I'll Give You A Sign! - [John 2:18-22]

Well, I would invite you to open your Bibles to John chapter 2 this morning's message is

I'll give you a sign You know, it's kind of like One of your parents may have said

I may have heard this on occasion. You want to cry? I'll give you something to cry about Well here the

Lord says basically you want a sign. I'll give you a sign Richard Dawkins famous atheist just kind of He's on the really the cutting edge of atheism these days the antagonistic

Atheism that we see so often and he said that God's existence or non -existence is a scientific fact about the universe discoverable in principle if not in practice if he existed and chose to reveal it

God himself could clinch the argument noisily and Unequivocally in his favor.

What's he saying? He's saying if God would make himself known We would believe in him

The president of the American atheists David Silverman said this Now if God shows himself to me just as Santa as if Santa Claus shows himself to me.

I won't be an atheist That really is a muddled metal metaphor I mean if Santa Claus shows himself to him, is he going to then believe in God?

No, but but his point is, you know God and Santa Claus are both myths.

That's what he says Now as we're thinking about that or as you puzzle about why

I might start that way What do we know about faith? What is faith faith is the assurance of things hope for It's the conviction of things not seen that's from Hebrews Well, if we looked at ancient times in Bible times even as we look here at John chapter 2 today there really wasn't an

Atheism movement per se there weren't a lot of people running around saying, you know publishing books saying

God does not exist They weren't on talk shows Although you might think there they were but they weren't

People though in those times what they do they worship different gods If we read through the

Bible we'd see what that they carve them out of wood They make them out of stone and then they give them a name and worship them

They pronounce those things God There is an inherent part of us that wants to Worship, but getting back to this original question if God were to appear to an unbeliever to an atheist

Would he would the atheist then believe and the answer is no And we're gonna see that this morning

Now just to review where we are in John's gospel. He has a singular purpose

He has one thought in mind as he writes this book He doesn't put it up front

It's in John chapter 20 verse 31 But he tells us that he wants he wrote this book because he wants us to know that Jesus is the

Christ that Jesus is the Messiah that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises in the

Old Testament and by Not just knowing that but by believing in it.

We might have eternal life. Why do I mention that? Why do I keep going back to that? Because it's only by understanding that that we can look at each part of the gospel of John in context and understand what it means

Typically and I I'm not here to denigrate anybody but typically if you go to a church, what do they do? They take a verse here.

They take a verse there. I listened to a sermon last week and This man was taking

I mean he was doing what? Colts do what heretics do take a verse here take a verse there mix and match and you know throw them into a jumble thing and and outcomes a message

But it's not a message from God if we want to hear the voice of God. We have to look at Authorial intent.

What did John mean when he wrote these things? What was his intention? What was the Holy Spirit? Telling him to tell us

That's what we need to know and so we can't examine any passage of that without thinking

Okay, how does this fit the overall theme that Jesus is the Christ the

Messiah? If we fail to do that that we really wind up distorting the

Word of God. Well in chapter 1 We were introduced to Jesus as the eternal

Son of God come in the flesh and Then we were introduced to the ministry and the work of John the

Baptist sent by the Father really to herald to be the forerunner of his

Son in Chapter 2 we saw the first sign performed by Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana and Last week we looked at Jesus cleansing the temple

Why did he do it? Because he was outraged at the diminution that the reducing of the glory of God by this

Carnival that had started up in the court of the Gentiles in the temple. It was a bizarre.

It was wrong This was to be a place of worship and it had been turned into a mall.

It was the mall of America only in Israel was this wrong and Ultimately as we said last week the zeal of our

Lord Jesus Christ is what consumed him what? Motivated him and what led ultimately to him being crucified the

Jewish leaders would tire of him claiming to be the Messiah of Him doing these works of people following him of listening to him and because of the things he said

Which he did not make up He said only what the father wanted him to he did only what the father wanted him to do

Why because he was consumed by the glory of God and because of that they nailed him to a cross So with that said we come to John chapter 2

Verses 18 to 22. This is after just after he has cleansed the temple

So the Jews being the Jewish leaders said to him what sign do you show us for doing these things?

