders in your church to examine your life and see if your life reflects your belief in the resurrection.  As you prepare, pray for opportunities to share the hope you have.  Then, watch God bring people into your life whose hearts are ready to hear and respond to the words of life.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." 
Hebrews 10:23

Closing prayers:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

‘Ground to Glory’- Day Six: Hope Sings

 Let’s get warmed up and let’s begin….

Reflect:  Christians have the greatest reason for singing in the whole world: living hope.  Not passing hope, dying hope, or fading hope.  Living hope.  Eternal hope.  Resurrection hope.  Writers throughout all of Scripture bank all their hope on the person, work, and promises of God.  Hope leads us to singing because it has led us out of silence, uncertainty, triviality, futility, loneliness, despair, destruction, and death.  We are led into the living hope of a glorious future that includes life in unhindered relationship with God, creation restored, a new body, and an eternal life full of peace, joy, happiness, and creativity.  Have you reflected on the ridiculous immensity of the hope a Christian has been promised?  This hope should be be taking you somewhere.  Hope causes us to live life differently.  It causes us to:

· be renewed (Isaiah 40:31)

· not be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23; Romans 5:4-5)

· wait patiently (Micah 7:7; Romans 8:25; Titus 2:13)

· experience persecution and trial (Acts 23:6; 26:6-7; 28:20)

· be firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19)

· very bold (2 Corinthians 3:12)

· be glad (Psalm 16:8-11)

· be joyful (Romans 12:12)

· has love (1 Corinthians 13:7)

· draw near to God (Hebrews 7:19)

· have endurance (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

· growth in faith and love (Colossians 1:5)

· be submissive (1 Peter 3:5)

· purify ourselves (1 John 3:3)

*Spend some time throughout the day looking at these passages.
Are these things going on in your life?  If they are not, you may want to ask:  "Where is my hope?"

Read & Rejoice:  Read Scripture and think how gracious and loving God is that he uses His Word to help us give good words to our Worship.  Listen and learn to add your voice to the chorus of angels and saints in bringing praise to Jesus for the hope we have in Him. 

Psalm 33:20
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 33:22
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 39:7
"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you."

Psalm 42:5,11 & 43:5

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 62:5

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 71:5

For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

Psalm 71:14
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Psalm 119:81

[ k Kaph ] My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.

1 Peter 1:3

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…"

 Music Selection:      

“How Can I Keep From Singing” by Chris Tomlin

"Oh Happy Day", “Rise and Sing”, “God is Alive”,  “All because of Jesus” by Steve Fee

                      

Resolve:  To sing boldly, loudly, and with great joy.  The living Jesus can hear you and he wants the world to hear the hope that He is offering.  Make sure the music you are storing up in your heart and mind is music you’ll be able to sing when Jesus returns and reigns on the earth.

Ground to Glory- Day 5: If not this hope…

Good Friday: It’s Friday. Before diving in and focusing on today’s lesson, we would be wrong to skip over focusing on the crucifixion of Jesus. There is a good post I saw on the web today explaining why we call it Good Friday. You may read that here: http://contendearnestly.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-is-good-friday-good-john-calvin.html

Also, take a moment and watch this video:

Notice how the continued reminder in the song is “but Sunday’s comin’…” This is so very important. Without the glorious resurrection of Jesus on Sunday, we would have no reason to call Jesus’ death on Friday ‘good’. Instead, we’d call it dark Friday, tragic Friday, or just Friday. Because, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, he would be just another religious leader that some would respectfully remember, but not worship. Jesus died such a shameful, humiliating death that there would be very little reason to want to remember the day of his death. The death itself is so horrific people are disgusted even by the thought of it. Yet, year after year, Christians actually commemorate Jesus’ death and call it Good Friday.

Now, let’s begin the lesson…

Read: "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 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 to be pitied more than all men.

      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 his own 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. For he "has put everything under his feet."Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

     Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, 
      "Let us eat and drink, 
      for tomorrow we die."

      Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."  Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame."  1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Reflect:  Some things in life have small consequences and other things in life have great consequences.  If you forget to take a dog out before you leave for work you might return home to a an ‘accident’ on the floor.  If, on the other hand, you leave the gas on your stove running while you are gone and then someone comes home and turns on a light you may just blow up your house.  Both of these examples highlight two seemingly small thoughtless acts; but while the first act has the consequence of cleaning up a stain for a couple minutes the second act results in costly destruction and possible loss of life.

        The resurrection is a lot like the second example.  In writing to the Corinthians, Paul is answering the "if" question.  Earlier in the week, questions of "what" and "why" were being addressed.  Today, we are asked by Paul to reflect on what the consequences would be if there were no resurrection of the dead.

        Often, Christians take too short a view of the hope that Jesus has promised.  Many Christians today only see hope in regards to going to heaven when we die.  I interviewed people on the streets of the city where I live a couple weeks before Easter and asked people the question:  "What is the greatest hope of the Christian?"  The overwhelming answer that was given was that when we die we go to heaven.  What is really sad is that most of the people answering the question stated that they were a Christian.

