Our Resurrected God-Man | Luke 24

The Reality of the Resurrection in Luke 24

Okay, let's turn to our Bibles in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, Luke chapter 24. This isn't typical of our Lord's Day service, but I did want to read the entire chapter today in light of it being Resurrection Sunday.

And this is a very awesome passage pertaining to the resurrection. I did make also a slight adjustment to the sermon title. You know, it says, The Resurrected God-Man. Really, I wanted also to focus on the fact that Christ is our Resurrected God-Man, our Resurrected God-Man.

And there's many amazing scriptures pertaining to the resurrection of Christ and our resurrection as well. I hope that we can dive into some of them today. Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 1. Now, on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing.

And when the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words. And when they returned to the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary and the mother of James and the rest of the women with them were there.

They were telling these things to the apostles, but these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they were not believing them. But Peter stood up and ran to the tomb, and stooping to look in, he saw the linen wrappings only.

And when he went away by himself, marveling at what had happened. And behold, two of them were going that same day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had happened.

And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself approached and was going with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. And he, Jesus, said to them, What are these words that you are discussing with one another as you are walking?

And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to him, Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days? And he said to them, What things?

And they said to him, The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a mighty prophet indeed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death and crucified him.

But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us astounded us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning and not finding his body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.

Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women also said, but him they did not see. And he said to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.

Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory? Then, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures.

And they approached the village where they were going, and he acted as though they were going farther. But they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day now is nearly over.

So he went in to stay with them, and it happened that when he had reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed it, and after breaking it, he was giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.

And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning, burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us? And they stood up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those with them, who were saying, The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon, Simon Peter.

And they were relating their experiences on the road, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. Now while they were telling these things, he himself stood in their midst and said to them, Peace to you.

But being startled and frightened, they were thinking that they were seeing a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.

Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they were still, they still were not believing because of their joy, and were still marveling.

He said to them, Have you anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it before them. Now he said to them, These are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all these things which are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things, and behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.

And it happened that while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Amen.

Anastasis and the Historical Reality of the Resurrection

So, what an amazing and powerful chapter from Luke's Gospel. There's parallel passages in the other Gospels about this very account in Jesus after his death and his resurrection. And I wanted to zero in on a few things in this chapter.

There's so many amazing things here, but I want to focus on a few of them in particular. The first thing is, the Greek word for resurrection is anastasis. Anastasis. And that's where we get the name, like, Anastasia.

Or, it's funny, because we visited a Greek Orthodox church, the local one, and there was a gentleman there by the name of Anastasio. So it could be feminine or masculine. And that means resurrection. And in church history, it's actually similar to the word anabaptist.

The word anabaptist means to re-baptize or the re-baptizers. And similarly, the word anastasis refers to someone who was laying down horizontally in death and stands, stands, stasis, stands back up, rises alive.

It means to re-stand from death to life. That itself could preach a whole sermon.

Amen.

So that's to stand, re-stand from death to life. And this brings us to another important matter. And it is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened, truly happened. These gospel accounts are historical accounts.

And it is clearly attested, further attested by the shock and doubt and disbelief of Jesus' closest disciples, his apostles. All of them doubted. All of them, in some sense, were doubting Thomas's, in a sense.

We often isolate Thomas as the doubting one, but all of them doubted. All of them did. They all had a sorrowful doubt and did not think that he was going to come back from the dead. And the resurrection was an amazing and shocking reality to them all.

Christ’s Focus on the Scriptures

Now, one other major point of this chapter. I want us to understand something very clearly here. Notice Christ's focus in this chapter. What does Christ focus on? What is he constantly pointing to in this chapter?

When he is talking to the disciples, to the men walking on the road to Emmaus, what does he constantly point them to? He directs them to the scriptures. The scriptures, the Old Testament, all the prophets, the law and the prophets and the Psalms.

Even though what they witnessed was a miraculous event, supernatural, Christ came back from the dead. An utter shocking reality to the disciples that they did not believe. Even though that happened, those supernatural events, Christ nevertheless pointed them to the Old Testament writings, the scriptures.

And from there, he showed them, why did you not believe when it was already written down to happen? And it is emphatic throughout this whole chapter, which is why I had preached on many of these verses on the series on scripture alone.

