[0:00] We're going to turn our attention to pay homage to the Son, as we just sang, to think about Jesus, to think about God, to think about us in light of God.
[0:19] This morning we saw how Jesus and God the Father's glory were bound together. When Jesus is glorified, the Father is, and the other way around as well, and how that's particularly bound up in Jesus' resurrection from the dead, which today is a wonderful day to celebrate.
[0:45] For example, the Father and the Son glorify each other. They bring honor to each other. And it's precisely in God's raising of His Son out of the dead that that happens the most vividly.
[1:02] Jesus' prayer. Let me read to you part of Jesus' prayer that very night that He was betrayed, as He was looking forward to very soon going to the cross, but then being raised from the dead.
[1:16] Let me read to you how He prays to His Father. This is John 17, 1-5. Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You.
[1:32] For You granted Him authority over all people, that He might give eternal life to all those whom You have given Him. Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
[1:50] I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.
[2:05] Can you see this intimacy between Jesus and His Father? They want to glorify each other. They want to bring honor to the other one.
[2:18] And the Father glorifies His Son in a very mighty way by raising Him from the dead and exalting Him to His right hand to sit on the throne and rule over all things.
[2:29] Jesus glorifies the Father in a very special way by, when rising from the dead, declaring that His Father is faithful to His promises.
[2:41] That His Father is able to gain the victory over all those who conspire against God and His anointed one. So that was this morning. We looked at that intimacy between Jesus and the Father and how the resurrection really illuminates this glory.
[3:00] Also this morning, with the children, can you think back to the message with the children? It was an idea of Jesus rising from the dead as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
[3:14] And with the children, we thought about how, like a crop, the first bit of fruit that comes up gives the flavor and the guarantee of the whole crop that is going to come.
[3:26] And we looked at how Jesus rising from the dead didn't just do it on His own for Himself, but there's a crop to follow. Those of us who trust Him, because He rose, we're going to rise with Him.
[3:39] He is the first fruits. But I didn't mention that the rest of the sermon, really. The sermon was not focused on us and how His resurrection affects us. The sermon this morning was focused on what God the Father thinks or thought of the resurrection.
[3:56] But we did close this morning with that same thought. We get to participate in the Son's and the Father's resurrection glory.
[4:10] And that is an outstanding claim, that we would get to participate in that. And I hope we can explore that for a bit more right now. To do that, to explore a bit more how we get to share in what Jesus and the Father are doing.
[4:29] I'm going to bring up a few different things. One, the first thing that I'll mention to you and highlight with some of the things Jesus says, I want to highlight that Jesus wants us to share His glory.
[4:44] The heart of Jesus. This is not some abstract idea that we get to participate with something. Jesus wants us, His followers, to share in this intimacy with the Father.
[4:57] He invites us into this relationship. And that's amazing. Listen to some of the things that Jesus says. Reading from John 15, Jesus says to the disciples, I am the vine, and you are the branches.
[5:13] If a person remains in me, and I in them, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he's like a branch that is thrown away and withers.
[5:28] Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.
[5:41] This is to my Father's glory, that you would bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
[5:55] Now remain in my love. Can you see how Jesus is beginning to include the disciples, His followers, in His love with the Father? This will get even more clear.
[6:08] And just a little bit later, in John 16, verse 14, we read this. Jesus says, So the Holy Spirit's working in this as well, giving glory to Jesus by taking what Jesus owns and making it known to us.
[6:32] We get to share in this. It gets even more clear. A little bit later, Jesus is praying. I've already read a bit of that. Jesus is now praying for everyone who will believe in the future.
[6:45] He's already prayed for His disciples, and now He's going to turn His attention to us. Jesus praying for us 2,000 years ago. He says this, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.
[7:03] Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
[7:13] I have given them the glory that you gave to me, so that they may be one as we are one. I in them, and you in me, may they be brought to complete unity, to let the world know that you sent me, and that you loved them, even as you have loved me.
[7:36] Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory that you have given me because you loved me before the world was created.
[7:52] Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I do know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and I will continue to make you known, in order that the love that you have for me may be in them, and that I myself may be in them.
[8:14] Can you hear the intimacy that Jesus speaks, not only about the Father, but about us? This is his prayer. He says to his Father, I want them to be with me where I am, and to have this love and this glory.
