JESUS. Though He suffered and died, He still has the victory. He has the victory over death and the grave. 1 Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
He did that for us, ALL OF US. Not just for Israel's descendants, but for ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE: CHRIST died and CHRIST Lives! He walked out of the grave. Such a resurrection! He was given the keys to hell and death (Revelation 1:18).
At the instance of His death, saints who had been long dead came out of their graves and were seen by the yet living (Matthew 27:50-53).
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 386
Resurrection: stand up again, a raising up, rising
From the Greek word 'anastasis' (pronounced an-as'-tas-is). referring to the physical resurrection of the body.
DEATH & THE GRAVE END
David in his day had faith to know that God would not leave his soul in the grave.
Psalm 49:15
But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah
Hosea, chapter 13, speaks of the coming judgment on a rebellious people, but God promises a ransom that will be paid and a redemption that will cause those whom He has redeemed to belong to Himself. Hosea 13:14
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.”
Isaiah 25:8 speaks millenia ahead of what is promised in Revelation 21:3,4.
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
Revelation 21:3,4
3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
4. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
CHRIST IS CHANGED
Without the cross there'd be no resurrection. Christ had to suffer: Someone had to atone for sin and God chose Him.
1 Peter 2:21
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
Jesus was just as unrecognizable after death as He was in death. But in a different way. At His mock trial He was given the death penalty; He was beaten, His beard was plucked out of His face, a thorny crown was forcefully put on His head, He was whipped across His back in public humiliation, and even with such loss of blood He was expected to carry the heavy cross beam across His shoulders. (Isaiah 50 & 53; Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 22 & 23; John 19).
But AFTER the Resurrection He was given a glorified body.
John 20:10-18, specifically verses 14 and 17.
14. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not recognize that it was Jesus.
17. “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’
1 Corinthians 15:19-22
19. If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
Acts 2:24
But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.
Acts 26:23
That Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
WE WILL BE CHANGED
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
51. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52. in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
What preparations must be undertaken before we even reach that stage?
I.
In Matthew 4:17 Jesus called people to repentance. That hasn't changed.
Romans 1:16,17
16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
II.
Romans 10:8-10
8. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.
III.
Romans 3:22-23
22. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:10, 18
10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:13
For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Dear God, My Heavenly Father,
I recognize that I have sinned against You, against Your Word. As I repent, as I turn from my wicked ways which grieve You, forgive me of all my unrighteous actions and the hurtful words I may have spoken without thinking.
Take not Your Holy Spirit from me, but pour even more so into me that I may walk this path which You have laid out before me with dignity and integrity. May Your Light and Your Love shine through me, drawing people to You. Whether or not I see the results in my lifetime, I lift up those You have placed in my life to be strengthened in You and filled with Your Holy Spirit, that they, too, would walk in Your power to reach the goals You have set before them.
Whatever it takes, Lord, save and fill our loved ones. Save and fill the unlovable. I was unlovable once and You loved me out of the darkness of this world into Your glorious Light. You call us to change, Lord, not just after death but here and now.
Change me, O Lord, mold me and transform me in every way which glorifies Your name: make me holy, that I may be in Your presence forevermore. For You are a Holy God and Your Very Presence and Your Name demands a holy people. Make us Your holy people, Lord.
As we submit to Your will, O Lord, help us to stand against the enemy of our souls; help us to humble ourselves to be Your people; help us to preach/share/proclaim the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ to whomever You lead us to.
In Jesus' Lovely Name, I pray,
Amen
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