Old Testament Lesson; Jonah 2:2-9
Epistle Lesson; Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel Lesson; Matthew 28:1-10
Sermon Text; Colossians 3:1-4

On May 16^th, which is a little less than two months away, on that Sunday evening at 6:00, there will be a group of young confirmands standing up here. And in the pews that evening will be their parents, their families, their loved ones. And, that evening there will be some very nervous, young people up here, because they will be going through what is called a Confirmation Examination. It will be the culmination of two years of going through scripture, two years of going through the Catechism. And, on May 16^th it will be their examination.

In their examination, they will, from memory, speak Bible passages, which prove what we believe and why we believe it, as God's people. They will, from memory, speak about things they have learned from the Catechism that teach what we believe and why we believe it. They will be asked 111 different questions to show that they comprehend the basic teachings of Christianity. One of those young people who stands up here on May 16^th is going to be asked this question (I don't know which young person is going to get this question, but one of them is going to be asked):

What is the significance of Christ's resurrection?

If you were standing up here on May 16^th and I pointed my finger to you, and I asked you, "What is the significance of Christ's resurrection," what would you answer?

Scripture teaches these four things. This is the significance of Christ's resurrection from the dead:

1. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves that He is God.
2. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves that He has made full satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.
3. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves that you will rise from the dead one day.
4. Jesus' resurrection from the dead gives us strength to forsake sin and live new lives.

I want to look at the first three of those briefly, and then I want to dwell on the fourth.

Number one; what is the significance of Jesus' resurrection from the dead? It proves that Jesus is God. In Jesus' day, although Jesus had done many miraculous signs proving that He is God, the Son of God with all power, the Jews continued to ask Him for a sign. And so Jesus said, "Oh, unbelieving generation, no sign will be given to you except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights. And now, One greater than Jonah is here."

Jesus was saying, "If you want proof that I am the Son of God, I am greater than Jonah. Jonah was swallowed by a fish. I will be swallowed by the grave. I will be swallowed by the earth. I will lay in death, in the tomb. And just as Jonah was in the belly of that fish for three days and three nights and then he was spit out, I am greater than Jonah. I will burst the bands of death. I will rip open the jaws of the grave. And, I will do what no simple human being can do. I will walk out of the grave."

And so, on Easter morning, when Jesus burst out of the grave, scripture says, "He was declared, with power, to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead." When Thomas, for the first time saw Jesus, he fell down on his knees before Jesus and said, "My Lord and my God."

Jesus' resurrection from the dead

proves that He is God.

Number two; Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves that He has made full satisfaction for all the sins of the world. The Bible teaches there is an indivisible connection between sin and death. The Bible says,

"Sin came through one man (that is Adam),

and death through sin.

And so, death came upon all men,

because all sin."

The Bible tells us Jesus died, because of sin. There is an indivisible connection. The Bible says,

"He was put to death for our sins."

Jesus, who came to make payment or satisfaction for all your sins, suffered death, which is a consequence of sin. The Bible teaches that just as there is an indivisible connection between sin and death, there is an indivisible connection between forgiveness and the resurrection of the dead. The Bible says,

"If Christ has not been raised from the dead,

you are still in your sins.

Your faith is futile."

What is it saying? No resurrection - no forgiveness. There is an indivisible connection. But, Christ has been raised from the dead! He has been raised from the dead, and so the Bible declares,

"He was put to death for our sins

and raised to life for our justification."

Christ’s resurrection from the dead proves

your sins have been paid in full.

That is what scripture declares.

Number three; Christ's resurrection from the dead proves that we will rise from the dead, someday. Jesus said,

"I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live,

even though he dies.

And whoever lives and believes in me

will never die."

In the book of I Corinthians, the great resurrection chapter says,

"As in Adam all die.

So in Christ,

we will all be made alive,

but each in his own turn.

Christ the first fruits,

then when He comes,

those who belong with Him…

Listen, I tell you a mystery.

We will not all sleep,

but we will all be changed in a flash,

in a twinkling of an eye.

For the trumpet will sound.

The dead will be raised imperishable

and we will be changed.

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable,

and the immortal with immortality.

When the perishable has clothed itself

with the imperishable

and the mortal with immortality,

then the saying that is written will come true.

Death has been swallowed up in victory.

Where, Oh, death is your sting?

Where, Oh, grave is your victory?

The sting of death is sin

and the power of sin is the law,

but thanks be to God,

He gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Scripture teaches that the

Christ’s resurrection from the dead proves

His believers will rise and be glorified, someday.

And so, we have those three things. And, they will happen outside of you, whether you believe them or not.

Jesus' resurrection proves He is God, whether you believe it or not.

Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves that full payment has been made for sin, whether you believe it or not, or benefit from it or not. That stands as a fact.