[8:33] That is tremendous, that the Savior of the world would pray that for us. How does that come about, though?
[8:46] Those of us who trust Jesus, how do we come to share this glory, this love between Father and Son? Well, that's the next question.
[8:58] How do we come to share in this? And one of the ways is through this shared resurrection. And this is what we're going to develop for a moment.
[9:10] We get to share Jesus' resurrection. We are now, and we will be in the future, raised with Jesus.
[9:20] This is throughout the whole New Testament. These two things, they're constantly intertwined. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we now get to experience life.
[9:32] And we will be raised with him in an even more full way. And these two things, I want to highlight in some passages in the New Testament.
[9:42] How we are now and will be raised with Jesus. Entering into this resurrection, fellowship, and glory between Jesus and the Father. By the Spirit.
[9:54] Now the way that I hope to illustrate this is by showing you some things that Peter says and that Paul says. These two men knew the resurrected Jesus. And they were so blown away by his resurrection that whether they were preaching to non-believers in the book of Acts.
[10:14] Or whether they're writing letters to believers. Regardless, time and again, both Peter and Paul are bringing the resurrection of Jesus to bear on their readers. It was so important to them.
[10:26] So we're going to use Peter and Paul. Some of the things they say. So first, we share present life. Right now, we get to share life through Jesus' resurrection.
[10:39] One statement from Peter. In 1 Peter 1.3, his letter to some believers. Peter says this. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[10:52] In his great mercy, he has given us new life. Sorry, new birth. He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead.
[11:08] Did you catch that? Something that we already have right now. In God's great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope. Hope. We'll come back to that in a little bit.
[11:20] Hope. Living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We get to experience this now in some way. Let me highlight something that Paul says.
[11:33] And this brings both ideas together. That we now have and we will have in the future. Resurrection life because of Jesus. Now, as I read this passage from Romans 6, I want you to keep a very close ear to things that are past, present, and future.
[11:53] Because Paul blends them all together. So keep your ear open. I'll try to draw attention to some of them. In Romans 6, 1 to 13. Feel free to turn to this one since it is a bit longer, if you would like.
[12:06] Romans 6, 1 to 13. How does Jesus' resurrection affect us now and in the future? Paul says, Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
[12:22] By no means. We died to sin. How can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
[12:35] We, therefore, were buried with him through baptism into death. In order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we, too, may have a new life.
[12:53] Is that in the future? Or is that now? Well, let's continue. Verse 5. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
[13:07] Future. We will certainly be. For we know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be done away with.
[13:20] That we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
[13:35] Future again. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again. Death no longer has mastery over him.
[13:46] The death he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. And in the same way, count yourselves presently.
[14:00] That's present. Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, presently, therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its evil desires.
[14:16] Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, past and present.
[14:32] Those who have been brought from death to life. And offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. See, Paul's thinking about the resurrection of Jesus throughout that whole passage.
[14:47] And he thinks about the future that we get to experience. We will be raised with him. But he also thinks about how that affects us now. Practically.
[15:00] See, the power of the creator of the universe is in us who believe by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
[15:11] That power is within us invigorating us. Enlivening us to live lives that please and honor Jesus. So this is a challenge for us as well as a comfort and a promise.
[15:26] Let's offer our bodies what we do every day, whether we're in public or whether we're in the home with our family or whether we're just alone in private.
[15:37] Everything we do with our bodies let's offer to God. And we can because we have resurrection life within us by Christ's Spirit.
[15:50] We already do. There is power to be free from sin because of Jesus' resurrection. And we have a promise for the future. Let's look at one statement about that.
[16:03] The future life through Jesus' resurrection that we get to share with Him. Paul says in Romans 8, 11, If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who lives in you now.
[16:29] Romans 8, 11. This is a promise for the future. Not only right now can we experience new life and hope and ability over sin through His resurrection, but we've got this promise in the future that even these bodies that are corroding away will be made alive because of Jesus' resurrection.
[16:52] We're not going to get rid of these bodies. God's going to give them back alive, more alive than they've ever been, changed and glorified to be like Jesus' resurrected body.