It is amazing to see Christ's focus here. That's something that is of major importance for us to this day. Many people try to focus on the miraculous and on the resurrection, all of which are extraordinarily important.

But it is important because the scriptures foretold them and because the scriptures explain why they matter. So even something as miraculous and supernatural as a resurrection is always established and grounded by the scriptures.

Amazing stuff. And you see even two angels, the angels appearing before them in dazzling clothing. And they were so sorrowful that they had forgotten what Christ had taught them just a few days ago. And they remembered his words.

And in verse 11 of Luke 24, it says,. But these words appear to them as nonsense. That Christ wasn't there anymore. Empty tomb. And they were not believing them. There was a lack of understanding and sorrowful unbelief.

It was a momentary lapse of disbelief. And people were conversing and debating about these things. What really happened? What really happened? And even when Jesus appears directly in front of them, they still don't even recognize him.

It is astounding how the gospel presents these things. It's very frankly, very matter of fact. And Christ repeatedly in every one of these situations points them to what the prophets had spoken of old.

What the prophets had spoken of old. Moses and the prophets. All the prophets in all the scriptures. The writings, the law, the prophets. And he also says Christ was to suffer these things and enter into his glory.

Take note of that passage, that phrase as well. And so we find amazing how Christ presents himself is just amazing. And that is what our focus needs to be in light of what Christ has revealed to us and taught us and teaches us.

Remember how verse 25 says that it was necessary. It was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory. Keep that in mind as well. I want to read from the Baptist Larger Catechism.

It is such an awesome tool for us to study and to understand the whole counsel of God. The trees and the forest of scripture. Question 53 says, How was Christ exalted in his resurrection? Christ was exalted in his resurrection in that not having seen corruption and death.

For it was impossible for him to be held by death and having the very same body in which he suffered with all its essential properties, truly united to his soul. But without mortality and other common infirmities associated with this life, he rose again from the dead on the third day by his own power.

By his resurrection, he plainly declared himself to be the son of God. The resurrected God, man. To have satisfied divine justice, to have conquered death as well as him who holds the power of death and to Satan and to be lord of the living and the dead.

He did this as a federal covenant head and as the head of his church in order to justify believers by his death. That is by his death and make them alive in his grace, supporting them against their enemies and to assure them of the rest, their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

Amen.

The Old Testament Witness to Resurrection and Passover

That is an amazing summary of what Scripture says about Christ and his glorious resurrection. Now, what about the resurrection according to the Old Testament? Because notice how Christ said these things were told.

They were foretold in the Old Testament. And I want to take us back a little bit to visit some of these matters for us today. Acts 12 verse 4 in the King James Version says,. And when he, Herod, had apprehended him, Peter, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Now, the word Easter, that's not really accurate. I've preached on that before. Really, the term is Pascha. The Greek word is Pascha. It means Passover. It's referring to the Passover or in Spanish. It's more accurate.

It's the word Pascha. And it's referring to the Hebrew celebration of the Passover. So it's the Jewish commemoration of God's destroyer angel sparing the firstborn children of the Israelites and those who posted lamb's blood on their doors when they were still in bondage to Egypt.

The Passover, which in the Hebrew goes by words like Pisca, Pesach, and Pascha, is a sacred observance in Judaism that commemorates the climactic tenth and final plague in the book of Exodus. When Yahweh punishes Egypt by killing all the firstborn, but passes over, passes over Pasach, the firstborn of Israel in Exodus chapter 12, resulting in the Israelites deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

Amen.

This is a powerful recount. One of the momentous events in the history of the scriptures and of God's nation of Israel. Now, let's turn to the book of Daniel chapter 12. In the book of Daniel chapter 12, we also find a very powerful prophetic promise in the book of Daniel in chapter 12, beginning in verse 1 of Daniel chapter 12.

God's word says now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will stand and there will be a time of distress that just never happened since there was a nation until that time.

And at that time, your people, everyone was found written in the book will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake. Will awake these two everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt.

And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven. And those who lead the many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Amen.

This is one of several other passages where. The word of God foretells these things. Those who are asleep in the ground is a use of euphemism for death. They are they have passed on. They will rise again.

