Easter Sunday 2026 - 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

THE “IFS” AND “BUTS” OF 

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

 

Very early on Sunday morning, a group of women made their way to a tomb, carrying spices in their arms and grief in their hearts. The sun had just begun to rise. The world was waking up to the morning light – but for them, everything had gone dark.

            They came to care for a body.

            They came to finish what death had started. 

            But when they arrived, nothing had changed. 

            The stone was still sealed with Pilate’s stamp.

            The Roman guard remained at their post.

            The grave still held its prisoner.

            No angel.

            No empty tomb.

            No message.

            No hope. 

Jesus of Nazareth was dead… 

And he stayed dead.

That’s the story – if the resurrection never happened. And it’s not just a different ending; it’s a different Christianity. It’s a different gospel – if it could be called a gospel at all. It’s a different world. 

What if Jesus was not raised from the dead? That may sound like a question of doubt. It isn’t. It’s a question the Bible dares to ask. And when the Apostle Paul asks it in 1 Corinthians 15, he doesn’t soften the answer – he follows it all the way down to its frightening end. Because everything hangs on this:

If Christ has not been raised…what’s left? 

 

The Problem: What if there is no resurrection?

 

The Corinthians had a peculiar issue with the resurrection of Jesus. They believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they did not believe that they would be resurrected at the Second Coming. They believed Jesus rose – but not that they would. Paul says you can’t have it both ways.  

            Was it because of false teaching? Did they misunderstand the Second Coming of Christ? How did they get here? 

            Paul doesn’t tell us. His concern is to correct their error. He asks them to consider the consequences. “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised” (13). 

            Here the problem is revealed. If you are going to say that humans can’t be raised from the dead, then Jesus was not raised from the dead. Jesus was fully human. Did God not raise him from the dead? 

            It may be that some beliefs from their old religion had muddied their thinking. Greek philosophy taught that all things physical were evil or corrupt. The Corinthians could not see any use for these bodies after we die. All things physical were but a shadow of the spiritual reality in heaven. Some of this thinking still exists in the church today. But think of the consequences of thinking that God would not raise this body…

 

The Consequences

 

There are six consequences of such a scenario.

As Paul dives into these consequences, we begin to see what the world would be like if Christ had not been raised.

            

1. Intellectual Collapse – preaching is empty (14a) – If Christ has not been raised, what are we talking about? All the messages you have heard over the years, all the worship services you have been a part of, all the Christian books you have read – all of it – is empty, pointless. Jesus’ teaching to love one another is just good ethics without the resurrection. Jesus is just a teacher with some good ideas. His death is the tragic outcome of a misunderstood life. There is nothing about him to base a whole movement upon if he is not resurrected from the dead. 

2. Personal Collapse – faith is useless (14b) – If we say that Christ died for our sins, but there is no resurrection, our faith has no foundation. What are we believing in? If Christ died for our sins, how do we know that his sacrifice accomplished anything? If Jesus is still in some forgotten tomb, there would be a lot of questions about God. Was God’s wrath satisfied? We have no idea. The atonement would be without validation.

            Everything that Christians practice based on faith in a crucified teacher is irrational. Our faith is pretty flimsy.

3. Moral Collapse – we are liars (15) – As one writer put it, if the resurrection never happened, the apostles are the world’s greatest liars. And what we bear witness to, the power of Jesus’ name, telling people that Jesus rose from the dead? We are not just mistaken. We are misrepresenting God by telling these stories of Jesus and telling people to believe in a dead prophet. Jesus told us that God loves us, but how do we know? We simply don’t have proof of God’s love without the resurrection. We only have proof that God’s justice demands satisfaction. 

4. Spiritual Collapse – we are still in our sins (17) – Now it’s getting personal. Take in this whole verse and absorb it: “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins,” (17). If we are lying to people and misrepresenting God by telling them their sins are forgiven, we are deceivers. They’re not forgiven! We seriously cannot tell people their sins are forgiven if Christ has not been raised. On the last day, we will have to stand before God and be judged for every little sin and suffer the consequences. Paul makes this argument in Romans concerning Jesus, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification,” (4:25). You see, without the resurrection there is no justification – our sins have not been dealt with. As a result, there is no mercy for you and me. And without the living Christ, there is no advocate to answer Satan’s accusations, saying, “I’ve paid the penalty.” We are still in our sins… 

5. Relational Collapse – our loved ones are lost (18) – The NT talks about those who have died as having “fallen asleep in Christ.” Now if Christ has not been raised, “Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” When you go to sleep, you expect to wake up. Christians have this hope that dying is like falling asleep and that one day we will awake to the Day of the Lord, the day of resurrection. I like to say to people that waking up in the morning is like practicing the resurrection. But if Christ has not been raised, everyone who dies perishes. Our loved ones who we have buried in the grave will not be raised to life. We will not have a joyous reunion in the new world – there is no new world. 

