Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

Preparing Hearts for Worship and the Call to Corporate Praise

With all the celebration and anticipation, let's take a moment really quietly to prepare our hearts for worship. Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to the corporate worship of our God.

Please stand. Christ is risen. Christ is risen. Christ is risen. The Lord reigns. He is clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed. He has girded himself with strength. Surely the world is established so that it cannot be moved.

Your throne, O Christ, is established from of old. You are from everlasting. Your testimonies are very sure. Holiness adorns your house, O Lord, forever. Amen. Please pray with me. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we come with eager expectation knowing that you will meet with us here because you have called us and you keep your promises.

O Lord, we pray that our worship would be pleasing in your sight and we have great confidence in this because we have a mediator who is Christ the Lord and his function as prophet, priest, and king sanctifies all that we do for his glory and namesake and in this we rejoice.

O Lord, encourage and build up and strengthen your people today. Fill their hearts with joy and gladness that they would go out of here with great hope and expectancy for the future. We ask all this in Jesus name.

Amen. Please kneel as you are able for the corporate confession of sin. Let us join together with one voice confessing our sins. Gracious God, we confess that we have.

Longed too much for the comforts of this world. We have loved your gifts. Lord, we.

Plead your forgiveness on the merits of Jesus Christ. Accept his worthiness for our unworthiness, his sinlessness for our transgressions, his wholeness for our.

Emptiness, his glory for our shame, his righteousness for our bad works, his death.

For our gain. In Jesus name. Amen. Please stand. If you would mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. Oh, people of God, take heart today. Your sins have been heaped upon the crucified Christ and in him you now have the forgiveness of sins.

Amen. Let us rejoice and worship the risen king by singing number 286. Worship Christ, the.

Risen king number 286. Please take up the insert and find Psalm 65. It says.

Awaiting you in Zion. And this tune is we're going to sing all glory, laud and.

Honor will be fitting tune for us today for Psalm 65. Let us begin. Please remain.

Standing for the reading of the word from Revelation 19. Revelation 19. This is.

The Word of God. After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, Alleluia, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord, our God, for true and righteous are his judgments because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication.

He has avenged on her the blood of her servants shed by her. Again, they said, Alleluia. Her smoke rises up forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worship God who sat on the throne saying, Amen.

Alleluia. Then a voice came from the throne saying, Praise our God, all you his servants and those who fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters and as the sound of many thundering saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, lean and bright, or clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then he said to me, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, See that you do not see that you do not do that.

I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of God of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Now I saw I saw heaven open and behold a white horse and he who sat on it was called faithful and true and in righteousness his judge his he judge judges and makes war.

His eyes were his eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and he his name is called the word of God and the armies in the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen were white and clean followed him on white horses.

Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the horn of the vertices and wrath of Almighty God and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven come and gather together for the supper of the great God that you that you may eat the flesh of kings the flesh of captains the flesh of mighty men the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all people free and slave both small and great.

And I saw the beast the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured and with him false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone and the rest were killed with a sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

This is the word.

Of God. So that was a very beautiful providential thing for us that we would read that chapter today after all the weeks and months of the books that we read. What a great chapter for this Resurrection Sunday.

Let us now confess our faith in the joyful and exuberant singing of the Apostles Creed. Let us.

Begin.

Please take up the insert and find the one that says now let the vault of heaven resound. It's a beautiful hymn and the tune is familiar to us. We are singing it to the tune of all creatures of our God and King.

Now let the vault of heaven.

Resound. Let us begin. Please take up the hymnal and turn to number two hundred.

And ninety. All hail the day that sees him rise. Number two hundred ninety. We practice this a couple times at prayer meeting. I believe and we should have.

This pretty good. Number two hundred ninety. Please make preparations now for.

The Ten Commandments and the Call to Obedience

The prayers of the people. We have the Ten Commandments today. I just want to ask you to jump in if there's a pause. Men if you're able to pray for these. Thank you. Let us pray together now with one voice.

Oh God from whom come all holy desires, all good counsel and all just works. Give to us your servants that peace which the world cannot give. That our hearts may be set to obey your commandments and also that we being defended from the fear of our enemies may live in peace and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit God forever.

Amen. The Lord says I am the Lord your God you shall have no other gods.

Before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Honor your father and your mother. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength.

Please stand and take up the psalm of the month. Our last occasion for.