Jesus answered them destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up The Jews then said

It has taken 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days?

But he was speaking about the temple of his body When therefore he was raised from the dead his disciples remembered that he had said this and they believed the scripture and the word

Jesus had spoken Now this morning. I want to draw your attention to four

Mesmerizing messianic truths So that you will better appreciate the shocking reality of the resurrection

That's what this whole passage this morning is about. We are in a sense being transported back to About three years before the crucifixion and we're looking forward to the cross

But this is all veiled language It's as if we are viewing the cross as it were through fog through haze and we don't really understand it

We don't understand fully its significance and we certainly would not have understood fully the resurrection.

We're going to Uncover that more this morning But it was really mind -blowing this whole idea that Jesus was going to come back from the dead even for believers even for his disciples

So our first messianic Mesmerizing messianic truth is number one. The Messiah is challenged for proof.

He's challenged for proof So the Jews said to him what sign do you show? Show us for doing these things again, the

Jews Usually refers to the Jewish religious leaders the hierarchy. This isn't the hoi polloi

These are these this is the upper echelon of Jewish religious society And they were always ready to challenge

Jesus about his understanding of scriptures about his teaching and Mostly about what?

Same thing that they challenged John the Baptist about back in the early phase of John. It's about authority

What right do you have to do these things? This is our house basically we run this establishment you don't what gives you the right to do what you just did

Obviously they weren't thrilled they weren't pleased with what he's just done But what he just did was a sign in and of itself it was a sign

It was the fulfillment of if we were to look at this Malachi 3 verses 1 to 3

If you read that sometime what you'll see if you read it now looking again looking back

You'll say well this appears to be talking about maybe John the Baptist and about Jesus and about him

Cleansing the temple and maybe straightening these priests out and that's in the Old Testament In fact, it says that the

Messiah was coming to purify the priests I like what one commentator said about their question about their request, you know, what sign you show us?

Hendrickson said he goes that was a stupid question And well, it was stupid.

He goes worse than that. It was wicked Stupid and wicked that's pretty bad combination But that Jesus had the audacity to do something only the

Messiah would have to the authority to do this was his father's house this was If we're to look at it rightly this really is

Jesus house not theirs, but they wanted a miraculous sign some kind of And and that's the word there.

They wanted a miracle show us a miracle Show us a miracle and then we'll concede the fact that you have the authority to do this

Sure, they would they wanted to see something akin to you know, why don't you just whip up something like Moses did?

How about parting the Red Sea? Why don't you throw down a staff and let us see some snakes? How about like Elisha?

how about if you just go and tell somebody with leprosy to wash in the river and they're cured of their

Leprosy then we'll believe they wanted that kind of sign They wanted to be convinced.

They wanted God to show them Himself Then they would believe

Same kind of mindset. This is exactly exactly like an atheist like an unbeliever who demands proof that God exists

In essence they're saying show us evidence that you are the Messiah then we will believe and the answer is what?

No, you wouldn't No, you wouldn't just as an atheist wouldn't believe if God himself showed up Why well first we have

Romans 1 It's it's amazing what the the lengths that unbelievers will go to suppress the knowledge of God They'll say that the

Big Bang Theory for which there's absolutely no evidence is scientific But a God who creates everything by fiat in other words by the word by the word of his power

That's not scientific, but the idea that something existed blew up into everything that's scientific so we know even from Romans 1 that By looking around the world people understand that there's an order here that didn't happen accidentally that there's a creator

Behind all of it and what do they do? They suppress that truth and unrighteousness. They make little things for themselves

They worship the creature and not the creator Secondly we have we

Go through the Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John if we just look at the work of Jesus We would see what miracle after miracle sign after sign after sign and we see throngs of people following Jesus Do we see the vast multitudes?