        On the surface, this may not seem to be a major problem.  Some would say, "Heaven is a great hope that we are promised in the Bible.  Isn’t it enough for a Christian to have this hope?"  

I would answer both yes and no.  I know, I know.  People don’t like it when you answer that way.  So let me go further: yes, a Christian can have their hope in the promise of heaven but no it is not the hope that God has asked us to remain in or proclaim.  My fear is not so much for the new Christian who is still growing in their knowledge of the hope, but in the Pastors and leaders in countless churches who continue to neglect the hope of the resurrection while focusing solely on the hope of going to heaven when we die.  I think this is something that Jesus might be angry about.  By only focusing on the hope a Christian has in death, we tragically rob Jesus of his victory over death.  What follows is that the Christian is robbed of the deepest hope of the Christian life and the world is robbed of an accurate declaration of the Christian hope.  How often do we speak and act as if "Christ has not been raised"?

        Returning to the scenarios given at the beginning, consider that both situations involved being either thoughtless or ignorant of consequences of the actions.  Is it any surprise how Paul ends this passage on the resurrection.  He says, "for there are some who are ignorant of God–I say this to your shame."  If you are ignorant of needing to take out your dog, you will find a mess on the carpet when you return home and if you are thoughtless and don’t turn off the gas stove, you might just blow up your house.  And, if you are ignorant of God and ignore the reality of the resurrection, than you are likely a person living without the Christian hope.
        And this effects everything.  We want to think and believe it doesn’t.  But it really does.  Without the hope of the resurrection, Jesus is not King and Judge, his world remains under the dominion of sin, death and Satan, and what we do in our bodies is inconsequential.  

        On the other hand, if you are living in the belief of Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of the future resurrection of all people, than what you do in your body goes on into eternity, the Kingdom of God is overthrowing the evil powers of this world and Jesus is a returning King and Judge who will reign on the earth forever and ever.

        Is the hope you have undeveloped and simplistic or is your hope the Christian hope; a wondrous, cataclysmic and consequential hope?

Rejoice:  Listen to and learn to sing, "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher.  Note that a section of this song comes right from the passage of scripture that comes after the passage that was our focus for today.

Resolve:  Sadly, I don’t think most Christians realize the depth of their hope and it is because of this that we don’t know how to point the people in our lives to Jesus’ hope on a daily basis.  What a contrast to the people in the New Testament who encountered the risen Jesus and were filled by the Holy Spirit.  Those people were brimming with hope even in light of some of the darkest days of trial and persecution.  I encourage you to spend some time going through the book of Acts and take note of all the times the gospel is declared and where the focus of the Christian hope is set.  Two books (one of which I already made note of yesterday) that would help you shift your life to resurrection hope are:  "Raised With Christ:  How the Resurrection Changes Everything" by Adrian Warnock and "Surprised by Hope" by N.T. Wright.

Today, think of the Church that you are a part of.  First, pray for your Church.  I believe Satan often tries to get the Church away from its message and mission.  Listen to the teaching in your Church and take note over the next few months how often the resurrection is preached and taught.  (Is it only once a year at Easter?)  If you notice an absence go respectfully to your Pastor and ask him if he can commit to preaching on the resurrection more. (maybe at least once a month or once a season).

Ground to Glory- Day Four: “He is not here; He is risen, just as He said.” Matthew 28:6

Read:  The accounts of Jesus’ resurrection:

            Matthew 28

            Mark 16

            Luke 24

            John 20

Reflect: There are repeated times throughout the gospels where Jesus forewarns his followers that he is destined to be killed by crucifixion in Jerusalem and on the third day rise from the grave.  A question should be coming to mind after reading these resurrection accounts that I don’t think we ever think to ask:  "If Jesus told his followers that he would rise again on repeated occasions and in a straightforward way, why does everyone who encounters the news of this either act surprised or doubt?"  These were the same disciples that witnessed other people rise from the dead by Jesus.  These were the same disciples that witnessed innumerable miracles and signs by Jesus as John testifies at the end of his gospel.  Why then, are these same people so unprepared for Jesus’ resurrection?

Let’s make this multiple choice… (did you ever think you’d see this on a devotional?)

a.)  The disciples were so traumatized by Jesus’ death that they likely forgot his warnings.

b.)  The disciples were still in unbelief regarding that Jesus was the Son of God.

c.)  The disciples thought that only Jesus had the power and authority to raise the dead and so when he died, that power died with Him.

d.)  The hope of rising from the dead was somewhat foreign to the disciples.  Thus, they could not make the connection between seeing it happen to others and trusting that it would happen to Jesus.

Unlike normal multiple choice tests, there is a probably a measure of truth within each of the options listed above.  Except for choice "d", it was probably a combination of factors that led to the disciples being surprised by the resurrection.  But, it is likely that their continued unbelief (as expressed in answer "b") was the most overriding factor influencing all others.  As we learn over and over again throughout the Bible seeing is not always believing.  Unbelief can persist even when a miracle happens right before our eyes.  Scripture always goes against the grain of our expectations, just as Jesus always went against the grain of what the disciples were expecting.  God’s way of bringing belief is through hearing His Word as it is joined with the power of revelation that comes from the Holy Spirit. (Romans 10:17)  

The persistence of unbelief in the disciples is repeatedly confronted by Jesus throughout the gospels.  Evidence of their continued unbelief culminates in the amazing account in Luke 24. Jesus has already risen from the dead and is talking with them in their presence and yet it says that the disciples were still "not believing."