Singing it as the psalm of the month. Psalm 51. And let's sing with great exuberance and joy for this communicates the repentant heart of sinners of which we share with David. Let's sing.

The Empty Tomb and Mary Magdalene's Encounter with the Risen Christ

Psalm 51 together. Please turn in your Bibles now and to John chapter 20 gospel according to.

John and chapter 20. This is God's holy and infallible word. Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

That she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him. Peter therefore went out and the other disciple and were going to the tomb.

So they both ran together and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first and he's stooping down and looking in saw the linen cloths lying there yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lying there and the handkerchief that had been around his head not lying with the linen cloths but folded together in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also and he saw and believed for as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. And the disciples went away to their own homes but Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping and she stood and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb and she saw two angels in white one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they said to her woman why are you weeping? She said to them because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. Now when she had said this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She supposing him to be the gardener said to him sir if you have carried him away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.

Jesus said to her Mary she turned and said to him Rabboni which is to say teacher. Jesus said to her do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father but go to my brethren and say to them I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things to her. Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them peace be with you.

We had said this he showed them his hands and his side and the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Oh brethren Christ our Lord is risen today amen. Let's pray together oh Lord we thank you for this incredible time in history recorded here in the pages of scripture the day of your resurrection your triumph over sin and death and satan on the cross oh Lord I pray that this resurrection spirit would be in us as was prayed earlier on every day of the week on every Sunday but today oh Lord we with greater focus and energy give ourselves to this great reality of the risen Christ and pray oh Lord that this will bless your people.

We ask all this in Jesus name amen. Please be seated for those of you who need some guidance and organizing your thoughts. I have three areas that we'll discuss today the first is and probably one of the shorter because of its familiarity to us the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ.

The second and this is going to require some effort on our part the drama of the resurrection of Christ the drama and third the disciples and the resurrection of Christ. So in your mind doctrine drama disciples doctrine drama disciples brethren the world has been irrevocably changed the world has been transfigured.

We often make much of the difference between the antediluvian world the pre-flood world and the after the flood. It seems to me the greatest transformation and transfiguration of the world occurred during the redemptive events of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross.

For sinners his death his experiencing whatever the fullness of death is he tasted it and experienced it and now the capstone achievement of history the resurrection. Now we see a world of redemption and renewal ushered in by Christ.

I fear in our logical minds we we love to think of continuity in the covenants and we need to esteem that and treasure that and value that. But the world was changed on that Sunday morning for the first time ever there was a real and true sacrifice for sins.

The types in the shadows are now gone in the light of Christ. The promise of peace with God is now a reality. The anticipation of the incarnation of Christ in his birth was a promise of peace. And and now peace has come.

The world has been changed. The world has been transfigured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ John Calvin said. And we're under now the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. Calvin says we divide the substance of our salvation between Christ's death and resurrection as follows.

Through the death of Christ sin was wiped out and death extinguished. Through his resurrection righteousness was restored and life raised up so that thanks to his resurrection his death manifested its power and efficacy in us.

I titled the message today between the cross and the crown. And if there was a secondary thesis statement would be this. What happens between the cross and the crown vindicates the life and ministry of Christ in his humble estate prior to the cross and necessitates his ascension and eternal reign.

The resurrection says all of the claims about Christ are true. Christ in his humiliation goes to the cross in humility. He's raised in triumph. And now he is reigning and ruling as the ascended reigning and ruling lord and king our king Christ.

If you're able turn with me to first Corinthians chapter 15 again under this heading of the doctrine of Christ. So reflected upon this I was again astounded with the simplicity of Paul's message and the depth and breadth of the doctrine herein contained.

Think about the simplicity of the statement. Parents teach your children and have them memorize verses 3 and 4 of chapter 15. Every Christian should know these verses. I begin reading in verse 1 again.

We're trying to get exposed again to the doctrine of the resurrection. Moreover brethren I declare to you the gospel which I preach to you which also you received and in which you stand by which also you are saved.

If you hold fast that word which I preach to you unless you believed in vain so thereto stand fast and hold forth the word and the message that Paul preached in verses 3 and 4 is a summary statement of Paul's apostolic doctrine.

This is what Paul preaches for I deliver to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Children memorize those verses know them inside and out. You could write an endless supply of volumes of systematic and biblical theology on those two verses. Those very basic ideas are so deep and so profound.