You know when he comes before Pilate when he's put on trial we see them all cheering release Jesus. He's our

Lord and Savior We don't want him crucified He's our king He does miracles.

We love him These same people that had seen miracle after miracle said crucify him third

We have the immediate context and that's coming up next week. We know We know that nothing would convince them but that's next week on every occasion in the

Gospels every single time That a sign is demanded of Jesus How does he respond as they say sure just stay right there.

Let me think of a good one No He refuses every single time listen to just a few of them

Matthew 12 verses 38 39 then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying teacher

We wish to see a sign from you but he answered them an

Evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign It's a little hug Matthew 16

Versus 1 and then verse 4 and the Pharisees and Sadducees came and to test him

They asked him to show them a sign from heaven Jesus answered an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign

But no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah and listen not even the secular leaders could get

Jesus to perform for them Listen to Luke 23 verses 8 and 9 when he comes before Pilate or before Herod when

Herod saw Jesus He was very glad for he had desired to see him because he had heard about him kind of hard not to And he was hoping to see some sign done by him

So he questioned about some he questioned him Jesus at some length, but he

Jesus made no answer Over and over again. He refuses to give a sign why?

What happens when we ask God for a sign God if you're real? Would you just do this or that or the other thing or I'll tell you what

God if you will It's like we want to have a kind of bargain with him I'll stop this if you do that Lord if you'll do this if you'll give me that then

I'll do this then I'll do that Is that how God works? We say

God and we tell God to jump and he says How high?

God is not a pet. I have pets. They don't even listen to me, but God is under no obligation

God is under no obligation To us he doesn't have to do anything

God is not some genie who grants wishes You know, you just rub the bottle the right way and God does whatever you want

You throw money in the offering plate and God will reward you He'll grant your wish

So what really in some ways might have seen reasonable, you know, hey you say that you're the Messiah by your actions

We're from Missouri Show us Show us. Come on. What is that?

Is that really is that faith looking for evidence? That's arrogance That is simple arrogance

I'm reminded because I've been looking at his story lately about Gideon How many times he you know, okay,

I'll put out this fleece by the way if you put out fleeces stop it Put out a fleece and hey if it's wet on this side fine if it's dry on that side that it all that other stuff what's he really doing

God show me give me a sign and in that case God did it why because Gideon was an example for us

But not a faithfulness it's God who's faithful man is faithless but God is under no obligation to do that So that's their challenge.

Let's look at Jesus answer or as I put it the Messiah provides a puzzling sign You want a sign?

I'll give you a sign look at verse 19. Jesus answered them Destroy this temple and in three days,

I will raise it up. What kind of sign is that? It's a puzzling one. That's why I said it was puzzling

This is what's called a mishal In fact when I put it in, you know word was like are you sure you want to use that word?

Don't you mean Marshall? No, I mean mishal. It's an intentionally enigmatic Paradoxical and confusing statement.

Why what made it confusing? Well, there are three parts as the original audience was listening What would they be hearing?

There are three words that would be Somewhat confusing to them first is that verb destroy

Now that verb could be used of bringing down a building in other words tearing down the temple but can also be used of Murder of ending a life of destroying a body of a human body.

So that's one of them Second one is the word for temple Could be used in terms of again the physical building, but it also could and then would be used

With the idea of a human body how so well What's our our body as believers?

It's called what the temple of the Holy Spirit that kind of concept was also present and finally the font this verb here

I Will raise it up raise it up That verb can be used of two things one is again to Rebuild a building and the other one is to resuscitate somebody who is either dead or appears to be dead

So why did Jesus do this? Why did he use this kind of foggy? Confusing language.