They will awake in. They will awaken. And in the New Testament, there's similar phrasings like awake, oh, sleeper. The because Christ has arisen and. This this is very important. And even in the Gospels, when Christ is refuting his his enemies, his opponents, he tells them, you don't know what you're talking about.

You don't know the scriptures. God is God of the living because he said, I am. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not I was, but I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because they are still alive and they will be raised to life at the resurrection on Christ's final return.

Amen.

This is Old Testament reality foretold. And Jesus, the Christ, the eternal son of God, is our prophetic anti type fulfillment of this Passover lamb of Exodus. Our deliverer from death and from judgment, from final judgment.

Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's referring to the Passover lamb, the Passover lamb in the Gospel of John. One twenty nine from John the Baptist. Now, I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward, destroyed those who did not believe.

As Jude one five, it was the Lord Jesus who delivered them out of Egypt. Yahweh. Now, notice, take note of what the people did during God's inauguration of the Passover in Exodus chapter twelve, verse twenty seven.

I'm going to read from that and draw something from that. I'll start in verse twenty six. And when it will be when your children say to you, what is the meaning of this new slavery to you that you, Israel, shall say it is a Passover sacrifice to Yahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when he smoked, killed the Egyptians, but delivered our homes and the people bowed low and did what?

They worshipped. They bowed low and worshipped. This brings us now to the day of the resurrected God, man, the day of the resurrected God, man. When did Jesus rise from the dead? What day of the week was it?

It was on the first day of the week. The first day. This harkens us back to the gospel accounts because Jesus rose again on what the scripture refers to as the Lord's Day, the first day of the week. And this is why also in our Protestant and reform tradition, every Sunday, not just Resurrection Sunday, but every Sunday we refer to it as the Lord's Day.

It is a worship celebration of Christ. And what happened on that day? His resurrection. His resurrection. And this is the same day that Christians met together for worship in church on the Lord's Day, the Lord's Day.

Acts chapter 20, verse seven says,. And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, that's a fellowship. Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

This is one instance of where in the book of Acts, God's people gathered together to break bread. That's a term for fellowship and to worship together. And Paul was speaking to them. The word there is the word for the Greek word for dialogue.

He was speaking to them or preaching to them a message. His message, Don Logan, Logan, like logos. It's referring to worship of the corporate worship of God's people and the preaching of God's word. And Paul preached all night until midnight.

Amen.

He went and preached until midnight. With God's people. Similarly, for in 1st Corinthians 62, Paul instructs the Corinthian church on the first day of every week. Each one of you is to set aside something, saving whatever he has prospered, prospered so that no collections be made when I come.

So there was a corporate gathering of God's people on the first day of the week. So then Resurrection Sunday, as with every Lord's Day, should be about worshiping God rightly in the truth of his word.

For God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Amen. Like John 4 24. Speaks to us through the mouth of Christ. Now this brings us to the gospel, the gospel according to the resurrection.

The gospel according to the resurrection. We saw the resurrection according to the Old Testament. Some some references to that. What about the gospel according to the resurrection? Turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 15.

The Gospel According to the Resurrection

1st Corinthians chapter 15. This is a very important passage about the gospel, about the gospel. 1st Corinthians chapter 15, beginning in verse one. Now I, Paul, make known to you, brothers, believers, the gospel which I proclaim as good news to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which you also are saved.

If you hold fast the word, the word which I proclaim to you as good news, unless you believed for nothing in vain. For I deliver to you as of first importance, primary importance, what I also received.

From God. That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried. And that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. And that he appeared to Kephas, then to the twelve.

After that he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time. Most of whom until now, remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. Some have passed away. There's that reference to falling asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me, Paul, also. So this is the gospel. Paul is laying out the basics, the basic propositions of the gospel. The gospel is not an encounter. It's not a personal encounter.

It's not a mystical experience. The gospel is a series of propositions. Of declarative sentences which were revealed to us by God in the Old and New Testaments. That Christ died. That he was buried and that he was raised the third day and that he appeared to his followers.

Now, this leads us to a very important conclusion. There is no resurrection without the once for all time death of Christ. You cannot have a resurrection without death. The resurrection of Christ presupposes, it necessitates, it is prerequisite.

