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WEEKLY
Volume 2 Number 44
30 March 2008
Christ Rose Again
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the Easter
Sunrise Service in Hervey Bay, 9:30 am, March 23, 08)
Text:
1 Cor 15:1-4
Our Easter this year (23 March
2008) is earlier than those in the past few years (11 April 2004; 27
March 2005; 16 April 2006; 8 April 2007). Like Lunar New Year, Easter
does not fall on a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars (both
of which follow the cycle of the sun and the seasons). Instead, the date
for Easter is determined on a lunisolar calendar, as is the Hebrew
calendar (the Sunday after the Passover or after the 14th of
the month Nisan). To make it simpler and easier to remember, Easter
falls on the first Sunday after the full moon which occurs on or after
the 21st of March. If the full moon falls on Sunday, then
Easter will be on the following Sunday. Hence, Easter usually falls
between the 22nd of March and the 25th of April.
For example, Easter in the coming years will be on 12 April 2009; 4
April 2010; 24 April 2011; 8 April 2012; 31 March 2013, etc.
Easter is always on Sunday
because our Lord Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried on Friday,
and then He rose again on the first day of the week or the Lord’s Day
(Matt 28:1; John 20:1; Rev 1:10).
Many regard Easter as a good
time for pleasures and entertainments with chocolate egg hunts, parties,
travelling or camping, etc. ignoring or not caring about the great event
in the human history when their loving Creator and Maker humbled
Himself to become a Man, was crucified and died for their sins and rose
again for their salvation! How about you and me?
How Do We Surely Know That
Christ Died for Our Sins and Rose Again?
God’s Word, the Scripture,
says so, “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” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Without the Scripture,
we have no firm and sure foundation of our faith, “So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17).
Sadly, many nowadays, even “Christians,” are harming themselves and
others by hearing human arguments and reasons instead of God’s Word!
They are happy to quote any books or articles casting doubts on God’s
Word to serve their purpose, arguments and stand, shaking the faith of
many young believers! They think that they are scholarly and right while
they are doing what our Lord Jesus Christ has never done: doubting God’s
Word and causing others to doubt God’s Word! Doing such a thing is evil
or wicked before God (Num 14:36-37)! Dear friends, do you fully trust in
God’s Word without any doubt or only partly believe with doubt? Remember
that doubt is not of faith and is sin (Rom 14:23). Then, “let God be
true, but every man a liar” (Rom 3:4).
What Would Happen If Christ
Had Not Risen Again?
In Corinth, some did not
believe in the resurrection, and the apostle Paul asked them “Now if
Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you
that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (1 Cor 15:12) Then, what
would happen if Christ had not risen again? Paul gave his arguments in
his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15:
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Our preaching is vain, and
our faith is also vain (v 14). A dead person cannot see, hear, know,
move, or help. It is only vain and a waste of time when we gather to
sing and pray to a dead Saviour. It is the most miserable (v 19) when
we hopelessly trust in a dead Saviour while facing troubles,
difficulties, afflictions, persecution or trials in life or in
ministry because a dead Saviour cannot see, hear, or help! It would be
also vain to preach a dead Saviour who could not save anyone! Then,
our ministry, labour and sacrifice would be in vain!
-
The dead would not be raised
and all would perish (v 16, 18). There would be no justice in this
world because death would finish it all, the good or the bad, the
righteous or the wicked would be alike. What a misery for those who
suffer for Christ’s name’s sake and righteousness’ sake without any
reward in Heaven after death!
-
We are yet in our sins (v
17). We would still be dead in trespasses and in sins and under the
bondage of Satan and his power of darkness (Acts 26:18; Eph 2:1),
“having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph 2: 12). What a
misery!
Jesus Christ Truly Rose
Again!
Thank God and praise the Lord
that Jesus Christ truly rose again and was seen of Peter, of His
disciples and of above five hundred brethren at once, of James and of
all the apostles and of Paul (vv 5-8). Unlike other religious leaders in
this world who were dead and still in their graves or tombs, our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ is risen and ever living and is mighty to save
you and me. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word
of God, is the foundation of our faith and salvation just as is God’s
written Word. Why?