6. Existential Collapse – we are pathetic (19) – Finally, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (19). If Christ has not been raised from the dead, why are we following a man who lied to us? Let me ask you this: Would you still be a Christian if there is no resurrection? 

            What are we left with if there is no resurrection?

            No good news

            No Salvation

            No reason to be holy

            No forgiveness of sins

            No hope after death

            No reason to believe any of it!

 

“BUT” – The Great Reversal

 

Just when everything collapses in a heap of disappointment…Paul thunders one word: But! “BUT in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (20). 

            Jesus Christ, the first fruits of the resurrection. Are you familiar with that term? The concept of first fruits is rooted in OT times when people lived in a farm-centered society. Harvest time was important because that was when the hard work the farmers had poured into their crops all year began to pay off. God called the people to bring in the first yield of the harvest as an offering at the Temple. This was to demonstrate their obedience and awe for God. It also demonstrated that they trusted God to provide enough crops for their families.  

            Farmers would bring their first fruits to the priest who then “lifted it up” and “waved” it before the LORD (Lev. 23:11). The imagery is worth noting. When seeds are planted in the soil, they must die in the ground. At harvest time the fruit that rises from the ground in new life is then presented before the LORD. This OT ritual foreshadowed the resurrection of Christ. 

            In the NT, first fruits take on this new meaning. Jesus was God’s first fruits – his one and only Son, the best that humanity had to offer. God gave up Jesus to die on a cross, was laid in a tomb, and raised him up on the third day. Jesus represents the first and best of what is to come; his resurrection is a demonstration of the promise that God will provide the remainder of the harvest, the resurrection of the dead in Christ. 

            The resurrection of Jesus gives our faith living power. The first thing Paul wrote to the Roman Christians was an explanation of this truth. He said, “…concerning this Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Rom. 1:3-4). 

            

            Jesus is alive! The resurrection of Jesus is the exclamation point of God’s joy and celebration of what Christ did in dying for humankind. Christ is alive – he lives for us, to deliver us powerfully from sin and death. 

            So, because of this great reversal, all the “ifs” of death are turned over by the joyful “Buts” of life. Therefore:

 

Our preaching isn’t empty or vain – it proclaims hope!

 

Our faith isn’t fragile – it is based on a risen Savior!

 

What we testify is not deception or lies – we are witnesses to the Truth! 

 

We are not condemned by our sins – we are forgiven!

 

Our loved ones are not lost – they are with the Lord of life.

 

We are not to be pitied – we are to be envied for the hope we have in Christ!

 

For there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved in such an awesome way.

 

Timothy Keller said of the resurrection: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said. If he did not rise from the dead then why worry about any of what he said. The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching, but whether or not he rose from the dead.”

 

If the grave could not hold him…it will not hold us! 

 

            “Up from the grave He arose

            With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,

            He arose a victor o’er the dark domain,

            And He lives forever with His saints to reign!

            He arose! He arose!

            Hallelujah! Christ arose!

 

                                                AMEN

The Cross as Kingship (John 18:33-38)

THE CROSS OF KINGSHIP:

WHAT KIND OF KING IS THIS?

 

Jesus is King!

            How does a man become a king? 

            Someone has to die! Charles III became King of England when his mother Elizabeth died. That’s the conventional method. Charles didn’t do anything special to rise to the rank of king. He was born into it. He didn’t earn it.

            Another way to become king is to kill the king and take his place. This is the underlying story of The Game of Thrones. All you need is an army, power and authority, and the guts to take out the reigning king and take his throne. 

            How did Jesus become King? Not by inheritance. Not by conquest. Jesus became king by dying. That’s unconventional. Every other king rises because someone else dies. Jesus became king by dying. The cross became his throne. The cross is where he was crowned King of Kings! Instead of exerting his rights, Jesus gave himself up to the powers who put hm to death. Jesus gave himself up to suffering and death so that we would be set free. That’s what make Jesus the King. 

            The power of Jesus’ kingship is not based on the pretense of ambition; the power of Jesus’ kingship is based on the truth. When you are confronted with the truth that Jesus presents, you must decide what to do with it. 

            As Pontius Pilate interviews Jesus in John 18:33-38, he asks Jesus four questions about his kingship that ironically reveals the truth about King Jesus.