It presupposes the vicarious, sin-bearing, wrath-satisfying death of Christ. Because the only way a satisfactory death can be made or demonstrated is if there was a resurrection. Because resurrection demonstrates that life was earned, that life was gained.

Because all men die. They die in their guilt and in their judgment apart from the eternal life in Jesus Christ. But Jesus came back from the dead as the first born of the resurrection. The first fruits of the resurrection because he conquered death for us.

There is no resurrection without the death of Christ. Take careful note of that. I want to read from the very, very powerful words of Reformer John Calvin in his Institute to the Christian Religion. He has some very, very powerful words to explain, help us to make sense of this matter.

He says, if Christ had died only a bodily death, it would have been ineffectual. It would have been insufficient. In other words, no, it was expedient at the same time for him to undergo the severity of God's vengeance.

To appease his wrath and satisfy his just judgment. For this reason, he must also grapple hand to hand with the armies of hell and the dread of everlasting death. A little while ago, we referred to the prophet's statement that the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him.

That's Old Testament Isaiah. He was wounded for our transgressions. By whom? By the father. He was bruised for our iniquities. To that, I would add that it pleased the Lord Yahweh to crush him, to crush him.

By these words, he means that Christ was put in place of evildoers as a surety and pledge, submitting himself even as the accused to bear and suffer all the punishments they ought to have sustained. All with this one exception, he could not be held by the pangs of death.

In Acts 2 .24, death could not hold him. It was impossible for death to hold him because he alone accomplished and merited eternal life for us.

Amen.

This death and only this death and none other is enough to ransom us from eternal death and wrath. God's wrath for Christ alone came to give his life as a ransom for many, according to his own words in Mark 10 .45.

Now, we have to be careful here. There's a lot of misunderstandings regarding this. This does not mean that God the Father was ever angry at his beloved eternal son with whom he was well pleased. The scriptures say that repeatedly in the Gospels.

This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. So how do we reconcile that? How do we reconcile the fact that God the Father was eternally pleased with his son, and yet he bore divine wrath? He bore the divine wrath because contrary to the liberals, you'll hear many liberals say this, and you'll also hear Eastern Orthodox say this because they deny the propitiatory death of Christ on the cross.

The wrath satisfying sacrifice of Christ because Christ nevertheless indeed bore this divine wrath as a vicarious substitute in our place. Not because he deserved it, not because God was angry at him, but because we deserved it, and because God's anger was directed at us.

And somebody had to pay that ultimate price in order for us to have eternal life. In order for us to have life, somebody had to die. Somebody had to suffer the pangs of death and of God's wrath. So the resurrection necessitates the death of Christ.

We have to make sure we understand this carefully because many today deny it. And you see in the scriptures that John Calvin quoted, very clearly it was God. There is no separation between the Godhead.

It is divine wrath being satisfied, but God the Father is the front-facing person of the Trinity that is representing that wrath. And the Son, through Jesus Christ, becoming a man, bore that wrath for us.

And now the resurrection of Christ proves that it really happened. That that payment was truly satisfied. That it was finished, that it was done on the cross like Jesus said and proclaimed and announced.

The resurrection is a sine qua non of the gospel. It is, that word, that phrase is Latin for absolutely indispensable. It is essential to the gospel. It is primary doctrine and it cannot be altered or watered down or compromised in any way, shape, or form.

It is primary. What did Paul say? It is of first importance. It is of first importance. And you will find, again, it is very ironic. You will hear Eastern Orthodoxy making claims to make a very big deal about the resurrection.

That they're all about the resurrection. And in some cases, even define the gospel almost exclusively as the resurrection. And yet, as important and definitional as the resurrection is to the gospel, it is not exclusively the gospel.

Because the resurrection itself necessitates death and necessitates something else. And that something else had to happen first. That is why the Apostle Paul says, the gospel that I deliver to you as a first importance is what?

That Christ died. That he died. That he was buried. And that he was raised. And then he appeared. All of those things are important. And all of those things make up the gospel. You cannot have the gospel without any one of those things.

We cannot lose our balance of what the gospel is according to the scriptures. What does Paul tell the church? I determine to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him, what? Crucified. Nailed to the cross.

Because the death of Christ was necessary in order for Christ to raise to life. And demonstrate to the world that he accomplished what he set out to do. And what was foretold in God's Old Testament prophets and scriptures.

