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Understanding the Essence of Resurrection: A Biblical Perspective
Engaging in a profound exploration of the term 'resurrection', the podcast elucidates its paramount significance within the context of Christian belief, particularly as it pertains to the Easter celebration—referred to as Resurrection Weekend at Middletown Baptist Church. Pastor Josh Massaro articulates the essence of resurrection, emphasizing not merely the event itself but the transformative power it embodies for believers. The discourse begins by delineating the narrative of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, where he proclaims, 'It is finished,' signifying the culmination of his sacrificial mission. Through a meticulous examination of scriptural references, Pastor Massaro reinforces the notion that the resurrection is not a mere anecdote but a pivotal event witnessed by over 500 individuals, as documented in the scriptures. This collective witnessing serves as a cornerstone for the credibility of the resurrection narrative, challenging contemporary interpretations that suggest a spiritual resurrection devoid of physical implications.
The conversation progresses to discuss the implications of the resurrection on the believer's life, notably the promise of eternal life and victory over sin and death. Pastor Massaro draws from First John 5:12, asserting that eternal life is intrinsically linked to one's relationship with Jesus Christ, reiterating that salvation is not derived from human efforts but through faith in Christ's redemptive work. The dialogue culminates in a compelling invitation for listeners to embrace the resurrection, not merely as a historical fact but as a living hope that provides assurance amidst life's tribulations. The resurrection is presented as a source of comfort, confidence, and purpose, urging believers to remain steadfast and unmovable in their faith, bolstered by the assurance that their labor in the Lord is never in vain.
Takeaways:
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to Christian faith, signifying victory over death and sin.
- Pastor Josh emphasizes the necessity of acknowledging the bodily resurrection to affirm our eternal life in Christ.
- Easter, referred to as Resurrection Weekend, celebrates the transformative power of Jesus's resurrection for believers.
- The teachings of scripture affirm that through Jesus, we can experience eternal life, not through our works, but through faith in Him.
- First Corinthians 15 highlights that without the resurrection, our faith is in vain and lacks substance and power.
- The resurrection is not merely a historical event, but a foundational truth that provides hope and comfort to believers.
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This podcast is produced by Ralph Estep, Jr., host of the Ask Ralph Podcast, a daily podcast on Christian Finance you can find it at https://www.askralphpodcast.com/
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.
Speaker A:In this podcast series, we're going to be looking into biblical words that have great significance to our faith.
Speaker A:The name of this series is called the Word of the Week, where once a week we will dive deeper into these words that we are familiar with in scripture.
Speaker A:So come along with me.
Speaker A:Let's study the Word of the week.
Speaker A:Pastor Josh here with another word of the week.
Speaker A:The word of the Week this week is resurrection.
Speaker A:We're coming up into this weekend that many people in our culture call Easter weekend.
Speaker A:But here at our church, we love to call it Resurrection Weekend because we are celebrating the resurrection.
Speaker A:That's what Easter is.
Speaker A:It's a time in which we, as believers, as Christians, can celebrate the fact that Jesus conquered death through the resurrection and then extends the gift of grace to us and the gift of salvation to us, so that we can conquered death through the resurrection as well in him, not in our own works, not in our own flesh, but in a relationship with Him.
Speaker A:And so we're going to be talking about the power of the resurrection and why the resurrection is so important, specifically the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And so before we go any further, we need to talk about what is the resurrection?
Speaker A:What are we talking about when we say the word resurrection?
Speaker A:We're talking about Jesus's bodily return from the dead.
Speaker A:We know the story that Jesus died on the cross.
Speaker A:And as he dies on the cross, he says it is finished.
Speaker A:And so therefore he pays the price for the sins of the world.
Speaker A:And we know that was because of his love for God, so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
Speaker A:We know that in Romans, chapter 5, verse 8, that God demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Speaker A:And so it's because of God's love.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:And the only way that Jesus could be the one that offers that sacrifice is because of his perfection, because of his deity.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And throughout Jesus's life, he explained to his followers that he would resurrect from the dead, that he would conquer death through the resurrection.