[17:05] And that's the Christian hope. And that leads us on to the final thought to consider. That is the Christian hope. The hope that we have that motivates us, that anchors our soul.
[17:21] It's a resurrection hope. We could ask the question, what anchors your soul? What is the anchor of my soul? Think about the times in our life.
[17:34] each day when events surrounding us seem to just spiral out of control, downward, and there's nothing we can do about them.
[17:47] They just seem to fall apart. And we can't seem to see God's presence in our situations. We can't seem to see that God is glorious when these things are happening around us.
[18:02] What is the anchor for our soul in those moments? But not just when we're surrounded by things going out of control. What about when that storm is inside of us?
[18:13] When we are frustrated with ourselves because we are spiraling out of control? When we're struggling with sins that so easily entangle us? What is the anchor for our soul?
[18:26] What is the hope that we have? When our behavior, our thoughts, our attitudes disappoint us because they're contrary to Christ. But not just when our surroundings are out of control, not just when ourselves are out of control, but what about when we're doing work for the Lord and it seems to be fruitless and pointless and frustrating.
[18:52] Nothing seems to be happening even though we're serving the Lord. In those scenarios, I'm sure many of you have been in that situation. Why are we doing this? This work for the Lord, it seems to be complete vanity.
[19:05] Nothing's coming from it. Nobody's changing that I'm trying to help bless. In any of these situations in life, what is that hope that anchors us in place and keeps us from being blown around?
[19:21] And it's this. Jesus' resurrection gives us hope that is secure. It gives us a promise for the future of something that will get better, but it also gives us that promise based on something that you can see has happened.
[19:39] It's not just a good idea of something in the future. It's already happened in Jesus. God raised him from the dead. It's something that's tangible, literally, for those first followers.
[19:52] It's a reality already, and we get to hope for it to come to fullness. Let me read a few passages that illustrate this hope, the Christian hope, as a resurrection hope.
[20:09] One that Paul says, which is actually negative, meaning, he says, what happens if Christ didn't raise from the dead? And he talks about hope in 1 Corinthians 15, which Stephen read for us.
[20:26] If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You're still in your sins, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
[20:39] There's no hope for them if Christ didn't rise from the dead. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, Paul says, then we, more than anyone else, are pitiful.
[20:56] Christian hope has to have the resurrection of Jesus anchor it. Peter says it in a positive way. I've already read it. Let me read it again. 1 Peter 1.3 God the Father has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
[21:16] That's just to illustrate that the Christian hope is about the resurrection of Jesus that gives us hope. Let me read some other passages, and this is how I'm going to draw it to a close with these four passages that will hopefully give us hope as we contemplate Jesus' resurrection and how it impacts us presently and in the future.
[21:40] the reason that it gives us hope is because God the Father and Jesus invite us to participate in a victory that has been secured.
[21:57] A victory over Satan, a victory over sin, a victory over death that has been secured and will be completed. And that's why we have hope, because of this victory.
[22:10] So listen to this secure victory in Jesus' death and resurrection. I'll read two short passages and then two slightly longer ones, and that's how we'll draw this to a close.
[22:23] Hebrews 2, 14 and 15. Jesus shared in our humanity so that by His death He might destroy Him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
[22:46] Jesus Himself says in Revelation 1, 17, Jesus says, Do not be afraid. I am the first and I am the last.
[22:57] I am the living one. I was dead. But look, I'm alive forever and ever and I hold the keys of death and Hades.
[23:09] That's the comfort. Romans 8, 34 and on. Jesus Christ, who died, more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us.
[23:26] Who shall separate us from this love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
[23:38] No. In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And finally, as Jesus and the Father invite us to participate in this resurrection, glory, and hope, let me read some words from 1 Corinthians 15.
[24:01] Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
[24:15] For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive, but each in his own turn. Christ, the firstfruits, then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
[24:28] And then the end will come when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion and authority and power.
[24:39] Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
[24:53] For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with imperishability.
[25:05] The mortal must clothe itself with immortality. immortality. And when the perishable has been clothed with imperishability, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true.
[25:21] Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
[25:35] But thanks be to God, because He gives us victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.
[25:50] Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in Him is not in vain.
[26:05] Let us pray. Thank you. Your Border niveau 從富 cual sale relieved is the version