Consider the Cross, Part 7B

The resurrection after the cross was articulated in prophecy, assured by typology, and number three, affirmed By deity.

It was affirmed by de. Over in John chapter 10, what did Jesus Christ Himself say? He said in verse number 17 and verse number 18, For this reason the Father loves me, because I laid down my life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from me. But I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from my Father. It was affirmed by deity. Remember back in Mark chapter 8? In Mark chapter 8, when Christ would.

Would give the very first prediction about his death, burial, and resurrection. He talked to them about the fact that the Son of Man must suffer, verse number 31 of Mark 8, many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be killed. And after three, Days rise again. Now he spoke plenty to them about this, but they missed the fact that Jesus said that he would rise again. So in Mark chapter 9. He speaks again and says in Mark chapter 9, verse number 30, and from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and he was unwilling for anyone to know about it, for he was teaching his disciples and telling the Son of Man is to be delivered.

Into the hands of men, they will kill him, and when he has been killed, he will rise three days later. So, again, he affirms the fact. Not only is he going to die, but he's going to rise again. It says in verse number 32. But they did not understand the statement and they were afraid to ask him. They were afraid to ask him. Think about that. I'd be thinking, well, how are you going to do that? If you die, how are you going to rise again? How's that going to be accomplished? Tell us. That would spur my interest.

But see, they didn't listen to that. Because they didn't hear it. So in Mark chapter 10, Jesus says the same thing.

It says, Behold, we are going to Jerusalem, verse number 33, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will deliver him to the Gentiles and they will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, kill him, and three days later he will rise again. Same thing, same scenario. He says, listen, the cross is a certainty. The cross is a necessity. The cross comes with great cruelty. But understand this: there's always victory. Always victory.

But they missed that. Peter missed it in Mark 8. All the disciples in Mark 9 missed it because they were all fearful. And in Mark 10, James and John begin to argue about who's the greatest in the kingdom of God. They missed it. And Jesus kept telling them the same thing. He affirmed the fact that he was going to rise again the third day.

He promised it. But they missed it. But it was affirmed by deity. It was assured by typology. It was articulated in prophecy. Number four, it was acclaimed at Bethany. It was acclaimed. At Bethany. John chapter 11. Remember the story of Lazarus who died? Good friend of Jesus? And the Bible tells us that Jesus knew that he was sick, and he didn't go to Bethany to heal him. Instead, he let Lazarus d. Think about it. Jesus let Lazarus die. The Jews had a legend that when a man died, the spirit of that man would hover over him for three days.

So Jesus didn't arrive in Bethany u four days after Lazarus had died. To make sure all the misconceptions of the Jews were gone, that Lazarus was actually truly dead. In fact, this is what he says: John 11, verse number 14. Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad. I read that and think, man, the Lord's got a great sense of humor. He says, I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there. Wow. So that you may believe, but let us go to him. Our Lord is so good at what he does.

And so perfect in his timing. Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad for your sake that I wasn't even there. So let's go to him now so you might believe. Believe what? You see, Jesus knew the disciples had a hard time with his resurrection thing. Christ had kept talking about his resurrection, but they missed it. They almost seemed to ignore it because every time he brought it up, they would go on to another subject. And yet he wanted them to visualize it. He wanted them to understand what was going to take place.

So he finally gets to Bethany, which is about two miles from Jerusalem, and he gets there, and Mary and Martha show up, and they say, Lord, if you'd have been here, my brother would not have died.

He'd still be alive. And Jesus said, Your brother shall rise again, Martha. But Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. I know that. I know that he's going to rise again, Lord. You promised that on the last day. What I'm concerned about is right now.

You didn't show up. You weren't here. If you'd have been here, things would be completely different. And Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me shall live, even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Martha, do you understand this? I am now the resurrection, and I am now the life. Present tense. And Martha, you must understand that he who believes this never dies. She said to him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even he who comes into the world.

When she had said this, she went away and called Mary, her sister, saying secretly, the teacher is here. He's calling for you. And when she learned it, she arose quickly and was coming to him. Now Jesus had not come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. The Jews then who were with her in the house and consoling her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Therefore, then, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw him and fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled and said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. And so the Jews were saying, Behold how he loved him. But some of them said, Could not this man who opened the eyes of him who was blind have kept this man also from dying? Jesus therefore again being deeply moved within came to the tomb. Now it was at a cave and a stone was lying against it.

Jesus said, Remove the stone. And Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him, Lord, by this time there is going to be a stench, for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God? And so they removed the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hurtest me. And I knew that thou hearest me always, but because of the people standing around, I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me.

See, Jesus began to pray. He prayed because he wanted those around him to know that he and the Father were one and that the Father had sent him to them. That's why he prayed. And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. Now, why did he say it with a loud voice? That's important. Jesus likes loud anyway, because that's what the book of Revelation tells us. But he says it with a loud voice so that everybody around will associate Lazarus coming out of the tomb with his voice.