-
Jesus Christ is the Son of
God, is God Himself, with all power (Rom 1:4). It is impossible for
man to raise a dead person. Jesus Christ rose again by the power of
God (Acts 2:24), by His own power (John 10:18) and by the Holy
Spirit’s power (Rom 8:11). Then, dear friends, let us trust in our
risen and living Saviour “for with God nothing shall be impossible”
(Luke 1:37; cf. 18:27), and our faith and trust in Him will never be
in vain! It is not impossible for Him to preserve all His inspired
Scripture in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that underlies the KJV as He
has promised (Ps 12:6-7; Matt 5:18; 24:35; et al). It is not
impossible for Him to help us and deliver us from all our difficulties
according to His best will and timing. Let us trust in His sovereign
will, power, way, and timing. Do you and I truly believe that He has
power to make all things work together for good to His obedient
children (Rom 8:28)? If yes, then let us trust in Him and His Word and
thank Him for all things and in all things no matter what sinful and
puny men may say.
-
Jesus Christ has fulfilled
all the Scriptures, “These are the words which I spake unto you,
while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the
psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44). His resurrection confirms
that God’s Word is true, has been fulfilled, is being fulfilled and
will be fulfilled to jot and tittle. Then, let us wholeheartedly and
submissively trust in His Word without any doubt or question no matter
what sinful and puny men may say.
-
Jesus Christ’s atoning
sacrifice has been accepted (Acts 2:22-36). He did bear our sins and
rise again for our justification (Rom 4:25; 1 Peter 2:24),
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”
(Heb 7:25). Praise the Lord!
-
Jesus Christ has overcome
death, sin, Satan and the world and secures our victory in Him,
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us” (Rom 8:37) and “Now thanks be unto God, which always
causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his
knowledge by us in every place” (2 Cor 2:14), and “Who is he
that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son
of God?” (1 John 5:5). As Christ rose again and is living, He is
our Life (Col 3:4) and we, “always bearing about in the body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our body” (2 Cor 4:10). Dear friends, do you and I
humbly let Jesus Christ live in us, control us and manifest His life
through us? That is the only way of victory over sin, self, Satan and
worldliness. Do others see the risen and living Christ in us?
-
Jesus Christ’s resurrection
secures our future resurrection (1 Cor 15:20-23), and our bodies will
be changed like His (Phil 3:21). Death is not finished, and Christ is
our Hope (1 Tim 1:1). Our short life on earth is only temporary, and
it is wise for us to make use of it to prepare for our glorious
eternity (2 Cor 4:17).
-
Jesus Christ will return
“in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
All the signs of His soon coming such as wars, earthquakes, famines,
pestilences, false Christs, false teachers, false prophets, apostasy,
moral and spiritual declination, persecutions, the preaching of the
Gospel, and the establishment of the nation of Israel (Matt 24) tell
us that His coming “is near, even at the doors.” Then, are you
and I watchful, ready for and looking forward to His coming?
-
Our labour in Jesus Christ
is not in vain, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58).
Dear friends, as Christ is risen, is living and is coming with His
reward, our labour in Him is not in vain. It is wise to make sure that
we are doing the work of the Lord and not our work so that our labour
in Him will not be in vain. Every minute and every penny and all the
efforts we have spent for Him and lived for Him according to His will,
His way and for His glory will not be in vain. There is a book
recording all what we have done, even what we have spoken, “Then
they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD
hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before
him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name”
(Mal 3:16). Dear friends, what do you and I want to be written in His
book of remembrance?
Conclusion
Dear friends, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, did humble Himself, come to this sinful world to die for
the sins of all mankind including yours and mine, and did rise again to
save and justify those who repent and trust in Him.
Many may doubt or reject their
risen Saviour and God’s Word, but He shall come back again soon with all
His power, glory and majesty as King of kings and Lord of lords, then
how can they meet the holy and righteous Lord while they have not been
saved? May God graciously help you and me wisely trust in Him and in His
Word and live for Him and for His glory faithfully until He comes back
again. Amen.
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