Let’s not kid ourselves; the resurrection is hard to believe.  The disciples were still not believing even after seeing.  If Jesus rose from the dead then every person in the world must reckon with Him as their Savior and Lord.  If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead than people can believe whatever they want and do whatever they want, for there would be no one that they would have to bow before one day.

I can promise you two things:  First, it is much easier to not believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  Second, believing in the resurrection of Jesus and our future resurrection is the greatest hope that a person can place their life upon.

We’ve reached the halfway point of this devotional.  Where are you at?  How do you react to the knowledge of the resurrection?  How does it or should it affect how we live?  Take some time below to think through this hard teaching and write out some of the things you are thinking about and struggling with.

There is a moment in the book of Acts where Paul declares to people the reality of Jesus’ resurrection and how it affects everything.  At the end of his declaration, some people scoff and turn away because of the teaching of the resurrection.  But, then it says that others stayed around and wanted to hear Paul further on the matter.(See Acts 17).  Maybe you are at the point where you want to hear further on the matter.  

By God’s grace, Christians have access to many resources to look further into the matter of the resurrection.  There are men and women who have done careful study of the Bible and of the historical likelihood of Jesus’ resurrection.  I would like to recommend a few books that can deepen and further your study of this important teaching.  The opportunity for you to look further is here.  If and when you do go to look into the resurrection I want to give you a word of caution:  there is a difference between acknowledging something is true and believing it to be so.  Even Satan and his angels acknowledge that Jesus is God’s Son and they would say to you they know that Jesus is risen from the dead.  But, they do not believe it.  Merely coming to know that Jesus has risen from the dead is not where you want to end up.  You want to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Only belief leads to trust in his promises for what He plans to bring about in the future. This belief should result in daily worship of Jesus as the loving Savior and Good Master that He is.

For Further Study of Jesus’ Resurrection:

"The Resurrection of the Son of God" by N.T. Wright

"Raised With Christ" Chapter Three:  Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead? by Adrian Warnock

"Vintage Jesus", Chapter Seven: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
"The Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus" by Gary Gromacki

"I Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ" by George Eldon Ladd.

Rejoice:  Listen and learn to sing:  "See What A Morning" by Stuart Townend.  This song is meant to take you through the story of the resurrection and then carries you through to the consequences of this belief.

Resolve:

 
Based on what you have come to know of the resurrection after taking the time to look into it, circle one of the statements below:

"I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and believe I will be raised to stand before Him one day.”

"I do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and am not interested in looking into the possibility of it."

"I do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and I am not convinced by the testimony of the Bible or those who have researched the event’s possibility."

Once you have circled one of these statements, say the statement out loud to someone you know to be Christian.  If you really want to believe but you still doubt ask that person to pray for you and your unbelief.  If you don’t want to believe, than all I can ask is:  Where else do you plan to put your hope?  To close this day, consider Thomas’ story found in John 20:24-29.

Ground to Glory- Day Three: The Lessons of Lazarus

 

Read:  John 11

Reflect:  It is good to read this passage through a few times.  If we are to believe that God brings us His Word to hear it and reveal things about Himself and ourselves than what we have in the story of Lazarus is the ultimate foreshadow.  If you don’t know much about literary devices, to foreshadow is when an author will give clues so a reader may be able to predict what will come later.  Lazarus is not the only resurrection story in the gospel accounts, but it is the one that is given some of the greatest detail.  

When you engage the story of Lazarus you are entering the school of Jesus.  What are the lessons that he is trying to teach those that were present at the miracle?  What are the lessons that Jesus teaches us the reader/hearer about who He is and about the nature of death and life?  Sadly, many times a lesson that is taught is not the lesson that is learned.  Do you notice the response of the Pharisees toward the end of the chapter? 

         They witnessed the very same thing as everyone else and yet came to a completely different conclusion.  Or, to stay with our theme, they learned a completely different lesson.  What is it?  Why were they so threatened by Jesus raising the dead?  Keep in mind that of the two religious groups that Jesus would often confront, it was the Pharisees and not the Sadducees who were open to the supernatural.  Yet, it is the more open-minded religious leaders who react so violently to this miracle.  What conclusions are they drawing after observing Jesus’ power to raise the dead?

Rejoice:  Listen and learn to sing the song "Alive Again" by Matt Maher.

Resolve: Spend some time journaling on the story of Lazarus and try and place yourself in the story.  What if you were a friend of Lazarus?  What if you were just an onlooker?  Or, try putting yourself in the place of one of the religious leaders (because I think we are more like them than we want to admit).  Next, go around to ten people you know and ask them if you can tell them the story about Jesus’ friend Lazarus.  Ask them about what they think are the lessons that can be learned from the account of Jesus raising a person from the dead.   Also, ask them if they were to place themselves as a person within the story, who do they most identify with.