It wasn't the fact that he just sat there and prayed and asked his Father in heaven to raise him from the dead. No, he wanted everybody to know that when he said something, Lazarus. Would come out. And he had to name Lazarus's name because if he didn't say Lazarus come forth, if he just said come forth, then everybody would have come forth. So he had to qualify it and make sure that only Lazarus heard him, and only Lazarus was the one that came out of the tomb. Lazarus! Come forth. He who had died came forth bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around him with a cloth.

And Jesus said to them, Unbind him and let him go. Wow, what a day. What a day. But you see, he wanted everybody to know he had the power over death. And so on this day in Bethany, it was acc that Jesus is the all-powerful one. That, as those people would say, you know, he could heal all kinds of people with diseases, but he couldn't keep this guy from dying. Of course not. He wanted Lazarus to die because he knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. And that's what he did. That's important.

And so Lazarus came forth. The resurrection after the cross, articulated in prophecy, assured by typology, affirmed by deity, acclaimed at Bethany. Achieved on Sunday. Turn with me to John chapter 20.

Achieved on Sunday. Verse number one of John 20. Now, on the first day of the week, that's Sunday. That's why we know it was achieved on Sunday, the first day of the week.

Saturday is the last day of the week. The early church met on the first day of the week. That was the Lord's Day. It's called the Lord's Day because that's the day the Lord was resurrected. That's why we meet together on the first day of the week.

So it says, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene. Came early to the tomb while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon and Peter and to The other disciple whom Jesus loved, that's John, by the way, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth and the other disciple, and they were going to the tomb, and the two were running together, and the other disciple ran ahead.

faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first, and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

Simon Peter therefore also came following him and entered the tomb, and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the facecloth. which had been on his head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. Now, think about this. Here was Mary Magdalene, a woman who had had seven demons cast out of her. And she would be the one in whom our Lord would appear to first.

First, we'll see that in a moment. But she didn't believe in the resurrection either. My Lord's not here. They've taken him away. I don't know where they've laid him. And Simon, Peter, and John would run to the tomb, and they would look in and see that those linen cloth were undisturbed. as if there was a body in them, but there was no body because they were, the Greek literally puts it in the vern, it says that they were undisturbed, they were not messed with, they were in complete order. He had raised himself right up out of there.

And the linen cloth, the face cloth that covered him, was folded and placed in a different location to signify the fact that there was a resurrection. You see, that which had been articulated in prophecy, that which had been assured by typology. That which had been affirmed by deity and acclaimed at Bethany was now achieved on Sunday. Just like Jesus said. The Bible says, So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he saw and believed.

For as yet they did not understand the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own h. You see, it's not the empty tomb that solidifies man's faith. It's the scriptures. See that? It's the Word of God. The Word of God is powerful. The Word of God is living. The word of God is authoritative. They did not yet believe the scriptures. You see, you've got to believe the scriptures. It doesn't make a difference in your mind if the tomb is empty or not. You must believe what the Word of God said about the empty tomb.

That verifies the fact that Jesus is God, who He said He was. They had to believe what the Word of God said. About the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There's another point I want to give you, and that's this: the resurrection after the cross was accomplished. By the Trinity. It was accomplished by the Trinity. How was Jesus raised from the dead? Well, Jesus raised himself. John 10:18, we read it earlier. If I lay down my life, I'll take it up again. Revelation 1:18, I was dead. I am alive forevermore.

Okay? He holds the keys, he said in Revelation 1:17, to death and to Hades. So Jesus raised him from the dead. But listen to what the book of Romans says. Romans chapter. 8. Romans 8, verse number 11. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who indwells you. There it says the sp raised him from the dead. So the Bible says Jesus raised himself from the dead.

Romans 8:11 says that the Spirit raised him from the dead. From the dead, and Romans chapter 6, verse number 4 tells us that God the Father raised him from the dead. Therefore, we have been buried with him through baptism into death. In order that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, Galatians 1, 1 Peter:, tell us that God the Father raised the Son. So, who raised him? God did. Because they're all three in one, right? God the Father raised him, God the Son raised him, and God the Spirit raised him.

The resurrection was accomplished by the tri of God. The very fact that He is one necessitates that all of them be involved, for lack of a better phrase, in the resurrection. Because they all are one. See that? The resurrection after the cross was number one articulated in prophecy.

Number two was assured by typology. Number three was affirmed by deity. Number four, it was acclaimed at Bethany. Number five, it was achieved on Sunday. Number six, it was accomplished by the Trinity. And number seven, it authenticates. Christianity. It authenticates Christianity. Four ways. And I'll close with this. Number one, it evaporates the despondency of Mary.

It evaporates the despondency of Mary. Here is Mary in verse 11. Weeping, where is my Lord? Where have they taken him? And it says that when she stooped and looked into the tomb, she beheld two angels in white sitting on Sitting one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, Woman, Why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and beheld Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus.