Speaker A:And even In John, chapter 11, verse 25, Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life.
Speaker A:And so Jesus told his followers that he would need to go to the cross for our sins.
Speaker A:But then he also told them that he would come back, that he would resurrect from the dead, that he would come back to life.
Speaker A: Jesus tells us there in John: Speaker A:He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Speaker A:And the Bible does tell us that before we come to Christ, we are dead in our sins, but when we come to him as the resurrection and the life, he gives us eternal life.
Speaker A:And so, and so the Bible speaks very clearly of the fact that Jesus did have a bodily resurrection that was witnessed by many First Corinthians, chapter 15 tells us that there were over 500 witnesses.
Speaker A:And we know that even Jesus's inner circle saw him.
Speaker A:But even more so than his inner circle saw him.
Speaker A:And so bodily, he resurrected.
Speaker A:And the reason why we want to emphasize that truth is because there are many people that teach that Jesus didn't necessarily bodily resurrect.
Speaker A:He resurrected in his spirit and lives within us.
Speaker A:And that sounds good, but it's not enough because it's not what the Bible teaches.
Speaker A:And the reason why we also need to claim the bodily resurrection is because the Bible says because of Jesus's glorified body, because of Jesus's bodily resurrection, we too will have that same transformation one day.
Speaker A:And that's in First Thessalonians, chapter four, which we'll get to here in, in a few moments.
Speaker A:And so we see that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Speaker A:And, and so in First John, chapter five.
Speaker A:I think this is an important verse to go to.
Speaker A:There's.
Speaker A:There's so many that we could talk about here.
Speaker A:But in First John, chapter 5, verses 11 and 12, it says, and this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Speaker A:And so the only way that we can experience eternal life is through Jesus.
Speaker A:Jesus is the way, the truth, and the Life in John 14:6.
Speaker A:And so why is the resurrection so important?
Speaker A:Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross and because of what he did in the resurrection.
Speaker A:By conquering death, we too can have salvation and have victory over death in our life.
Speaker A:And so it says in First John, chapter 5, verse 12, he that hath the Son.
Speaker A:And in that context, it's talking about salvation, salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Speaker A:He that hath the Son half life, that's eternal life.
Speaker A:And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Speaker A:And so the distinction between someone going to heaven or having eternal life or, or going to hell and not having eternal life is the relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:That is it.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I know that many times people want to add to that to give us confidence of our salvation.
Speaker A:Yes, I do believe that as we come to the Lord in faith.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He gives us opportunities in our life to experience him and to know him and to grow in him and have works and have wonderful blessings in our life.
Speaker A:But the true distinction, as it says there in First John, is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:Now, there's another passage of Scripture that speaks very clearly about the importance of the resurrection.
Speaker A:And, and we could sit here all day and talk about the importance of the resurrection.
Speaker A:One would be that it was foretold in the Old Testament, and, and Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:It talks about the conquering of death and sin, but we know that even as believers, it's.
Speaker A:It's the understanding that what we do matters.
Speaker A:We're not laboring in vain.
Speaker A:And so in First Corinthians, chapter 15, Paul is talking here to the church at Corinth, and he says, moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which is preached unto you, which also ye have received, and where in ye stand.
Speaker A:So he says, you need to know the gospel.
Speaker A:You've been taught the Gospel by which also you are saved.
Speaker A:He says, you are saved through trusting in the truth of Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:That's the gospel, the good news of Jesus, the complete good news of Jesus.
Speaker A:And he goes on to talk about how he's preached that to them.
Speaker A:And, and he.
Speaker A:And he goes on to say what that gospel message is.
Speaker A:He says, for I, verse three, for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
Speaker A:So again, there's the understanding of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.
Speaker A:And he says that's according to Scriptures.
Speaker A:And that he was buried.
Speaker A:So that's part of the Gospel, that, that he was buried and that he rose again the third day.
Speaker A:And then he says that very, very important phrase according to the Scriptures.
