Resurrection: Deconstructed
We spent the last 3 Sundays at City Church deconstructing the historical, eternal, and everyday life implications of the resurrection of Jesus. This gospel-centered series was a great reminder of the centrality of the resurrection to our beliefs, hope, future, and daily living.
To watch the messages, go here.
To subscribe to or listen to the podcast, go here.
Here are a few of the truths that stood out to me.
Historical
- There is no form of historic Christianity that does not affirm at its heart that after the brutal death of Jesus Christ that the Father raised him to life again. The resurrection is woven into the structure of Christian belief, life, and thought - informing everything about our faith.
- The survival of the movement known as Christianity makes no sense outside of the resurrection of Jesus. Christianity did not survive because of the teachings, miracles, pithy sayings, or even the death of Jesus. It survived and thrived because people encountered a man alive who they watched die.
- Everything in our belief system stands or falls with the resurrection of Jesus.
- The bulk of my faith journey / spiritual growth stems from review - reminding myself over and over of the gospel - of what Jesus did & of who I am in Christ.
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the course of human history. More specifically, it changed the course of my history. His story becomes my story.
Eternal
- The resurrection of Jesus guarantees our eternal salvation.
- Our new birth is guaranteed through the resurrection (1 Peter 1.3). The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit awakens spiritually dead hearts enabling us to respond to and live in the gospel. This regenerating work is made possible through the resurrection power of God.
- The resurrection guarantees our right standing before God (Rom 4:24-25). Justification is the declaration of the Father that we are not guilty but righteous before Him. We are declared righteous before God through the resurrection of Jesus.
- For the follower of Jesus ... when God sees you - He sees Jesus. God does not see my unrighteousness but His righteousness, not my guilt but His innocence, not my disobedience but His obedience, not my sin but His sacrifice, not my shame but His victory.
- What Jesus did is enough for you. Stop trying to be good enough, work hard enough, do enough. His resurrection guarantees your right standing before God.
- We cannot be unjustified any more than Jesus can be uncrucified & unresurrected.
- The resurrection guarantees our final resurrection ... if Christ is raised, we will be raised (1 Cor 6.14, 15.20, 2 Cor 4.14).
- Brokenness does not win. Sin, shame, guilt, sickness, disease, disability, temptation, grief, death, hate, crime, racism, hurt, evil do not win. Jesus wins. And because Jesus wins, we win.
Everyday Living
- Due to the pull of real life, we have a tendency to drift and lose sight of the significance of the resurrection between the resurrections (his and ours).
- The resurrection is not an afterthought tacked on to a cool story about Jesus dying for sins. The resurrection is the most important announcement of all: death is defeated. And that truth alters all of life.
- Life outside of Jesus is marked exclusively by death. The resurrection redefines life for the follower of Jesus. Our lives are now marked by His life.
- The resurrection changes my perspective on sin (Rom 6.5-14). Sin is a defeated foe. Sin has no power over me. The resurrection life provides victory over sin ... not by trying harder but by resting in what Jesus has accomplished on my behalf.
- When temptation comes, do I focus more on trying harder to overcome it or on what Jesus has already done?
- Life stings. Death stings. But the resurrection swallows up the temporary stings of the here-and-now shifting our focus to the eternal and not the temporal.
- The resurrection is the source of our faith and faithfulness - it is what enables us to live for Jesus. My faithfulness comes through His faithfulness to me.
- Do I focus more on my faithfulness / faithlessness or do I focus more on HIS faithfulness?
- Because of the resurrection, my history, eternity, and everyday are defined by Jesus.
To watch the messages, go here.
To subscribe to or listen to the podcast, go here.
Here are a few of the truths that stood out to me.
Historical
- There is no form of historic Christianity that does not affirm at its heart that after the brutal death of Jesus Christ that the Father raised him to life again. The resurrection is woven into the structure of Christian belief, life, and thought - informing everything about our faith.
- The survival of the movement known as Christianity makes no sense outside of the resurrection of Jesus. Christianity did not survive because of the teachings, miracles, pithy sayings, or even the death of Jesus. It survived and thrived because people encountered a man alive who they watched die.
- Everything in our belief system stands or falls with the resurrection of Jesus.
- The bulk of my faith journey / spiritual growth stems from review - reminding myself over and over of the gospel - of what Jesus did & of who I am in Christ.
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the course of human history. More specifically, it changed the course of my history. His story becomes my story.
Eternal
- The resurrection of Jesus guarantees our eternal salvation.
- Our new birth is guaranteed through the resurrection (1 Peter 1.3). The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit awakens spiritually dead hearts enabling us to respond to and live in the gospel. This regenerating work is made possible through the resurrection power of God.
- The resurrection guarantees our right standing before God (Rom 4:24-25). Justification is the declaration of the Father that we are not guilty but righteous before Him. We are declared righteous before God through the resurrection of Jesus.
- For the follower of Jesus ... when God sees you - He sees Jesus. God does not see my unrighteousness but His righteousness, not my guilt but His innocence, not my disobedience but His obedience, not my sin but His sacrifice, not my shame but His victory.
- What Jesus did is enough for you. Stop trying to be good enough, work hard enough, do enough. His resurrection guarantees your right standing before God.
- We cannot be unjustified any more than Jesus can be uncrucified & unresurrected.
- The resurrection guarantees our final resurrection ... if Christ is raised, we will be raised (1 Cor 6.14, 15.20, 2 Cor 4.14).
- Brokenness does not win. Sin, shame, guilt, sickness, disease, disability, temptation, grief, death, hate, crime, racism, hurt, evil do not win. Jesus wins. And because Jesus wins, we win.
Everyday Living
- Due to the pull of real life, we have a tendency to drift and lose sight of the significance of the resurrection between the resurrections (his and ours).
- The resurrection is not an afterthought tacked on to a cool story about Jesus dying for sins. The resurrection is the most important announcement of all: death is defeated. And that truth alters all of life.
- Life outside of Jesus is marked exclusively by death. The resurrection redefines life for the follower of Jesus. Our lives are now marked by His life.
- The resurrection changes my perspective on sin (Rom 6.5-14). Sin is a defeated foe. Sin has no power over me. The resurrection life provides victory over sin ... not by trying harder but by resting in what Jesus has accomplished on my behalf.
- When temptation comes, do I focus more on trying harder to overcome it or on what Jesus has already done?
- Life stings. Death stings. But the resurrection swallows up the temporary stings of the here-and-now shifting our focus to the eternal and not the temporal.
- The resurrection is the source of our faith and faithfulness - it is what enables us to live for Jesus. My faithfulness comes through His faithfulness to me.
- Do I focus more on my faithfulness / faithlessness or do I focus more on HIS faithfulness?
- Because of the resurrection, my history, eternity, and everyday are defined by Jesus.
