Signs to an Evil Generation #2443

29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation (Luke 11:29–30, NKJV).

The society in which Jesus lived and worked was evil. Oh, there were exceptions, to be sure. But, many people crowded around Jesus to see wonders but not to be convinced to believe and follow Him. Some followed Him around looking for personal advantages (John 6:26). Their constant clamoring for signs from Jesus showed their unwillingness to believe and follow Him (John 10:24-26). But, God attested His approval of Jesus “by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him” (Acts 2:22; John 5:36). The “sign of Jonah” was yet to occur. His resurrection from the dead would declare His Sonship to the world (Rom. 1:4). Jonah’s three days and night in the great fish illustrated what would happen to Jesus. He would die, be buried, and arise from the dead on the third day (Matt. 12:40). The sign of Jonah’s “resurrection” convinced the Ninevites his message was from God, they repented, and God spared the city from destruction (Jonah 3:1-10). The resurrection of Jesus convinced many to repent toward God, turn from evil, and follow Him (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 10:40-43). It still does. We have a competent, inspired record of His signs and resurrection to convince us to hear, believe, and follow Jesus (John 20:30-31). Don’t seek new miracles to convince you to follow Jesus. His signs have happened. They are recorded in the Scriptures for the world to know, believe, and follow Jesus, the Son of God.

God’s Determined Purpose and Foreknowledge #2358

22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it (Acts 2:22–24, NKJV).

Nothing takes God by surprise, especially not the death of Jesus. God is eternal and declares “the end from the beginning…saying, ‘My counsel shall stand’” (Isa. 46:10). His foreknowledge compels trustful obedience to Him and not carved images. God’s prophet recorded God’s purposeful foreknowledge, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them” (Isa. 42:9). Jesus was delivered to death “by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God” (v. 23). From eternity past, God planned to save sinners by sacrificing His Son (Eph. 1:4-7). His prophets foretold a suffering Servant whom God would crown with glory and honor (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). The sacrifice of Jesus fully expressed God’s love and grace toward us sinners (1 John 4:10; Rom. 5:6-11). Following His resurrection, Jesus said everything in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning Him was fulfilled (Luke 24:44-45; Acts 13:32-33). The apostles witnessed these things and preached the good news of salvation to the world (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8). God planned to save us from sin. Now, He calls on us to believe and obey His Son to receive the gift He planned and fulfilled (Acts 2:36-41; 4:12; Heb. 5:8-9).

“How Are the Dead Raised Up?” #2352

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come” (1 Corinthians 15:35, NKJV)?

Jesus is the resurrection and the life, the first fruits of those who have “fallen asleep” (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:20). His resurrection proclaimed His power over death and began the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:20-22). He is the “life-giving spirit,” the power source of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:45). People wonder, “how are the dead raised up?” Hear God’s answers. (1) It will be a bodily resurrection (John 5:28-29). Just as Christ’s body was raised, every dead body will be raised. (2) By the power of God (1 Cor. 6:14). The resurrected body will possess God’s design (“as He pleases,” 1 Cor. 15:38). (3) With a body different from the one that died (1 Cor. 15:36-37). Wheat growing out of the ground looks different from the seed that was planted. Yet, both are wheat. Likewise, we will have a body different from our dead body (1 Cor. 15:39-42). (4) The raised body will be incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:42). We bury bodies because they decay; Our resurrected body will not. (5) The raised body will be glorious (1 Cor. 15:43). A dead body has no honor. We cover it, buried beneath the dirt. Its dignity has passed. But our resurrected bodies will possess elegant excellence. (6) The raised body will have power (1 Cor. 15:43). The corpse is utterly powerless, but the raised body will be animated. (7) The dead will be raised with a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44). Our natural body is fit for life in the physical realm. The resurrected body will bear the traits needed to exist in spiritual realms. Be assured; there will be a bodily resurrection of “both the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15). Believe and obey the gospel to be ready when that day arrives (John 11:25-26; 1 Cor. 15:1-2).

He Lives #2256

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord (John 20:19–20, NKJV).

The “same day” He was resurrected, Jesus appeared to His apostles and assured them He had overcome sin and death. Their fear of the Jews put them behind closed doors. But Jesus had not given up on them. Soon, Jesus would send them into the world to preach the good news of His death, resurrection, and our salvation from sins (John 20:21; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 15:1-11). Jesus did two things that evening that assures us God has not given up on us, either. (1) Jesus said, “Peace be with you.” Fear is replaced with the gladness of faith when we believe Jesus is alive (John 16:22). Do not live your life in fear, fellow Christian. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). (2) Jesus showed them His wounds. It was really Jesus. He died for the whole world (Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:2). He bore our sins in His body on the tree as a sacrifice for sins (1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 10:10; Isa. 53:4-6). His resurrection assures us of God’s amazing grace and love (Rom. 5:8). Man’s sinful hatred killed the Son of God. But Jesus arose with forgiving love for all who will believe in His name (John 1:11-13; 3:16). We are saved because Jesus lives (Rom. 5:10).