Speaker A:So he talks about the resurrection there in verse four on the third day.
Speaker A:And then he says, according to the Scripture, so it's a fulfillment of the word of God.
Speaker A:And then he goes on to talk about how many people saw him.
Speaker A:Verse 6.
Speaker A:500 above.
Speaker A:500 brethren at once saw him.
Speaker A:And he goes on to talk about some of the individual witnesses of Jesus's resurrection.
Speaker A:And then he goes on to verse 10.
Speaker A:And he says, but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.
Speaker A:So he says, what.
Speaker A:What God has done in my life is.
Speaker A:Is not in vain.
Speaker A:And so maybe Paul was being tempted by some of the other people to Think that his work was.
Speaker A:Was not in vain, or maybe that was just something that people were saying.
Speaker A:And so Paul is trying to explain here that our labor is not in vain.
Speaker A:He says it's because of the grace of God that he has given us this opportunity.
Speaker A:And then he goes on to say verse 12.
Speaker A:Now, if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, meaning were preaching about the resurrection, how say some of you, that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Speaker A:So there were some people this time basically denying the fact that we as believers would resurrect from the dead ourselves, that, that we would have glorified bodies, that we would be raised to walk in that newness of life, ultimately for eternity with God.
Speaker A:So he says, how.
Speaker A:How could you teach that?
Speaker A:He says, verse 13.
Speaker A:But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.
Speaker A:And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also vain.
Speaker A:So what is he saying here?
Speaker A:He's saying that if Jesus did not resurrect, if, If Jesus did not come back to life, our preaching is in vain, our faith is in vain.
Speaker A:And so I think that's so important to see because it speaks to the fact that if we don't have the resurrection, we have nothing.
Speaker A:We are just like every other religion out there.
Speaker A:But Paul says, hey, there, there are truths there, There, there.
Speaker A:There would be proof.
Speaker A:There is proof according to the Scriptures and according to eyewitnesses that Jesus came back from the dead.
Speaker A:And I think that's important for us to note there.
Speaker A:What, what Paul is saying there is not that we are in vain.
Speaker A:What is he saying here?
Speaker A:Is he saying is there's so much proof to prove that we are not laboring in vain.
Speaker A:And so it speaks of that.
Speaker A:And, and Paul says that it would all be useless, the gospel, the preaching, There would be no more power.
Speaker A:Our forgiveness of sins there.
Speaker A:There would be nothing there without the resurrection.
Speaker A:So that's why it's so important if you, if you go forward in, in that, or I guess go further on, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, it speaks at the very end of the chapter, 1st Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 53.
Speaker A:And if you have more time, and we don't have the time today, but if you have more time, I would encourage you to go through First Corinthians, chapter 15 and read all of it, because it's a wonderful teaching on the importance of the resurrection.
Speaker A:But he says in verse 53, talking about us as believers for this corruptible, talking about our corruptible body, our flesh and bone, that that is going to be broken down.
Speaker A:He says, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, meaning one day we're going to have incorruptible bodies.
Speaker A:One day we're going to have immortality.
Speaker A:He says, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Speaker A:So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written.
Speaker A:Death is swallowed up in victory.
Speaker A:O death, where is thy sting?
Speaker A:O grave, where is thy victory?
Speaker A:So what is he saying here?
Speaker A:He says, death has no longer power over us.
Speaker A:There's no more fear in death.
Speaker A:There's no more fear in that.
Speaker A:That sting of death.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Because there is no victory in death.
Speaker A:Because we have Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:We have victory in him in everlasting life.
Speaker A:And it's not the end.
Speaker A:Verse 16.
Speaker A:The sting of death.
Speaker A:Is sin so tied to death, related to death.
Speaker A:The pain of death is.
Speaker A:Is that sin nature, that destruction?
Speaker A:But then he goes on to say, and the strength of sin is the law, meaning the law just reveals to us that we are sinners.
Speaker A:But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, our victory is in Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:And then he kind of sums it all up in verse 58.