I think it's very much the same manner that he Defended or he explained the use of his of parables

Keep your finger in John chapter 2 turn to Mark Chapter 4 for a moment and we'll see

I think a pretty good example of why this sort of thing was done by our Lord Mark chapter 4 verses 9 through 12 and he being

Jesus said he who has ears to hear let him hear and When he was alone those around him with the 12 asked him about the parables

And he said to them to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God But for those outside in other words those not in the inner circle everything is in parables so that with the purpose of That they may indeed see but not perceive and may indeed hear but not understand

Why? Lest they should turn and be forgiven

Now was Jesus heartless did he have no compassion for these people No But these parables were so Powerful, they they puzzled people and they made him want to listen to Jesus but it was not whether they were going to be saved or not.

It was not their time to be saved and Therefore these things were veiled to them and it was only really the inner circle that understood what was going on Let's go back to John chapter 2

But for these Jewish leaders Jesus gave them an honest answer he told them he answered he gave them a sign

But it was not one that would lead him to the correct would lead them to the correct answer And we'll see that it was even a source of confusion for the disciples

Now when I say it was confusing it was really confusing but it left a deep impression This is something that people pondered they didn't just hear it and go

I don't really understand it and I'm just gonna move on My wife does that when she's reading she gets to a passage where it's you know, super detailed

She just kind of skips over it. That's why

I mentioned it before but that's why she reads so fast But here this this remained in their minds and how do we know that?

Well, we see it throughout the scriptures listen to This Matthew 26 59 to 61 now, this is when

Jesus is on trial Matthew 26 59 61 now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking now.

This is really something, right? This is something you would want to hear in a court of law The judge is looking for false testimony against you.

Well, that's what they were doing They were looking for false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death

But they found none though many false witnesses came forward at last two came forward and said quote

This man said Jesus said I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days

Is that what he said? no, but it's something like, you know, you go to a

How many of you have ever been at a traffic accident as somebody who's taken those reports when you when you go and you ask people what happened and You start talking to a few different people who had different angles on it or whatever

They give you vastly different accounts of it and the same thing here when we hear something

We don't all hear exactly the same thing and we don't retain the same thing and we don't focus on the same thing so these men sometime later said

Something that wasn't true something that Jesus never said They just kind of mangle and mash it all together in a different way

But it doesn't even end with Jesus's death this confusion over what he said listen to the same words

Or how the same words of the Lord were twisted? In order to justify the murder of Stephen in Acts chapter 6

Then they secretly instigated men who said we have heard him mean

Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and God and They stirred up the people and the elders and scribe and the scribes and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before The council and they set up false witnesses who said this man

Stephen Never ceases to speak words against this holy place the temple and the law

For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth Will destroy this place the temple and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us

Where did that idea come that Jesus was going to destroy the temple right from that quote from Jesus?

We understand that now when you look at this passage now in John chapter 2 it seems to be perfectly clear, right?

He wasn't talking about the building. We know that now, but it wasn't so clear then Think about the setting here.

They are in the temple grounds are very near the temple certainly and they couldn't

Separate what he was saying from the temple. They couldn't figure it out Now let's think back.

Let's just think about put that aside for a moment. What does the temple represent? What is the temple what does it represent?

Obviously, it's central in Jewish life. It's the place where they went to go and make their sacrifice and everything But symbolically, what did it mean?

Well, it meant that God was what? Present he was with his people

That was a place where they would go and worship him But we would understand that God himself was not localized

This wasn't the only place he was but there was something special about the temple and really what it represented was the idea that The Covenant God of Israel Yahweh was with his people

But now we have a little issue Because the temple is still here

But we had now God himself With his people

Emanuel God with us Jesus the God -man was with Israel Jesus said what when he departed that the

Holy Spirit would come and do what that it would dwell in the people of God not Talking about the temple anymore.

Why because he knew the temple was going to be destroyed Jesus fulfilled the law and all of its demands all the need for sacrifice and everything else

So there was no longer a need for a temple. He was with his people. The Holy Spirit would be with the people with us

He said himself in Matthew 12 verse 6 I tell you Something greater than the temple is here.