 

1. Is Jesus a King? (18:33-34)

 

The first question Pilate asks comes out of his curiosity. Standing before Pilate is a little man dressed in rags, looking nothing like a king. Yet has to ask, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 

            We can imagine the tone. Pilate knows he is not the King of the Jews. It’s more like, “You? You’re the King of the Jews?” In the Greek, the “You” is emphatic. It is as if Pilate were saying, “You, of all people?” Jesus did not have the bearing of a king. Pilate likely could not see the threat in this man. 

            But Jesus’ response contradicted his appearance. His words were confident and his manner kingly. Jesus replied, in effect, “Is that your idea or did someone tell you that?”

            You see, the question, as Pilate posed it, was not how he would have worded it. If Pilate were asking the question, he would have said, “Are you claiming to be some kind of king challenging Rome’s authority?” But he asked a Jewish question, “Are you the Messianic King of Israel?” Pilate doesn’t care about that. But he’s in a pickle. He’s asking, “for a friend.” It’s a second-hand inquiry.

            If someone tells you about a restaurant they’ve been to, they may say, “You’ve got to go to The Brass Lantern. It’s amazing. The food is so good.” But another says, “It’s overrated.” You then form your opinion on the restaurant without ever dining there. You have to go there yourself. 

            With Jesus, you can’t decide on him with second-hand impressions. At some point, you have to step into the question yourself. Jesus is asking Pilate to form his own opinion: Who do you think I am? Do you think I’m a King? 

            Pilate won’t be judged by what others say about Jesus – and neither will you.

 

2. What Christ’s Kingdom is Not! (18:35-36)

 

Pilate’s second question is a bit huffy. “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” In Pilate’s mind, this is all nonsense. It’s all part of their political-religious garbage with self-proclaimed messiahs who were nothing but dangerous terrorists. Jesus, what did you really do? 

            Jesus doesn’t say yet that he is a king but does mention his kingdom. His answer redefines the notion of kingship. Jesus replies, “My kingdom is not of this world.” To the 21^st century science fiction nerd, Jesus sounds like an alien who came to earth for a visit. Is Jesus from outer space?

            The NT writers do not use “world” in that sense. John himself makes a habit of referring to the world in different ways. In this gospel, John refers to the world as people: “For God so love the world…” And in his letters, John says, “Do not the world of the things in the world…” (1 Jn. 2:15). In this sense it means the desires, passions, and lusts that are common to this life. And in Revelation, John refers to the world as that system under Satan’s power that defies God (Rev. 11:15). 

            Jesus is not saying that his kingdom is absent from this world, but it doesn’t operate in the same way. He doesn’t use political devices to gain power. He doesn’t use force or coercion to enlarge his kingdom, as he said, “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews…” 

            The kingdom of Christ has a very different way of manifesting itself in the world. Jesus implied that the simplest act of giving a child a cup of water is a kingdom act. And when Jesus freed people who were in captivity to demonic influences, Jesus said that the kingdom of God has come upon them. As a king, Jesus conquers...by dying. Every other king wins by killing. Jesus wins by being killed. 

            Jesus’ kingdom is not about land or titles; it’s about his reign. Imagine visiting a business and finding a CEO who is kind and thinks about the comforts of his employees over the bottom line. Imagine that he listens, asks questions, and serves his people. That probably doesn’t sound like a good business plan in today’s market. But what a place to work! 

            We expect a king to conquer and take control, but Jesus is a king who gives himself – and through that self-giving he overcomes the world. Jesus’ kingdom doesn’t dominate; it transforms from the inside out. It changes you.

 

3. The Purpose of Christ’s “Kingship” (18:37)

 

With this explanation of “kingdom,” Pilate clues in and says, “So you are a king?” This is his third question.

            Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king…” One translator put it like this: “A king? That’s your word for it, not mine.” In the entirety of the gospel, Jesus never uses that word of himself. When he fed the 5000, the people moved to make him king, but he retreated quickly. “Christ” or “Messiah” do carry that overtone. Even then it is others who use that term.

            Jesus now tells Pilate what his kingdom is all about. He says, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Truth! Jesus reveals his kingship not by the typical methods of ruling, but by revealing truth.

            Truth is not simply a collection of true statements. Like Spring is having a hard time emerging this year. Or highway 205 runs through Rosenort. Truth is something upon which everything in life rests; it is a foundational and life-changing reality. Truth in John’s gospel is God’s reality. Jesus’ voice is God’s voice; his words are God’s words. 

            We know this because, “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…” (John 1:14). And Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (8:31-32). But the clincher of truth is Jesus’ witness about himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (14:6). Jesus is the Truth. And the truth is, no one can know God unless they get to know Jesus. 