Speaker A:Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
Speaker A:For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain, your labor is not in vain.
Speaker A:And then the last three words there in the Lord.
Speaker A:So when we're serving the Lord, when we're trusting in the Lord, when we are yielding ourselves to him, it's not in vain.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Because he has conquered death and he has given us life.
Speaker A:And so that is why the resurrection is so important.
Speaker A:Because sometimes we're tempted to think about this world, the material things of this world, the pain that we face, the things that we might be giving up by serving the Lord.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And so therefore he says here, remember the resurrection.
Speaker A:Remember that there's no more pain and death.
Speaker A:Remember that you have an eternal destination.
Speaker A:And that eternal destination is an eternal life with the Lord in heaven forever.
Speaker A:And so there's so much to be said about that passage of Scripture there, and I would love to spend more time on that.
Speaker A:But if you'd like to see another passage of Scripture that speaks to.
Speaker A:Of that glorified body, that.
Speaker A:That victory over death, you could go to First Thessalonians, chapter 4.
Speaker A:First Thessalonians, chapter four, verse number 13.
Speaker A:And, and this is a passage of scripture that many times I read at believers funerals because there's a lot of mourning obviously with losing a loved one.
Speaker A:But the Bible says that because of the hope that we have in Christ, we don't have the sorrow as other sorrow.
Speaker A:And this is in first lesson one, Thessalonians, chapter four 13.
Speaker A:But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep or passed away, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope.
Speaker A:So he says, don't sorrow like the ones that have no hope.
Speaker A:Like this is the end.
Speaker A:He says that there is, there is hope as a believer passes into eternity.
Speaker A:He says, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so if you believe that Jesus died and he rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, okay, so talking about dying and believing in Jesus in our lives as believers, will God bring with him.
Speaker A:So God's going to bring us to him for this.
Speaker A:We say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Speaker A:For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of an archangel, and with the triumph with the trump of God and the death of the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Speaker A:Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Speaker A:And so shall we ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Speaker A:And so there's comfort in knowing that there's more.
Speaker A:So the resurrection brings us salvation, the resurrection brings us a confirmation in the truth of Jesus Christ according to scripture, the reser.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:The resurrection brings us comfort to know that this is not the end.
Speaker A:And so to think about it from that perspective, to think about this idea that the resurrection brings us confidence, the resurrection brings us salvation, the resurrection brings us hope, the resurrection brings us comfort.
Speaker A:And so think on these things believer.
Speaker A:And if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you can take comfort in the fact that Jesus's resurrection means that you have life, you have eternal life in him.
Speaker A:If you have not trusted in him, it's as simple as coming to him in faith and trusting in Jesus and his work on the cross and his victory over death so that you can have that very same hope, that you can have that same confidence here as we come to resurrection Sunday, that hey, you know what?
Speaker A:Just as Jesus conquered death, so I can in him, in him, not in my own strength.
Speaker A:I'm not the one that's able to do it, but but he is the one that is able to do it in me.
Speaker A:And so thank you for listening.
Speaker A:We're going to be studying many words as we come forward in the near future and I hope that these are blessing for you.
Speaker A:We try to take about 15 minutes just to dig deeper into a biblical word or a thought that we can apply to our daily walk.
Speaker A:So I hope that this has been a blessing for you.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for following along.
Speaker A:I encourage you to share this with somebody that you love and look forward to continuing on this series.
Speaker A:God Bless.
Speaker A:You have a wonderful Resurrection Week.
Speaker A:Hey, I really appreciate that you listen to the Word of the Week podcast.
Speaker A:If you have any questions about the podcast or about our church, Middletown Baptist Church, you can find more information about us on Facebook or YouTube.
Speaker A:Or you can find the podcast on NBCPodcast.org you can contact me directly at Josh Massaro at middletownbaptistchurch.org stay tuned for future Word of the Week episodes where we dive deeper into words that impact our life according to scripture.
Speaker A:Thank you so much.
Speaker A:God Bless.
Speaker A:We'll talk to you soon.