What a shocking thought for these people So we've seen two mesmerizing messianic statements one

The Messiah's challenge for proof and secondly the Messiah provides a puzzling sign one that they just could not understand

But it was a sign nonetheless, but it was a sign that pointed forward to something They hadn't seen yet and our third statement here is the

Messiah messes with the minds of the unbelieving The Messiah messes with the minds of the unbelieving look at verse 20.

They are really puzzled The Jews then said it has taken 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days?

So Jesus gives them this puzzling statement this Mishal and What do the knowledgeable educated leaders of the

Jewish religion do They take what something that is obviously figurative and they make it literal

They're looking around and they see the glory of the temple and they say Jesus can't destroy it.

What's he babbling about? Now we know that the first temple had already been destroyed

But this one this is a glorious temple was built by Herod the

Great who was known for being a great builder. In fact when we went to Israel in 2000 boy, that seems like a long time ago.

We had a tour guide who was a historian and an archaeologist and a biblicist and he told us that Herod was really an interesting character who

Herod the Great was someone who did a lot of horrible things I don't know how he got the great attack, you know,

I'm Herod the Great, but I do bad things But whenever he murdered somebody or tried to murder somebody

He would then feel remorse what a guy He wasn't completely sociopathic, you know, and he had some remorse and so what he did to make himself feel better to kind of atone for his sins was he would build some magnificent building and He poured himself and his efforts into building this temple and just he was he was a great architect and builder

He wanted this to be something of tremendous beauty and he began building it in about 19 or 20

BC So this takes place this confrontation with the Jewish leaders about sometime in early 27

AD 46 years later So they're looking around and by the way, the temple isn't even completed yet I mean, it's mostly completed but there are odds and ends to do

They look around and they see this magnificent building and they know how much effort is taken to build it.

They're like You're not serious It's taking 46 years here.

It's not even done yet. And you're gonna tell us it's gonna be torn down You know, it's amazing is it would be torn down and about Seven years seven or so years after it was finished finally done and Then the

Romans come and destroy it just as Jesus said But looking about at the grandeur of the temple the beauty of the temple the

Jewish leaders had nothing but contempt for Jesus The idea that he would even talk about tearing it down was deplorable

But the notion that it could be rebuilt in third days was absurd three days was absurd In fact,

I suggest that and if I didn't do this properly, let me try it again That really that last part should be read with a sneer they're mocking him and Will you raise it up in three days?

Are you gonna rebuild this in three all of this? All this beauty and splendor you're going to rebuild in three days

He'd totally mess with their minds. They didn't get it and They wouldn't get it in our fourth messianic

Mesmerizing messianic statement the Messiah is revealed to believers to believers, but it's interesting

They don't get it till when? till after the resurrection Look at verse 21

But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Well again, we know that John wrote this about 90

AD This is John is a really old man by now This is 60 years after this

He's looking back on it with 20 -20 hindsight and the Holy Spirit he looks back and he's thinking about what

Jesus said and he goes Well, I have to be clear here. They had it all wrong. He wasn't talking about the temple.

He was talking about his body The Jewish leaders couldn't sort that out

But Jesus had no interest in this building He was prophesying about a precise course of action that these men would

Embark on in just a few years in three years. They would put the body of Jesus to death

They would destroy his body his temple And then he would in fact raise it on the third day

This sign was only understood by faith it was understood by believers is only understood by faith look at verse 22

When therefore he was raised from the dead his disciples remembered that he had said this notice

It's after the fact They remembered that he had said this and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken

They didn't understand it until they saw the resurrected Christ But it had stuck in their minds.

It was so mind -boggling That it stayed in their minds.

Was it hard to understand? Yes, it was impossible apart from the Holy Spirit To understand it,

I mean this kind of gives us a little bit more insight to what Jesus said in John 16 when he said this to his disciples nevertheless,

I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away For if I do not go away the helper will not come to you.