And the resurrection. The doctrine of the resurrection is most assuredly essential Christian doctrine. You have to believe in the resurrection of Christ. If you don't believe it you don't have Christ.

You don't have salvation. You don't have the forgiveness of sins between the cross and the crown. The hinge of the resurrection informs everything that happens before the cross and everything that will happen after the resurrection is the place is the epicenter of God's redemptive purposes in Christ.

If he's not risen Paul will say we're still in our sins. Let's get down to verse 9. Paul says. For I am the least of the apostles. I'm not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am. And his grace toward me was not in vain. And I labored more abundantly than they all but yet not I the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it was I or they so we preach.

And so you believed. Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead. How do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead. I want to pause here. We have to remember this.

This is all so familiar to us. This has never happened before. We say well wasn't Lazarus. Even in our context in John Lazarus was raised from the dead. Yeah. But Lazarus would die again. This has never been seen before Christ dies.

He's risen. He appears to his disciples and they can behold his hands and his feet and reach into his side. It is the real Christ. And he's risen. And death no longer has a hold of on him. He could never die again.

The apostolic preaching we'll touch on this a little bit later centers on the resurrection. I think our witnessing in our proclamation of the gospel maybe needs to center more on the resurrection because this is really the crux of the matter.

He's either risen or he's not. If he's risen you better own him as your savior because there could be no salvation in any other. And if he's not risen we're all going to hell. There is no forgiveness of sins.

It all hinges here on the resurrection. Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's life or death heaven or hell. Verse 17 says. If Christ is not risen your faith is futile. You are still in your sins.

Paul's conversion. We have to acknowledge this. He's a great persecutor of the church. Paul is easily converted in my view because he is confronted with the risen Christ. He had a heart of stone. No question.

But now he knew the history. He knew that Christ had died on the cross. He knew that there was this little sect of Jews who said that Christ had been risen. He didn't believe it. But now on the road to Damascus he would be confronted with not an empty tomb but a living Christ.

The disciples prior to the resurrection are cowards. Peter denies Christ. The disciples run and hide and lock themselves behind doors prior to the resurrection. They're very different. After they knew who Christ was they were witnesses to his crucifixion and death and their eyewitnesses to him and his risen state.

The world was irrevocably changed on that Sunday. There are three landmark events if you think about it in all of history. Two of them have already happened. The creation of the world. The redemption purchased by Christ in the last day.

The world the hinge of the world. It all changed and turned at the resurrection after the crucifixion leading on to the ascension. Christ even now is reigning and ruling as the risen Christ. I don't believe he would do it but he could walk into this church service and we could behold his hands and his feet and his side.

Christ is not an idea in the ether. He is a living breathing person who happens to be God. Paul's argument here is not. He's not entertaining the idea that there is no resurrection. He has seen the risen Christ.

This is the reality of faith. He says in verse 20. Now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Do you realize how much the world changed on this day.

Sins were really atoned for the chasm. The gulf between heaven and earth has been compressed. The God-man freely moves from heaven to earth in time and in space. And in history at a defined moment at a precise occasion in history the world is irrevocably changed.

There's forgiveness of sins. There is the hope of a resurrection. The world is a completely different place now since Christ has come continuing the doctrine. This has implications for us. Look at verse 42.

I'm skipping over important things. But I know this is familiar to you just re-exposing us to this idea again. So also is the resurrection of the dead. Verse 42. The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption.

It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. Is raised in power. Is sown a natural body. It's it's raised a spiritual body. There's a natural body and there is a spiritual body.

And so it is written the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Now what's so interesting about this when we think about the creation account God forming Adam from the dust of the ground.

And you remember I said that the breath of God into Adam's nostrils animates and makes the clay sculpture alive. And that Adam in that frailty he sinned. But now the last Adam has come as a life-giving spirit.

He comes in and is clothed in the flesh of humanity. And yet he does this and he performs this life of faithfulness and obedience without any sin. Therefore he is the only qualified one to have the sins of us all laid upon him that we might have forgiveness.

Children in the Passover rites of our spiritual parents in Israel they would have a young spotless lamb. And what's forgotten about this is that they would raise this lamb and spend time with the lamb.

Maybe even name the lamb. And they would scratch under his chin and rub his ears and pat him on his side. And they would love the lamb. And and then Passover would come and his throat would get slashed and he'd bleed everywhere.