            Now if you know the truth, what will you do with it? The doctor tells you something unsettling: you have cancer. You can deny it…delay dealing with it…or you can accept it and act accordingly. But you can’t ignore it, and you can’t ignore Jesus either. Truth is not something we shape or change to fit our preferences. Truth…shapes…. you. 

 

4. What is Truth? (18:38a) 

 

Pilate’s last question is a sad one. He asks the most important question of his life – and refuses to hear the answer; he turns and walks away. “What is truth?” In his mind, all of this philosophical mumbo jumbo has nothing to do with the reality of power politics. He has to deal with some petulant Jewish leaders and this conversation hasn’t helped. 

            Jesus doesn’t get to answer either. Pilate wouldn’t listen anyways. Neither would the Jewish leaders. No one’s listening to the truth. They will conspire together to kill the Truth. And in killing the truth…they reveal it.

            The cross was Jesus’ coronation; the cross was his throne (Acts 2:32-35). And because Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father as we speak, we know that all things are in his hands, and we can believe him because God raised him from the dead. 

 

There are moments when words fail – and the church has borrowed from sermons of the past. Listen to how one preacher captured the glory of this King… S.M. Lockridge preached what is now one of the most famous sermons called “That’s my King.” It reminds us that if Jesus is not the divine Lord, and the very image of God, then we cannot know God. If Jesus is not the sovereign Lord who rules the universe, then we can have no confidence and security in the tough times of life. 

 

My King was born King.

The Bible says He’s a Seven Way King.

He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.

He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King.

He’s the King of righteousness.

He’s the King of the ages.

He’s the King of Heaven.

He’s the King of glory.

He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.

 

Now that’s my King.

 

Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him?

Don’t try to mislead me. Do you know my King?

David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show His handiwork.

My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love.

No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.

No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

 

Well, well, He’s enduringly strong.

He’s entirely sincere.

He’s eternally steadfast.

He’s immortally graceful.

He’s imperially powerful.

He’s impartially merciful.

 

That’s my King.

 

He’s God’s Son.

He’s the sinner’s saviour.

He’s the centrepiece of civilization.

He stands alone in Himself.

He’s honest.

He’s unique.

He’s unparalleled.

He’s unprecedented.

He’s supreme.

He’s pre-eminent.

Well, He’s the grandest idea in literature.

He’s the highest personality in philosophy.

He’s the supreme problem in high criticism.

He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.

He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion.

 

That’s my King.

 

He’s the miracle of the age.

He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.

Well, He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.

He supplies strength for the weak.

He’s available for the tempted and the tried.

He sympathizes and He saves.

He’s strong God and He guides.

He heals the sick.

He cleanses the lepers.

He forgives sinners.

He discharged debtors.

He delivers the captives.

He defends the feeble.

He blesses the young.

He serves the unfortunate.

He regards the aged.

He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.

 

That’s my King.

 

Do you know Him?

Well, my King is a King of knowledge.

He’s the wellspring of wisdom.

He’s the doorway of deliverance.

He’s the pathway of peace.

He’s the roadway of righteousness.

He’s the highway of holiness.

He’s the gateway of glory.

He’s the master of the mighty.

He’s the captain of the conquerors.

He’s the head of the heroes.

He’s the leader of the legislatures.

He’s the overseer of the overcomers.

He’s the governor of governors.

He’s the prince of princes.

He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.

 

That’s my King. 

 

Yes. Yes. That’s my King. My King, yes.

His office is manifold.

His promise is sure.

His light is matchless.

His goodness is limitless.

His mercy is everlasting.

His love never changes.

His Word is enough.

His grace is sufficient.

His reign is righteous.

His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable.

 

That’s my King. 

He’s indescribable. Yes.

He’s incomprehensible.

He’s invincible.

He’s irresistible.

I’m coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explaining Him.

You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.

Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.

Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.

The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.

Herod couldn’t kill Him.

Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.

 

That’s my King. Yes.

 

He always has been and He always will be.

I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.

There’s nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him.

You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.

 

That’s my King! That’s my King!

 

Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.

Well, all the power belongs to my King.

We’re around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it’s God’s power.

Thine is the power. Yes. And the glory.

We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His.

Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever.

How long is that?

And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the evers, then, Amen.

 

You don’t get to admire this King from a distance. If he is the King of Truth, then this truth demands your response. And this King deserves your allegiance. 

The Cross as Discipleship (1 Peter 2:21-25)

THE CROSS OF DISCIPLESHIP:

THE SHAPE OF A CRUCIFIED LIFE

 

What does it mean to follow in the steps of Jesus? Anyone of us could answer this question and back up our answer with scripture. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Do good. Forgive. But the doing is not as easy as the answering. 