Now, how does she not know that it was Jesus? Number one, it's because he was in his glorified body. Number two, it was because he had yet to reveal him to her.

Just like the two men on the road to Emma didn't know that they were walking with Jesus until he gave them divine revelation. So the text says. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. And Jesus said to her, Mary. Miriam. She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni, which means teacher. And she realized who he was. He called her by her family name, the ones that only her intimate friends knew her by.

And she knew that it was the Lord. He revealed him to her. And she grabbed a hold of him. She didn't want to let him go. And the text says, stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brethren. You see, first of all, they were his slaves.

Then they were his friends. And now, the disciples are his brothers. Isn't that good? Go to my brothers. Go to them, Mary. Tell them. Tell them. That I have ascended. Say to, I have ascended to my father and your father and my God and your God. Don't cling to me, Mary. All things are going to change now.

I was once with you. Now I will be in you. Things will all change. Our relationship is going to change. And I want you to go and tell my brothers. And Mary's despondency completely evaporated because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ her Lord. Number two, it eliminated the depression of the disciples.

If you read on, and in verse number 19, they were again on the first day of the week. When the doors were shut, the disciples were in fear of the Jews, and Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you. He just walked right through the door. The door was locked. Jesus didn't have a key. Didn need a key. Just walk right through the door. Peace be unto you. And he would actually. Eliminate their depression. They'd be changed men. They would be changed men because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

And he would commission these men. You see, Mary would find the comfort of God, and these men would be commissioned by God. God says, listen, as the Father sent me, so said I you.

Now you guys go. You tell people what you have seen. You tell people who I am. And that will authenticate Christianity. Everybody will believe because they see you living the resurrected life. And then you need to understand that it expelled the doubts of Thomas. Thomas wasn't with him that day. He says, I'm not going to believe unless I'm able to stick my fingers in his side and in the nails of the print of his hand. But Thomas was like the other 12, other 11. They didn't believe either, or other 10, excuse me, they didn't believe.

None of them believed. You see, the question comes: why didn't Jesus appear to a skeptics? I mean, that's what I would have done. I mean, in my own carnal way, I'd have showed up at the chief priest's house. Yo-hoo! Ha ha ha! Here I am. Gotcha! Ha ha! That's what I would have done. That's why I'm not God, though, see? Because I'd have been sinful in my motives. You think, why didn't he appear to the skeptics? Why didn't he show up in the temple and say, I told you guys that this is the way it was going to be, and you didn't believe me?

And now you have a chance to believe. Here I am. How come we didn't do that? The answer is, he did. He did appear to the skeptics. His own followers were the skeptics. Right? They were the ones who didn't believe. So he went to those guys. And they then would carry on the message. Of the resurrected life, because now the Spirit of God would indwell them and empower them with the same power that raised God from the dead, and they would be a living testimony to the power of the resurrection to everybody they came in contact with.

You see, that's the way it is with you and me. We live the resurrected life. Well, we walk down the streets that way, that's why we can say, We're not miserable people. We're not miserable people. Shame on you if you're miserable. Shame on you if you're a complainer. Shame on you if you're a grumbler. That should never be with God' Why? We got the resurrected power living within us. The Spirit of God energizing our lives. We, of all people, should be the happiest people on earth. Disneyland, happ place on earth.

Christians, happiest people on earth. That's the way it should be, right? And so these men were turned around. All of them were. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which leads us to the fact that, number four, the resurrection of Jesus Christ energized, energized. The destiny and the duty of the church. It does energizes us. Jesus is a raised from the dead. This is great. That's why we can go to the funeral and have hope. We can stand in the mortuary and believe in the fact that one day this individual who gave their life to Christ will be raised again from the dead.

One day that when I die, and when you die, we will be raised again from the dead because Jesus said so. And Jesus rose himself from the dead to prove that his words were absolutely true. Absolutely. Now note this. It is important for you and I to come to grips with this in our own lives. Because the Bible says this in Acts 17.

And maybe you here today and you think this resurrection stuff is just a good little story. Well, it's more than a story. It's the truth. But maybe you're here today and you really are not convinced of the resurrection. Or maybe you're here today and you might be convinced of the resurrection, but you've never given your life to Christ. The Bible says this, Acts 17, verse number 30, Therefore, having overlooked the tides of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because he has fixed the day in which he will judge the world in righteousness.

Through a man whom he has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the de. The one he raised from the dead is going to judge all men. All men. And so Paul says, God's declaring that all men everywhere need to repent. They need to get right with God. Because if they don't, you can be assured of this fact. That the one whom he raised from the dead, that is his Son, will judge all men. Amen. And this morning, we who are believers in Jesus Christ. Need to understand what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 1 when he would pray that we would somehow come to grips with the power of the resurrection in our own lives.

That we might live that life in front of everybody else that proves the fact that Jesus lives in us.