And he would let out a howl. If you've ever heard this the screeching howl of the lamb being slaughtered. It's a sound like no other. And the proper instruction of the children by the parents would be to say put your hand on the head of that lamb.

You should die for your sins. But this lamb is going to die in your place. And so they put their hand on the head of the lamb the lamb that they love to begin to become very fond of and that lamb would die for them to to see the seriousness the weightiness of their sin.

And what's happened for us is we too have placed our hand on the head of the lamb of God. And when we've said in faith we've said my sin for your righteousness. When we put our hands on Jesus and say oh Christ take away my sins.

One of the things that we forget in communion and I'll try to periodically remind us is there there's a an irony a paradox of sorts is I'm the reason because of my sin that Christ has to go to the cross.

The lamb dies because of my sin. And Jesus and his love for his people says I joyfully take on your sin. I will die for you. Spectacular. The greatest story reality drama in the world. Turn back to our text in the interest of time.

Westminster standards are wonderful and larger catechism. Question 36. Ask the question who is the mediator of the covenant of grace. The only mediator of the covenant of grace. The answer is is the Lord Jesus Christ who being the eternal son of God of one substance and equal with the father.

Think about that incredible statement. Only Christ could be the mediator because he's the only one who is of one substance and equal with the father and also one with man. In the fullness of time all those prophecies the waiting became man and so was and continues to be God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever.

Jesus is still and he looks like Jesus of Nazareth because he's not shed that humanity. It's a glorified humanity. It's a resurrected humanity. It's a humanity that you and I too will share. Our frail bodies which are dying are going to be transformed and glorified because Christ is the first fruits.

Question 50. Of the larger catechism says. Wherein consists Christ's humiliation after his death. Christ's humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried and continuing in the state of the dead and under the power of death till the third day the day that we celebrate today.

And you're going to love this which hath been otherwise expressed in the words he descended into hell. We sang it in the liturgy. The apostles creed how essential is the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ.

Central essential doctrine. Question 52. To end our discussion of the doctrine of the resurrection. How was Christ exalted in his resurrection. Christ was exalted in his resurrection. In that not having seen corruption and death.

And I love this parenthetical phrase of which it was not possible for him to be held. Death cannot hold him. And having the very same body in which he suffered with the essential properties thereof but without mortality and other common infirmities belonging to this life really united to his soul he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power.

I thought I'd maybe stop there for just a moment. We often think of some force or something else acting upon Jesus to raise him from the dead. He's raised under his own power. That's amazing. Lazarus comes forth because Jesus does something.

Jesus is risen by his own power. He lays his life down and he takes it up again all himself willingly obviously in submission to the father. And in this the catechism continues whereby he declared himself to be the son of God to have satisfied divine justice to have vanquished death and him that had the power of it referring to the enemy Satan and to be lord of the quick and the dead.

All of which he did as a public person the head of his church for their justification quickening and grace support against enemies and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

My friends the doctrine of the resurrection has transformed everything. In fact it has transfigured the world. Well let's consider the second point. Let's look again at john chapter 20. There's a key verse here that I'd like us to think of and I'm going to point that out to you now in the interest of time.

It's for as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. The beauty of this week is last week. We considered the triumphal entry. And you'll remember that I said that it doesn't really go according to plan.

Jesus doesn't instruct the Jews to take up arms and to throw out the Romans. It doesn't happen. The disciples they witness all of these marvelous events. They participate in the first Lord's Supper. And you think about all that has happened in this one week.

It's essentially the doctrine and the whole idea of the church. And the identity of the church is now formed by the time of the resurrection. It's gonna be crystallized in just a few days with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and his ascension just prior to that.

All this is happening in this very short and compressed space of time. But they didn't understand. And what I find compelling about this in this drama. And I don't have an answer. I have speculation. Why does Mary want to go to the tomb early.

There's some other evidence that suggests she's going there to prepare the body. But it seems that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus have already done that in our context. If you read verse 9 chapter 19 you would see that Mary in her grief goes and she just wants to be near him.

She wants to be near his dead body. She had high expectations. We need to participate in the drama that unfolds. When we read these passages they don't fully understand what's going to happen. They don't understand it after it happens.

When even when Jesus is there they don't fully grasp what has occurred. And then there's disciples who have a foot race to the tomb. John gets there first and he he just looks in. Peter climbs in the hole and looks around inside there.