            One thing in this life that feels as natural as breathing is getting even. If someone wounds you, something in you reaches for a weapon. Maybe not a fist; maybe it’s a word or a sentence. Maybe it’s silence. Something sharp. Our culture even encourages getting even as if it were a human right.

            Have you ever experienced a moment where you knew something was wrong but felt justified in doing it anyways? You may have said to yourself, “Yes, it’s wrong to _______ but because of __________, I had no choice.” 

            It is wrong to gossip, but this person is so infuriating I need to tell others about him.

            It is wrong to steal, but the company charges huge fees, they won’t miss it. 

            It is wrong to assault a person, but they deserved it. 

            And if we don’t retaliate in some form or fashion, the person doing the greater wrong will get away with it. If we don’t even the score, we will look weak and invite more abuse. 

            But does this fit the pattern of following in the steps of Jesus? I am certain you will agree it does not. 

            The same Peter who felt justified in slicing an ear off a guy to protect Jesus, now says something completely different. Peter tells us that Jesus does not simply save us by his cross, he also set the pattern for how we are to walk in life. To follow in Jesus’ steps leads to the cross and that means suffering for doing good. In fact, God used the weakness of Christ to change the world. And now God is asking us to trust him to use our weakness to change our little corner of the world. In 1 Peter 2 we are called to step into the footprints of Jesus, to take up our cross, and follow him.

1. The Calling: A Life Shaped by the Cross (2:21a; Mark 8:34)

 

We have been called to follow Jesus. Jesus said in Mark 8:34, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Tradition says that John Mark wrote this gospel account with the help of the Apostle Peter. There is an echo of Jesus’ invitation in Peter’s letter. 

            “To this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you…” (21a). Do you see the connection? The invitation to follow Jesus leads to the cross, and the cross is the place where we surrender our egos to suffer, even unjustly. 

            We need to back up a little in the text because we have jumped right into the middle of Peter’s point. Looking back, we read twice in verses 13-20 the words “be subject.” In two unusual situations, Peter encourages followers of Jesus to submit to authorities who are over us. 

            The first situation calls on believers to “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…” (13). Then he says it again in a different way, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor,”(17). A person who has been born again (1:3) through faith in Christ is someone who submits to “every” authority no matter how just or unjust. This is astounding because the emperor at this time is likely Nero. And Peter says submit! Imagine submitting to a regime that doesn’t acknowledge God. Imagine a government that deems your faith to be out of sync with national values. And you are just supposed to live peaceably and honorably under this authority. 

            The second situation calls on believers to “be subject to your masters with all respect. It is said that one quarter of the Roman Empire consisted of slaves; 60 million people were slaves. This is not the same as the American experience of slavery. Many slaves were beloved members of families; they were doctors and teachers. But they were enslaved. Now Peter tells the slave who loves Jesus to submit to his or her master if they are good or even if they are unjust. And if you are beaten for something you didn’t do, or for something you did that was good, endure it. We modern preachers often try to liken this to a bad boss, but you and I have a choice when it comes to where we work. We can quit and find a new job. This situation is inescapable. But the principle stands: If you suffer for doing something good “this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (20). Why? Because Christ also suffered for you…

            This “following Jesus” invitation is a difficult path. A life shaped by the cross asks you to join in Christ’s suffering.

 

2. The Pattern: Following in the Steps of Jesus (21b-23)

 

Peter tells us that Jesus left us a pattern to follow. He wrote that Christ “also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps,” (21b-d). 

            The word “example” was used to describe the way children learned to write their letters and numbers by tracing over them. I remember doing that in grade school tracing over our ABCs again and again till I got the shapes right. You could also think of trying to step into dad’s footprints in the snow to avoid getting a boot full of snow. 

            Jesus set a pattern in suffering. When he invited you to take up your cross and follow him, suffering was an inherent part of the journey. These are difficult steps to follow. Look at how Peter describes these steps: “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten…” Essentially, Jesus did not retaliate when they insulted him or hurt him. He didn’t strike back and take a shot at Caiaphas or Pilate. He entrusted himself to God in that moment. That is NOT what comes naturally to humans like us. We are inclined to seek revenge.

            In the movie Braveheart, William Wallace and his horse are prancing between the English and the Scottish armies, and someone says, “Where do you think you’re going?” And Wallace answers, “I’m going to pick a fight.” Our instincts sound more like Braveheart than Jesus. “Pick a fight. Take them down. Defend your freedom.” We are familiar with that feeling. 