But if I go I will send him to you Then later on he says in verse 13 when the spirit of truth comes

He will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority But whatever he hears he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come

So now they have the Holy Spirit Verse 22. This is after the the resurrection and now they get it

Now they believe Now we might think well they were pretty foolish but put yourself in the place of the disciples

They had this peculiar saying that they hear and they had really no way of fully understanding it

But supernaturally it just stuck in their heads fast forward to the crucifixion What do they do after?

Christ is put to death He's buried and he's in the tomb. And what do they do? Hang around expectantly for him to come back.

They scatter They scatter then then the women come out and tell him about the empty tomb then they hear about the resurrection

It's almost like you can just kind of You know, the wheels are turning in their heads and they think back to what they've heard and they go.

Wait a minute his body Destroy this temple. He was talking about his body and in three days.

I will raise it up. He did it Just as he said he said they were gonna destroy his body and he said

He was going to raise it up in three days and he did it. How could we not have seen that? They couldn't see it because they weren't meant to see it

But now imagine that you had Been puzzling over this struggling over this not knowing what it meant and all of a sudden your eyes are opening you get to see

What it is you think about the resurrected Christ now, are you motivated to serve him? Are you motivated to go preach the gospel to people?

I think you would be We heard earlier

How he told them that the only When he told the Jewish leaders that the only sign that would be given to them was a sign of Jonah Three days and three nights in the belly of the fish in retrospect looking back it all made sense now notice again there at the end notice that it says they believed the scripture and The word that Jesus had spoken

Now that word believed is the same word, you know for faith. That means if you believe in something you have faith

It's not just you know something but your faith is actually placed in some object or some action some person

But what's interesting is we don't really have a good grasp on exactly what scripture

John means here. He doesn't quote He doesn't refer to it scholars have different ideas.

It could have been Isaiah 53 Some part of that it could have been one of the Psalms. It's not really clear and that's not really important They believe the scripture they understood that the

Old Testament foretold That the Messiah was going to be raised on the third day and now they get it

They put all the pieces together But also note that it says here that They believe in the scripture and in the word that Jesus had spoken.

They didn't get it. They didn't understand it They didn't discount it. They didn't understand it. But now they get it.

They believe it and they're going to act on it It's interesting.

You know how many times he told him he was gonna be raised from the dead I mean we think well, maybe if they just heard this they didn't get it

It's recorded a multitude of times. Just listen to this I mean, I I counted at least a dozen times and they're they're probably more than that Matthew 12 verse 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish so will the

Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth and Then what they should have wondered

Matthew 16 21 from that time Jesus began to show his disciples Then he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief

Priests and scribes and be killed then on the third day be raised and yet they scattered

Matthew 17 19 and As they were coming down the mountain the mountain

Mount of Transfiguration Jesus commanded them Tell no one tell no one the vision until the

Son of Man is raised from the dead Matthew 17 23 and They will kill him and he will be raised on the third day and they were greatly

Encouraged greatly distressed Matthew 20 verses 18 and 19 see we are going up to Jerusalem this is

Jesus talking and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and Deliver him over to the

Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified and he will be raised on the third day

Matthew 26 32, but after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee. He's telling them

Mark 8 31 and he began to teach him the Son of Man must suffer many things be Rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again

Luke 18 33 and 34 and this is really the capstone of all this Listen and after flogging him, they will kill him and on the third day

He will rise verse 34, but they understood they being the disciples they understood

None of these things why this is plain English. This isn't some veiled language

This saying was hidden from them and they did not grasp what was said.

It isn't that they didn't hear it Said supernaturally they weren't permitted to understand it

How we don't know for what purpose We don't know but it is what it is there it is

So we have the Messiah is challenged for proof. The Messiah provides a puzzling sign

The Messiah messes with the minds of the unbelieving the Messiah is revealed to believers

Now, let me ask you a question How significant is the resurrection?

