Lord’s Day 17; I Corinthians 15

I BELIEVE JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD

I. For Our Justification

A. While Scripture declares that Jesus arose (I Cor. 15:4), the emphasis is that God’s raised Him (Acts 3:15; 5:31; 13:30).

1. As God’s activity, it indicates that God judged the work God gave Him to do accomplished its purpose.

2. So, in His resurrection He was still representing the same ones for whom He endured death.

B. That God raised Him up from the dead directs our faith and hope to God (I Peter 1:21).

1. By raising Him God announced that He was completely satisfied with the payment given (Rom. 4:25).

2. Even more, God’s raising Him demonstrates that we have the God-given right to partake of perfect righteousness.

C.Because all your righteousness is in Jesus, we are not accepted on account of our work or any worth that comes from us.

II. Second, by the power of Jesus’ resurrection we are raised up, made partakers of the new, spiritual life (Rom. 6:4-6).

A. This new life is the life of Jesus which the Spirit gives us in regeneration (I Peter 1:3).

B. This new life is the life of the Spirit through which we are united with Christ our Savior so His work and life become ours.

1. The life is communion and fellowship with God.

III. Jesus’ resurrection is a pledge of our bodily resurrection, a hope of everlasting life.

A. Christ was raised from the dead to glory and immortality (II Tim. 1:10).

B. As such He is one with those given Him of the Father, so He is first-begotten of the dead and the first-fruits of the

resurrection.

C.His resurrection is a pledge or guarantee that we also will partake of a physical resurrection like unto His.

D.How blessed the resurrection day will be.

IV. Nothing demonstrates God’s power for His people more than His raising Jesus (Eph. 1:19,20; Phil. 3:10; I Cor. 6:14).