            That is not the way of Jesus when he suffered injury. Peter countered vengeance when suffering with the call to be “mindful of God” (19). And what does that mean? It means we care more about God’s reputation than our own. It means we are thinking of how he might be glorified rather than how we might be vindicated. It means that, like Jesus, we are so confident that God will cause justice to prevail that we don’t need to pursue it ourselves. It means that we are so conscious of his commitment to set things right in the end that we don’t need to set things right in the present (Sam Storms).

            Following in the steps of Jesus is not about weakness and becoming a doormat. It’s not about enabling abuse or refusing to seek help when harm is done. It’s about trusting God (see end of v. 23). It looks like weakness. “We worship – as incredible as it sounds – a crucified God. All religions…worship some version of a powerful, glorious, triumphant God; but Christians are unique in worshiping a betrayed, tortured, crucified God. This is the original scandal of the Christian faith – the worship of a God who was nailed to a tree! (Brian Zahnd). God demonstrates his power precisely in the weakness of Christ on the cross. And that is the pattern we are called to step into.

 

3. The Purpose: Where do these Steps lead? (24-25)

 

We know the purpose of Christ’s suffering. He went to the cross to die for our sins. But what is the purpose of stepping into this suffering ourselves? His suffering saves: our suffering seems pointless. 

            Peter speaks to both Christ’s suffering and ours in the plan of God. First, he emphasizes why Jesus suffered. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed,” (24). If Jesus did not suffer and die, we could not be saved. He died for our sins so that we could live without sin; that’s what it means to live to righteousness. Or to say it another way, “You are free to live differently.” And that’s where we begin to react to injury and insult with a new perspective. 

            Second, Peter emphasizes that the suffering of Jesus brings us back to God. Peter heavily references Isaiah 53 when he says, “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls,” (25). This was Christ’s main goal – to bring us to God (see 3:18). 

            But this does not explain why we have to suffer. Or does it? It does! When the Christian suffers insult and injury without complaint and with unfailing love, he or she demonstrates a life to others that will lead them to God. This is what verses 11-12 explain (read). That we are “sojourners and exiles” simply means that we don’t belong to this world; we are “not of this world” and so we don’t respond to offenses the way the world does. And when others see the good deeds, we do it will lead them back to the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls.

            We don’t suffer to save the world. But in our suffering, we show the world what Jesus is like.

            Warren Wiersbe said, “Here, then, is the wonderful truth Peter wanted to share: as we live godly lives and submit in times of suffering, we are following Christ’s example and becoming more like him. We submit and obey, not only for the sake of lost souls and for the Lord’s sake, but also for our own sake, that we might grow spiritually and become more like Christ…The unsaved world is watching us, but the Shepherd in heaven is also watching over us; so, we have nothing to fear. We can submit to him and know that he will work everything together for our good and his glory.” 

            In Mark 8:34 Jesus invites us to take up the cross and follow him.

            In 1 Peter 2:21-25, Peter shows us what it looks like when we do. 

 

What does it mean to follow in the steps of Jesus?

            In 1896 a man named Charles M. Sheldon wrote a book entitled In His Steps. It became a best-selling Christian novel in its time and is in the top 10 best-selling books of all time. Have you heard of it? 

            The story follows a fictional pastor named Henry Maxwell who was preaching one Sunday morning when a homeless man enters the sanctuary and challenges the congregation. The homeless man eventually dies in the home of Maxwell who had taken him in. It spurs the pastor to do something with their faith. He poses a question to the congregation and challenges them to do nothing without first asking, “What would Jesus do?” You’ve heard of that saying, right? It has a powerful effect on the community, and the story goes on to follow a popular and gifted singer who decides to use her voice to bless people at a soup kitchen. A newspaperman also decides to use his paper to print the truth. 

            The question, “What would Jesus do?” has become a popular catchphrase among evangelicals. But someone once said it is the wrong question. A better question is “What did Jesus do?” If that’s the case, then the question is not “What would Jesus do?” but “What did Jesus do…and will I follow him there?” Because following him will lead you into moments where you could strike back…but don’t. Where you could defend yourself…but instead entrust yourself to God.

            As Michael said last Sunday in his message, we were not saved to go to heaven; we were saved to live as difference makers on earth. To follow in his steps and entrust ourselves to God’s justice means taking up the cross of discipleship and live differently.

 

                                                            AMEN

 

The Cross as Reconciliation (Romans 5:1-11)

THE CROSS OF RECONCILIATION

 

You may be sitting here this morning going through a hard time. Do you feel like you are drowning on the inside? Like your prayers are barely making it past the ceiling? You just can’t find the words. You feel dry. There’s even dust on your Bible. And then there are those nagging sinful habits that you can’t seem to overcome. As a Christian you feel like a failure and wonder how God could love someone like you.

