Today, I am continuing to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and look at the impact that has on our lives today.
The resurrection means that Jesus is victorious, and we are victorious.
I.
HIS VICTORY
OVER SIN
From the very beginning in the garden of Eden, man has been engaged in a battle against sin. Because we are descendants of Adam, we have inherited from him a tendency to do the things we know are wrong:
Rom. 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned."
Sometimes we don’t even want to sin, because we know it is harmful to our well-being; and yet we can’t seem to get the victory, because its influence over us is so strong! Paul describes this conflict in Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 24 "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do....For I know that in me (that is, in my sinful nature) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice....O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
The answer to Paul’s question is this: Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin by His resurrection! He and He alone can deliver us! (v. 25 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!")
By His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ provided a way by which our sin can be removed; by His resurrection, we are empowered to live in victory over sin in our DAILY lives.
From the very beginning in the garden of Eden, man has been engaged in a battle against sin. Because we are descendants of Adam, we have inherited from him a tendency to do the things we know are wrong:
Rom. 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned."
Sometimes we don’t even want to sin, because we know it is harmful to our well-being; and yet we can’t seem to get the victory, because its influence over us is so strong! Paul describes this conflict in Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 24 "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do....For I know that in me (that is, in my sinful nature) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice....O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
The answer to Paul’s question is this: Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin by His resurrection! He and He alone can deliver us! (v. 25 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!")
By His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ provided a way by which our sin can be removed; by His resurrection, we are empowered to live in victory over sin in our DAILY lives.
God told Cain to watch out because sin is
crouching at the door, but he should rule over it. Cain could have, but he did
not have the living, victorious Christ living in him to empower him to be
victorious. We do. We can rule over sin because Jesus has already won the
victory, now he lives in us to empower us.
II.
HIS VICTORY
OVER SATAN
When Christ was crucified on Calvary, Satan thought he had finally accomplished his life-long purpose - to destroy God’s plan of salvation. He had been trying for centuries! God told the serpent that he put enmity between him and the woman and her offspring…they became enemies, and that he would bruise his head. Since that time, Satan tried to destroy the offspring of the woman, always fighting to end the descendants of promise.
-He caused CAIN to kill righteous Abel
(but God gave Seth!)
-He caused ABRAHAM in unbelief to bear Ishmael
(but God miraculously gave Isaac.)
-He caused JOSEPH’s BROTHERS to sell him as a slave to Egypt
(but God saved his whole family from starvation through Joseph’s faithfulness!)
-He caused DAVID to sin a sin worthy of death
(but God gave him a repentant heart.)
-He caused HEROD to kill all the babies two years old and under
(but God directed Joseph to take baby Jesus to Egypt.)
Then he caused Judas to betray Christ, leading to the crucifixion of Jesus - and there was the triumph Satan had waited for - 5000 years of diabolical planning had paid off, and for three days Satan and his demons had a victory party! I can imagine to celebration in hell during those hours. But early on the third morning, Christ rose from the dead, and Satan was defeated!
When Christ was crucified on Calvary, Satan thought he had finally accomplished his life-long purpose - to destroy God’s plan of salvation. He had been trying for centuries! God told the serpent that he put enmity between him and the woman and her offspring…they became enemies, and that he would bruise his head. Since that time, Satan tried to destroy the offspring of the woman, always fighting to end the descendants of promise.
-He caused CAIN to kill righteous Abel
(but God gave Seth!)
-He caused ABRAHAM in unbelief to bear Ishmael
(but God miraculously gave Isaac.)
-He caused JOSEPH’s BROTHERS to sell him as a slave to Egypt
(but God saved his whole family from starvation through Joseph’s faithfulness!)
-He caused DAVID to sin a sin worthy of death
(but God gave him a repentant heart.)
-He caused HEROD to kill all the babies two years old and under
(but God directed Joseph to take baby Jesus to Egypt.)
Then he caused Judas to betray Christ, leading to the crucifixion of Jesus - and there was the triumph Satan had waited for - 5000 years of diabolical planning had paid off, and for three days Satan and his demons had a victory party! I can imagine to celebration in hell during those hours. But early on the third morning, Christ rose from the dead, and Satan was defeated!
1 Peter 3:21-22 "...through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers [have] been made subject to Him."
1 John 3:8 "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
Col. 2:14-15 "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
Satan is a defeated enemy - he cannot have control over us, as long as we are controlled by the living Christ!
1 John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in you [the living Christ] than he that is in the world [Satan]." Jesus will deliver you from bondage, if you will yield that particular area of your life to HIM!
Praise God, Jesus Christ has won the victory over
Satan by His resurrection!
III.
HIS VICTORY
OVER THE SECOND DEATH
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, have no need to fear physical death, because we know that we cannot die spiritually. Jesus said to Martha in John 11:25-26 ’I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’"
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, physical death to us is actually a new beginning. Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:8 "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." and Phil. 1:21-23 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain....For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better."
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, have no need to fear physical death, because we know that we cannot die spiritually. Jesus said to Martha in John 11:25-26 ’I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’"
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, physical death to us is actually a new beginning. Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:8 "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." and Phil. 1:21-23 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain....For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better."
Paul said that the burial of our physical body is the same as the planting of a see.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
Therefore Paul concludes
1
Cor 15:54-57:
"So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put
on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
’Death is swallowed up in victory.’ O Death, where is your sting? O Grave,
where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is
the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
So, for those of us who have received Jesus
Christ as personal Lord and Savior, the second death, or eternal separation
from God, is not possible.
Rev. 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (and then for all eternity! Rev. 21+22)
MAX LUCADO, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away- across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist intobthe air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.
Rev. 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (and then for all eternity! Rev. 21+22)
MAX LUCADO, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away- across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist intobthe air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.
That’s exactly what Jesus did! He told the people of His day that they need not fear the river of death, but they wouldn’t believe. He touched a dead boy and called him back to life. They still didn’t believe. He whispered life into the body of a dead girl and got the same result. He let a dead man spend 4 days in a tomb and then called him out and the people still didn’t believe Him. Finally, He entered the river of death and came out on the other side.
Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ has won the victory over the second death by His resurrection!
Conclusion: The same VICTORY Christ has won over sin, Satan and the second death- can be ours as well through Him!
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