Lord of the Resurrection
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April 12, 2015 |
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 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you"
(1 Peter 1:3-4).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
Easter is the day to commemorate that Jesus, who came to the earth in flesh to save all mankind, died on the cross and resurrected. Let's delve into the spiritual blessings given to us through the Lord of the resurrection.
1. The Lord overcame death and resurrected
During His public ministry, Jesus spread the gospel of the kingdom, healed people of many diseases and infirmities, and confirmed the Word of God. Also, He performed many signs and wonders so that people could believe that He is the Son of God. Many people who were poor in spirit and had goodness accepted Jesus, but those who were evil and arrogant felt jealous and rejected Him.
Though He was sinless some people who were instigated by the enemy devil and Satan tried to put Jesus to death, and they eventually crucified Him. They thought they had completely won. But all of it was predestined before the ages and hidden in a mystery. It was in the providence of God (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).
A spiritual law says the wages of sin is death, that is, if we commit sins, the retribution is death (Romans 6:23). When Adam and Eve were living in the Garden of Eden, they committed the sin of disobedience to God's Word. As a result they lost their eternal life according to this law and were sent out from the Garden. And, it was a violation of this spiritual law to crucify Him since Jesus never committed any sin yet He was put to death.
That is why Acts 2:24 reads, "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." As said, Jesus overcame death and on the third day He became resurrected.
2. The spiritual blessings given to us through the Lord
1) The way of salvation was opened
Jesus became our Savior by being hung on the cross and resurrecting.
Romans 5:18-19 says, "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." It means that through the sinless Jesus' one act of righteousness—sacrificing His body and life for sinners, many people can be made righteous.
In other words, because Jesus became atoning sacrifice for us, anyone who professes Jesus is their Lord and believes in heart that God revived Jesus from the dead can receive salvation (Romans 10:10). Through the resurrected Lord, the way of salvation was opened to all mankind.
1 John 2:3-4 states, "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Thus, we should keep in mind that we can reach perfect salvation only when we practice the Word of God. I urge you to dwell in the Word of God always and become united with the Lord as well as to be made righteous by professing your faith in Jesus as your Lord.
2) The spiritual world that is different from the fleshly world, was revealed
The resurrection of the Lord showed that the spiritual world definitely exists, though people with fleshly limits cannot understand it at all. There is strong evidence showing that visible worlds are not all that exist, and that there is a spiritual realm that is beyond man's comprehension, a realm that has no limits.
Therefore, those who believe in the Lord of resurrection are not bound to the visible reality, but they can transcend human limitations with faith (Mark 9:23). This is because the Lord is with people who rely on Him with faith, and He gives them strength. Mark 16:20 says, "And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed."
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So, even today, if you believe and rely on Him with your heart, He will come to you and be with you. He also allows for qualified people to manifest signs and wonders so that many people can have faith and glorify God. Moreover, just as Deacon Stephen saw the Lord with his spiritual eyes, when our spiritual eyes are opened under the grace of God, we can see the Lord as well.
I hope you will understand the definite existence of the spiritual world through the resurrection of the Lord, believe that the Lord is with us, and depend on Him with your heart.
3) Hope for resurrection and Heaven was given
1 Peter 1:3-4 states, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."
Through the resurrected Lord, God not only let us be born again, but He also gave us hope for Heaven. God's children have a living hope that they will inherit the eternal possession which is imperishable and does not disappear. So, they can overcome the world with faith. It is from the love of God to let us live with hope for resurrection.
The resurrected Lord appeared before people several times so that His disciples and those who believed in Him could hold the hope for resurrection firmly. He appeared before Peter, His twelve disciples, and around 500 brothers (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). He also manifested Himself to the disciples who were fishing at the Sea of Tiberias. He ate fish and bread with them. He wanted to give stronger hope for resurrection to them by showing the resurrected body.
When eating food, the resurrected body does not digest or excrete it but it just immediately decomposes and is expelled through breathing. Of course people can live without eating in Heaven, but when they drink the water of life or eat or smell fruit, they can feel greater joy and happiness. God made the eternal world. According to what they do on the earth, God will repay His children who believe in the resurrected Lord.
But for Jesus Christ, we would be valueless being like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away (James 4:14). Those who have a living hope through the resurrected Lord do whatever they do for the glory of God and pile up treasure in Heaven. So they will be treated as precious children of God in Heaven.
2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." God let us not set our minds on this world that is soon to perish, but He let us have living hope thanks to the resurrected Lord and the hope of living in the eternal dwelling place. This is the love of God the Father.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, when we sow a seed, it seems to get rotten and disappear. But a bud sprouts inside, and it grows, blooms, and bears much fruit.
Jesus, the Son of God who came to the earth in flesh, died just as the seed. But, He resurrected and through His crucifixion and resurrection, anyone can reach salvation with faith in Him. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will fill you heart with hope for salvation, eternal life, resurrection, and hope for Heaven once again.
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