So, but they, Eastern Orthodoxy, and like many other false teachers, including some who claim to be Protestant. And even reform. I've mentioned these men before. Like John Piper, Tim Keller. Many of these men, false teachers, federal vision.

Who may affirm the resurrection in some sense. In reality undermine the resurrection. They undermine it. The power, the glory, the grace of Christ's resurrection. Because they also deny that our resurrection is attained as a free, gracious gift of God by the finished work of Christ alone.

Alone.

The Glory and Power and Grace of the Resurrection

This is the glory and power and grace of the resurrection. You cannot have the resurrection without rightly understanding this. The grace of the resurrection. The grace of the resurrection. And according to these false teachings and teachers.

You still have to earn your resurrection. You still have to work for it. You have to earn it at the last judgment and present yourself to God to demonstrate your worthiness to receive that to earn your resurrection.

Which makes utter contradiction of the scriptures. Utter contradiction of it. Because what sayeth the scripture. Turn with me beloved to John chapter 11. Verse 24. John chapter 11 verse 24.

Here.

In the gospel of John. We find. Powerful promises from our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. Amazing promises. And assurances from Christ our Lord. John chapter 11. Verses. Verse 24. Martha said to him. To Jesus.

I know that he. Lazarus. Will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her.

I am.

I am the resurrection. And the life. He who believes in me. Will live. Even if he dies.

And everyone who lives.

And believes in me. Will never die.

Ever. Ever.

Do you believe this. Do you believe this. Notice what Jesus emphasizes once again. Who he is. And what does he tell them to do. Do you believe.

This.

Jesus. Is the power. And glory.

And grace.

Of the resurrection. He is the resurrection and the life. Christ is. And note too. Jesus says. He who believes in me will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me. Will never die. He covers both ends.

You will live. And you will never die. You will have eternal life.

But.

The only way. That we can live in Christ. In union with him. Is by believing in him. By believing in him. Because all the ones. Believing in him. Shall not perish. But have. Eternal.

Life.

That's John 3 .16. It's the same message that Christ is proclaiming here. Because many of these false teachings. Eastern Orthodoxy and the like. They try to redefine faith as a work. Because oh look. Jesus said.

This is the work of God that you believe. They misunderstand what Christ.

Meant.

Christ wasn't saying you have to work. For eternal life. The work of God is that you believe. He is refuting the Jews. Who thought that they had to work for it. What is the work? That mean they work the works of God.

Jesus said. This is the work. Believe. It's an ad hominem argument. He's refuting their misunderstanding. Of trying to work for something or earn it. He's telling them.

Believe.

And to believe. Is to understand. And accept what Christ. Has done. On our behalf. On the truth of that promise. And that believing. Leads to eternal life. That believes. That belief in the gospel. Gives us eternal life in him.

That's what Jesus is explaining.

And.

Notice the words that I've. Recently preached on them. First John as well. The apostle John loves to use this phrase.

The Greek. Pass.

Hope is still on.

Pass.

Hope is still on. All the believing ones. All the believing ones. He says in John 11. Similarly. He who believes in me. Hope is still on. Who is believing in me. Will live.

Everyone.

Who lives and believes in me.

Pass.

Hope.

Zone.

Chi.

Be still on.

So.

Zone.

Meaning.

Life.

Zoe.

Life.

Zone.

Pete.

Chi.

Peace out on.

And.

Believing. Be still on. The same exact phrases. From the gospel of John in chapter three. Everyone believing in him. Shall not perish but have everlasting life. Eternal life.

Amen.

Notice. What God. Emphasizes in addition to faith. Very clearly. Notice what God clearly and unequivocally. Emphasizes.

About.

Our relationship.

To our resurrection. And just a small sample. Of passages. We see what Christ. Said about. His resurrection. In a very important passage. The I am passage.

I am.

The power. The resurrection. The life. The grace. And glory and power of it. Do you believe. But then what about our resurrection. Romans chapter six. Turn with me. To Romans chapter six. Verse three.

Romans chapter six. Verse three. It is so. Assuring. The promises of God. Are so powerful. They come to life. In the pages of. Holy scripture. Romans chapter six. As we read this passage. In light of.