30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 1-8 JESUS HAS RISEN 12 06Mar2022 Luke 24 7-8 Works that display His resurrection
📖 Luke 24:1-8
12 – 06Mar2022 – Works that display His resurrection - Luke 24:01-08 - JESUS HAS RISEN - Bible reading: Titus 2:12-14
“Lord Jesus, we thank You that we are living in this world in the dimension of resurrection. We have identified with Your death, burial and Your resurrection. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.”
Luke 24:7-8 saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' " (8) And they remembered His words.
These words that the angels spoke to the women that Jesus had to be crucified, die, be buried and then rise again, were the words that connected with them. They were now having a Aha moment and were entering a new life of resurrection.
This is the core Gospel message.
I Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
The word of God is being broken for us and we know Christ. We know Jesus as the Gospel. Apostle Paul goes into much detail to explain resurrection for us as believers, as those who have received the Gospel.
I Corinthians 15:14-17 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. (15) Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. (16) For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. (17) And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
Paul uses negativism to shock us into accepting the glorious truth of the resurrection. He is showing us that the importance of the resurrection in our lives cannot be overemphasised. Resurrection is now the basis for our lives and our witness.
I Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
What does Paul mean when He says, that Christ has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep?
I Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
The Dead in Christ are the same as those who have fallen asleep. For when we come into Christ, we live. Physical death is not death for us, but we fall asleep to wake up in the presence of the Lord.
(17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The dead in Christ will rise first but who was the first to rise up from the dead? It was Jesus. He rose from the dead first and therefore He is the firstfruits of those who fall asleep. Those who now die in Christ, are the latter fruits.
What about those who remain? We are waiting to be with the Lord, either by falling asleep or by being caught up together with those who have fallen asleep and thus meet the Lord in the air.
As we wait, what is expected of us?
I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Our task now, as we wait, is to abound in the work of the Lord. All that we do are works that display the resurrection of Christ. This is how we are being witnesses to the Gospel.
Titus 2:12-14 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (14) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
We will now look more deeply into what are these ‘good works' that ought to be displayed in us as those who remain, waiting to be caught up together with the Lord in the air, if we do not fall asleep till that time.
Resurrection makes us be zealous for good works.
Thought to ponder
We have much works of resurrection to do, as we wait to meet the Lord in the air.