            Do you feel like this? You’re not alone. Every Christian knows the feeling of falling short. We all feel like we come up short of being a “good Christian.” Our failure eats away at our assurance of God’s love because we have become convinced that we must earn it.

            The truth is, according to the Bible, there is nothing we have done or could do to earn the love of God. You cannot read your Bible enough; you cannot serve on enough committees; you cannot do anything to make God love you more. We can do nothing in and of ourselves to help ourselves – so Jesus did it for us. 

            Last week we talked about the Cross of Substitution and how Jesus took our place and bore our penalty. That’s court language. It helps us to know that while our sin condemned us, we are declared innocent in God’s court. But today we are talking about another aspect of the cross that speaks of relationship. The Cross of Reconciliation speaks of God’s desire to have a relationship with us; it is heart language. The Cross of Christ is the assurance that God has made every effort to make this possible. 

            So why do we struggle with the idea of God loving us? If you doubt your access to God’s love, let’s reflect on the message of reconciliation that we see in Romans 5. The message of this passage is simple but powerful: if God reconciled us to himself when we were his enemies through the death of Christ, then we can be absolutely certain that he will finish saving us now that we belong to him.

1. The Certainty of Our Salvation (Rom. 5:1-2)

 

At times you may wonder, “How sure is my salvation?” The question has been asked many times by many people. Specific Christian groups even deny that a person can have the assurance of salvation. God’s love is in doubt as a result.

            When Paul wrote to the Romans, many Jewish people believed that forgiveness was temporary. They had a hard time believing that their sins were off the books; they thought God was storing up his wrath for the judgment day. Am I really forgiven? How can I be forgiven? To use court language, am I really “not guilty” in the eyes of the judge?

            Yes! And Paul begins with court language saying, “…since we have been justified by faith…” speaking of forgiveness with a perfect certainty. There is no doubt in this statement and no condition to be met. We have been justified – declared “not guilty” – that’s it! Believe it! That’s the key: by faith, we believe God when he says we are forgiven. 

            Then Paul slips into the language of reconciliation when he says, “…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” You see, we start with the court proceedings and settle the penalty for our sins with Christ’s substitution. But then God moves beyond the legalities because he wants more. God wants that relationship with us and so declares that we have peace with him. Our sin created a wall of hostility between us and God, but sin is dealt with through Christ and we don’t need to fear God’s wrath.

            God moves EVEN closer to us by opening his most intimate sanctum to us. Through Christ “…we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…” The progression is astounding: the first move is to forgive us our sins; the second move is to declare there is nothing between us and God (peace); but the third move is unexpected – we can come to God and know him. 

            The tone of these verses is an undeniable certainty that our salvation is assured because God has done this. 

2. Our Helpless Condition (5:6-7)

 

What makes this salvation all the more incredible is that our condition before God was such that a) God had no obligation to help us, and b) we could not help ourselves. For our part, there was nothing we could do to reconcile with God. Consider how our condition according to verses 6-10:

            Paul begins “For while we were still weak…” The NIV says “powerless.” What he means is, we were spiritually and morally powerless people. We were/are unable to prove ourselves worthy of Christ’s sacrifice. We were helpless to do anything that might attract God’s love. There’s that old saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” That’s garbage. God helps those who are utterly and absolutely helpless.

            We are ungodly people. As it says “…at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” To be ungodly kind of means “being unlike God.” God is pure and consistently holy; he is so good and there is no evil or hypocrisy in him. It also means that as ungodly people we stood opposed to God. When we say someone is “un-Canadian” we mean they don’t like hockey – or rather, they embrace an ideology that is contrary to Canadian thinking and practice. To be ungodly means we reject God’s values and truths. We don’t like God. When God says “yes” we say “no.” These are the people Christ died for. 

            Sinners. Do you see the flow of thought? While we were weak…while we were ungodly… “while we were still sinners.” There are three kinds of people in the world: those who are good at math and those who are not… But there are not two classes of people when it comes to sin: those who sin and those who don’t. We are all defiant sinners. 

            The last description is the hardest to hear. “…while we were enemies…” of God. Don’t play it down; it means everything that you think it means. Paul does not say we were merely mistaken. He does not say we were spiritually confused. He says we were enemies of God.