And they see the linen cloths lying there. This is a a funny aside. But children I think you should make your bed because the risen Christ folds up his handkerchief when he leaves. Can you get into the drama of this.

All their hopes are penned on Christ. And then he's crucified. And and the disciples are scattered. They think he's the messiah. But but now can he be the messiah. He's died on the cross. Now they're hiding behind locked doors because the jews are going to come after them.

And maybe put them on a cross. And I don't understand this. Verse 10 says the disciples went away again to their own homes. He's not there. Now the empty tomb is very important to us. But it's not enough.

He said what do you mean. The grave robbing theory could be true if he's just not in there anymore than than the grave robbers could have taken him. The resurrection requires that Jesus appear to Mary and the women and his disciples and even to 500 of the brethren at once.

Can you get a sense of the drama. We thought this was the one who's going to save Israel. Oh he is. But but he's crucified on that cross. A Roman cross. Yes. And there he has accomplished redemption for his people.

But he he lays in the grave. He's died like every other man. Yes he dies like every man but but death cannot hold him on the third day Christ is risen. For they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead.

And then the appearance of Mary to to Mary the angel. She's outside the tomb weeping. She's just concerned where have they taken the Lord's body. It's like a family who doesn't know where their departed loved one's body is.

They're grieving. They're weeping. They just want to bury their loved one. The angels appear to her. Why are you weeping. Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him.

And then Jesus the risen Christ not just an empty tomb but a risen Christ appears to her and asks her why. She's weeping. Oh the drama of it. All. You could spin a beautiful biblical theology out of the words.

Look at the second half of verse 15. She's supposing him to be the gardener. If we pass over that don't we. He's the capital g gardener. You could build a whole thing on that. We don't have time to consider it.

But there's something there more than just a descriptor. The master gardener is there. And then she sees him. He says to her Mary. And something in the the inflection of his voice she her eyes are blind to the risen Christ until she hears his voice his sheep hear his voice and he cries out to her Mary.

Then she responds. Jesus even tells her. And apparently she lays hold of him and grabs her arms and wraps them around him. In some way he says do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father but go to the brethren and say to them I am ascending to my father and to your father and to my God and to your God.

And it continues into Sunday night verse 19. The same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them peace be with you.

We sing at Christmas peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled that hopeful expectation for the first time tangibly in history after the fall. It's all that stuff that happens is anticipatory waiting for this.

There is peace with God. Jesus could say my peace. Shalom be with you. And as I mentioned in Sunday school today as the father sent me I also send you. Jesus now is very much taking the disciples them and pointing them in the direction of the work that they are to do.

The church. The new covenant church is being established and the disciples are being sent out to tell everyone in the world about the good news that God and sinners are reconciled. What a dramatic time.

Well the last thing I like us to consider is the disciples as I mentioned when you read the synoptics and you read John you get the sense that the disciples they shrink back in this moment just prior to the resurrection.

They they don't have a lot of courage. But something happens. And that something is the resurrection in his appearance to them. And and Peter in his brashness which was unwise before he becomes as bold as a lion.

Paul is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Why he's seen the risen Christ. Everything that Christ said about himself has been proven to be true. And now he wears a crown and he reigns in rules. I fear nothing he could say.

It should be true for us. Christ is risen. We should be very bold. I'm going to have you not turn in the interest of time. I'm going to read a couple of quick passages from the preaching of the apostles.

The end of the sermon at Pentecost. Peter says. Men and brethren let me speak to you freely of the patriarch David. Just see how the resurrection children is woven into this David one of the top five guys of all time he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day.

Some archaeologists someday will probably find the place where David's bones are. They can't do that with Jesus. There are no bones to find. They're in a living body still. Therefore being a prophet referring to David and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that the fruit of his body according to the flesh he would raise up the Christ to sitting to sit on his throne.

He foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ that his soul was not left in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father the promise of the Holy Spirit he poured out this which you now see and hear.

The resurrection is the central doctrinal piece of apostolic preaching. It seems that Paul starts with the resurrection and he can go in any direction after that should be true for us. The greatest sermon in terms of effect ever preached is probably this one.

And the centerpiece of the message is the resurrection of Christ. Chapter four of Acts says. Now as they spoke to the people the priest the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And they laid hands on them and Peter and John would be arrested. They're forbidden to preach it. And and why do these men who are timid and fearful and denying and and faulty why are they so strong. Now.