Well, let me put it another way what separates Christianity from all other religions Some will say well other religions have

Resurrected beings maybe But every other religion on the face of the planet has a list of dues a list of don'ts

Things that please God things that don't please God and if you do do do then maybe

Including Islam, maybe he'll be pleased and maybe you'll get into heaven. Maybe you'll get into paradise

But Christianity is done done done. This is the only religion in which God himself

Sacrifices himself to appease his own wrath against sin so that he can redeem a people for himself

Christianity is the only religion that has a self -attesting book inspired by God one that says it is inspired and Then stands up to scrutiny but Christianity is also the only religion in which

God foretold of his own sacrificial death on behalf of his people and of his own resurrection

Jesus Christ was murdered buried and raised from the dead on the third day

He is alive. The tomb is empty For many years the atheists tried to deny that there was even a historical

Jesus that he even existed as a man Well now that the proof is out and they know that there's a historical

Jesus that he was a genuine person What do they try to do now? For those of you that are on Facebook who subject yourself to such things.

I mean, I've been pretty amazed at the antipathy the the anger Against Christianity and there are two specific targets that they go after one is the virgin birth.

And what's the second one? The resurrection why because if you don't have a virgin birth and you don't have

God in the flesh and if you don't have a resurrection then You don't have an intercessor Then you just have another man who died

The resurrection is central to Christianity reject the literal physical

Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and you reject him entirely If you misunderstand it if you fail to see it as the victory of our

Lord over death If you fail to grasp that it is your only sure hope

Then what happens? You rob yourself of the confidence to deal with day -to -day life listen as hard as it is and there are a

Lot of different struggles that we all have issues that throughout the church body That people are struggling with But if you can say to yourself as bad as this is as hard as this is right now.

I Know that I'm going to see Christ again. I know that he was raised from the dead I know that I'm gonna be raised from the dead and I'm going to be with him eternally.

I'm gonna be with him in heaven The resurrection was in fact the sign the religious leaders of Jesus day wanted but they could not understand what he said

It did not believe this the greatest of all miracles No one had ever done that.

No one had ever said I'm going to raise myself from the dead and then done it We serve a risen glorious King just briefly

God is holy and perfect he hates sin Mankind is sinful.

We are all sinners by nature and by desire and by action and It's only in the person of Jesus Christ his perfect life

His perfect death and his resurrection that we can be forgiven of every sin and it's not because We live a good life that we will see heaven it's because of Jesus Christ perfection and His resurrection secures that hope we know

That we will go to heaven why because God declared him to be the Son of God by raising him from the dead

Everyone will be resurrected every single one of us here today Every single one of your neighbors your family your friends.

Everyone will be raised from the dead But there are two ends One is to be with Christ forever and one is to suffer the wrath of God eternally in hell and it is only by Repenting of relying on yourself and by believing fully in the

Lord Jesus Christ That you can be saved that you can have that sure knowledge of Salvation let's pray to our

Savior Father in heaven we

Rejoice that you have raised Jesus from the dead Even as this passage teaches us that he raised himself from the dead

Lord we know it's a work of the triune Godhead That from before the foundation of this world before creation

You set about to redeem people for yourself You sent your son the

Lord Jesus Christ to become a man To take on human flesh while remaining

God He obeyed you in all things Lived a perfect life one that we could never live that we might be forgiven of all of our sins

You put him to death in our place a death that we deserved a horrible bloody Death and then raised him on the third day why that we might know even as John told us

That we might know that he's the Christ and by believing we might have eternal life in his name

Father for anyone who's here this morning who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ was not believed on the

Lord Jesus Christ I pray that by the work of your spirit you would convict them of their need to do so even right now father even as The days and weeks go by Lord, I pray that you would just draw us back to this passage again and again that we might think

It was veiled to these people, but we know now We're accountable now We have hope now

Bless each one here in exactly the way that they need to be blessed. We pray in Christ's name.