Jesus' resurrection from the dead will enable all those who believe in Christ to rise from the dead someday and be with Him in Heaven. And that stands as a fact outside of you, whether you believe it or not.

That takes us to the fourth significance of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. And this is the one that your personal eternity rises and falls on – your personal eternity.

Jesus' resurrection from the dead enables us to forsake sin and live new lives. You will not benefit from the fact that Jesus is God, you will not benefit from the fact that full satisfaction has been made for all of your sins, you will not benefit from the fact that there will be a great resurrection from the dead someday, if a resurrection doesn't take place in your heart, here in this life, if you have not been raised with Christ, spiritually in this life.

There was a woman, whose name was a Mary Patton. She happened to marry a man who was convinced, in his heart, that he wanted to be a missionary. And, he would go wherever he was sent to spread the saving Gospel message of Jesus. Mary was firmly committed along with him. It so happens they were sent far from their homes, far from their families. They were sent away to a remote island in the South Pacific. It was an island where there were even cannibals. They were to go there and preach and teach the Gospel message of Jesus, the crucified and risen Savior.

They went there, as a young married couple, and were there for about a year. He, the missionary, was preaching and teaching Christ crucified, Christ risen.

While they were there, Mary became sick, and died on that island. Before she died, someone asked her if she regretted having left behind her family, her loved ones, and her home, to come down there and go through all this suffering.

Here is what she replied, "I do not regret leaving behind my home, and my family. And, if I had it to do all over again, I would do it all over again, with even more pleasure and even more joy, and with all my heart!"

That is life! And where ever Christ has sunk into the heart of believers, of His people all over the world, that life has expressed itself over, and over, and over, again. Have you been raised with Christ? Jesus said,

"I have come that you may have life,

and have it to the fullest."

The Bible describes us as being dead in our sin. But, the Bible explains that those who have repented of their sin, put aside sin and turned in faith to Jesus, to the One who was crucified, for their sin, to the One who was raised from the dead, in victory over their sin, and have placed their faith in Christ, they have come to life. They have come to spiritual life and they have life in Christ!

If you have not come to spiritual life, yet, you do not know what it is like to really live! If you have not come to spiritual life in Christ, yet, you do not know the meaning of Jesus' words when He said,

"I have come that you may have life,

and have it more abundantly."

If you have not come to spiritual life yet, you have not tasted what it is like to be able, on a daily basis,

to go before the Judge of Heaven and earth, the Judge of the souls of all men,

to go before Him and lay your sins at His feet, confess your sins to Him, knowing those sins by all rights could condemn you for all eternity,

to go before Him and then cling to the crucified Christ, cling to the promises that He has made full payment for all of your sins,

to cling to the risen Christ,

to know that He is the One who has the victory over your sin,

to know you have been declared not guilty!

If you not have come to spiritual life, you do not know what it tastes like to have a clear conscious before God, through grace in Christ, having your sins forgiven.

If you have not come to life in Christ, you do not know what it tastes like to have the absolute confidence and certainty of your salvation. You don't know what it tastes like to know, "If I were to die tonight, and I were to stand before God, I am certain I would go to Heaven." How do I know that? God has made a promise. Whoever believes in Christ, will be saved. If you have never tasted that, then you don't know what it is like to have life. You don't know what it is like to walk with one foot in front of the other, knowing, "I am going to Heaven!"

If you have not come to life spiritually, yet, here in this life, you don't know what it is like when you have a loved one who is on their deathbed. You don't know what it is like, when they close their eyes, or they are about to close their eyes for that last time, and you, through Christ, are able to look at them and say, "We have a bond between the two of us that even death cannot separate. This is not a final good bye, but this is a good night. I will see you in the morning. The day of resurrection is coming."

You don't know what it is like to have life in Christ. If you have not come to life, spiritually, yet, then you don't know what it is like to have life and have it more abundantly. You don't know what Jesus means when He says,

"Life

does not consist of

the abundance of man's possessions."

That is not life - the abundance of your possessions.

You do not know what it is like, if you have not come to life spiritually, yet, to understand that life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions.

"Christ has come

that we may have life

and have it to the fullest."

You don't know what it is like to turn to Christ, who has forgiven all of your sins and saved you by grace, and then look at Him and say, "Jesus is God. You are God. Jesus, I fall before You on my knees. You are my Master. I am your servant." Life is not to have the abundance of things here on this earth. Life is to serve You. That is life! Life is to go down to those islands. And if that means dying for Christ, that is life! That is to have life to the fullest. That is to live for a crucified and risen Savior. Christ has come that you may have life and have it to the fullest.

And so, our scripture reading simply explains all of that by saying,

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

set your hearts on things above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above,

not on earthly things.

For you died,

and your life is now hidden with Christ, in God.

When Christ, who is your life, appears,

then you will also appear with Him in glory!" Hallelujah!

Amen.