            But salvation never begins with human initiative…

3. The Cross is Proof of God’s Love (5:8)

 

Salvation is fully God’s initiative. Note these beautiful little words: But God! We were helpless, powerless, useless… “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

            Who would you die for? I would take a bullet for my wife. You may give a kidney for a friend. Mothers would gladly die for their children. But would you die for the person who kidnapped your child? Fathers would give their lives for the sake of a child. But would you give yourself for the drunk driver who ran them over? No. 

            Paul reasons that we would be reluctant to die for a good person, a righteous person. The logic suggests that, in all honesty, we would have to assess the situation. Is this person worth dying for? If God’s logic was like this, he would surely say that we were not worth it. 

            So, what motivated God to send his Son to die for us? Love! God did not wait for us to love him before he sent his Son to the cross. Jesus died for sinners. Jesus died for those who messed up their lives. Before you and I even thought of God, God thought of us – and planned to give up his Son. 

            God decided to drench us with his love. Earlier Paul described God’s love like this: “…God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,” (5). I hear in this picture of God’s love a waterfall roaring over us. Not a trickle, but an overwhelming flood of love. 

            As we observe the cross of Christ, we see then a “demonstration” of God’s love. The cross did not move God’s heart to love you. The cross IS God’s heart of love for you. It is an unusual symbol of love considering that it is one of the most horrible ways to kill a person. It is cruel and grotesque as the story of Spartacus reminds us, where thousands of rebels were crucified along the Roman roads.  

            But if you wonder if God loves you, and you feel like he doesn’t, the cross is proof that he does. (Micah Tyler)

 

4. Much, Much More (5:9-11)

 

What are the benefits to us of this incredible act of love as seen in the cross of Christ? And to this, you should ask, “You mean there’s more?” 

            Paul proposes that there is more. “Since, therefore, we have been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if we while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” 

            Paul cannot contain himself as he thinks of the benefits we now enjoy because of the cross of Christ. His argument is surprisingly simple. If God did the hardest thing when we were his enemies, how much more will he finish the work now that we are reconciled to him. There are three “much more” advantages that we see in this text:

1 – Much more – we are saved from God’s wrath.

2 – Much more – we are reconciled to God through Christ.

3 – Much more – we rejoice in God with a new perspective. 

            He explains himself a little better in Romans 8:32 where he says of God, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will not also with him graciously give us all things?” So, Paul’s argument simply stated is this: If the greatest and most costly and most sacrificial thing God could do for us was to send his Son to suffer and die on a cross, will he not also do the easier things for us that will help us in this life? 

            The cross is the most expensive part of our salvation. The cross is the most difficult part of God’s story of love. Surely the rest is easier. Through the cross, God’s wrath is satisfied. Through the cross, we are reconciled to God and made family. Through the cross, we have a new perspective that even in and through our suffering, God is at work (5:3-4).

            God has done the hard part of reconciling us to himself. I love the story of the Ormands and the Kildares, and so I will share it again… In 1492, two Irish families, the Ormands and the Kildares, were in the midst of a bitter feud. The feud became an all-out fight, with the Kildares besieging the Ormands. The Earl of Ormand and his family finally took refuge in the chapter house of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But the Earl of Kildare realized that the fighting was getting out of control. These two families worshiped the same God, in the same church, but were trying to kill each other. Kildare called out to Ormand and promised not to seek revenge or try anything nasty. He wanted the feud to be over. But the Earl of Ormand thought it was a trick and refused to come out. So, Kildare used his spear and hacked a hole in the door and thrust his arm through. After a tense moment…another hand reached out from the other side. The door opened and the two men embraced, ending the feud.

            God took the initiative and chopped a hole through the hostility that separated us from himself and offered his hand. 

 

Do you struggle to believe God loves you? Do you think God’s love for you fades as you muck around in life? 

            Imagine that you are climbing a mountain and a sudden weather pattern dumps snow and freezing rain on the mountain. The storm is brutal. Your visibility is gone. But someone notices that you have been gone a long time and sends a rescue team to search for you. They fight through the wind, plow through the snow, and climb dangerous icy paths to get to you. You are half-frozen, so they put you in the sled and begin down the mountain. 

            Think about this: If they were willing to risk their lives to reach you when you were lost, do you think they will stop halfway down the mountain and leave you to the elements? 

            No, the hardest part was reaching you. This is what Paul is trying to say to us today. If God gave his Son to die for us when we were his enemies, when we were far from him, when we wanted nothing to do with God, then how much more will he finish the work of saving us and bringing us home now that we believe in him? 

             The cross of Christ was the hard part of reconciliation. You can be sure God is going to complete his work of making you his child. God loves you and there is no better proof of that than the cross of reconciliation.

 

                                                AMEN