“I Shall Not Be Moved” #2253

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7–11, NKJV)

Who is your counsellor? God had become David’s counsellor. God’s word instructed David and turned his heart to thankful praise for God’s guidance and assurances. In the night, David’s emotions yearned for God’s continual presence. The guidance and powerful comfort of God’s hand enriched his heart with gladness, removing doubts during troublesome times. David was secure because God was with him (“I shall not be moved,” v. 8). He lived in the hope of future life with God beyond the grave. God would make it so. His “Holy One” would not see corruption. David’s hope was fulfilled when Jesus, his seed, was resurrected (v. 10; Acts 2:27, 31; 13:35-37). David’s hope stirs our souls to follow the example of his faith. God’s “path of life” is where we, too, have “fullness of joy” in God’s presence (v. 11; 2 John 9; 2 Cor. 6:16-18). God’s word is the path of life that leads to eternal pleasures under the watchful guidance of God’s mighty hand (v. 12). Like David, let us praise God for the counsel of His word and rejoice in the hope set before us (Heb. 6:18-19).

Preeminence In All Things #2224

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18, NKJV)

The apostle Paul continues the theme of Christ’s preeminence by noting His relation to the church and His power over death. The headship of Christ over His church immediately draws our attention to the authority of Christ and His prerogative to oversee and direct His church (Matt. 16:18; 28:18). All things concerning the church are “under His feet,” subservient to Him (Eph. 1:22). The church does not belong to us; it belongs to Jesus. The church is composed of Christians; each one is a member of His body (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 26-27). The church of Christ is His body and is valuable because Jesus loved it and died for it (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25-29). To devalue the church is to devalue Jesus Christ. Christ also has power over death. He is the beginning (the origin, the source) of resurrection. Without Him, there would be no power over death. As the “firstborn from the dead,” His resurrection attests to His power and superiority over death (Acts 2:24, 30-32; Rom. 1:4). “Alive forevermore,” Jesus has “the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1:18). With just a few sentences, the Holy Spirit has made the case that Jesus Christ is King, Redeemer, Creator, Firstborn over all creation, Sustainer, Head of the church, and Supreme Victor over death (Col. 1:13-18). Jesus has preeminence in all things. Our faith is secure, our salvation is sure, and our hope is complete in Christ.

Jesus Wept #2215

32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” (John 11:32–36, NKJV)

The Son of God was deeply touched in His spirit when He saw the sorrow of Mary and Martha and those comforting them over the death of their brother, Lazarus. Mary fell at the feet of Jesus, weeping and confessing her faith in Him. If only Jesus had been there four days earlier, her brother would still be alive. Jesus knew Mary would soon embrace her beloved brother. Soon, Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead (Jno. 11:38-44). Moved by their grief, the loving Savior wept. He is moved when we face the death of loved ones. Our assurance that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” soothes us in moments of death’s sorrowful separation (Jno. 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:19-20). Death’s sorrow gives way to life eternal for God’s faithful. Jesus faced the agony of death for us. He knows death’s painful grief. He also knows victory over death by His resurrection. We share in His victory over death with confident hope as we weep when death takes those we love because Jesus knows and cares (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

“He Rebuked Their Unbelief and Hardness of Heart” #2180

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:14–16, NKJV)

Eyewitnesses told the apostles they had seen the Lord; Jesus was alive from the dead. He appeared to Mary Magdalene, but they did not believe (Mk. 16:9-11; Matt. 28:9-10). Peter and John saw the empty tomb but did not understand (Jno. 20:1-10). Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but the apostles also refused their report (Mk. 16:12-13). Jesus did appear to His apostles, but He scolded them for their unbelief and hard hearts that prevented their faith (v. 14). Jesus commissioned the apostles to preach this good news to the world (v. 15). Jesus saved those who believed the gospel and were baptized (v. 16). He still does. But unbelievers remained lost in their sin, even to this day. No one living now has seen the resurrected Christ. We are dependent on the eyewitness reports of those who saw Him and interacted with Him after His resurrection to form the basis of our belief and obedience. Will you believe the apostles’ testimony that Jesus died, was buried and rose the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-5)? Or will you languish in unbelief? Will you soften your heart and be baptized to be saved? Or harden yourself against the Lord’s command to be baptized to be saved? Will the Lord rebuke your unbelief or bless you with salvation because you believe the apostles’ testimony and obey the Lord’s will (Jno. 20:29; 1 Pet. 1:8-9; 2 Thess. 1:10)?

“Today I Have BEgotten You” #2130

7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” (Psalm 2:7–9, NKJV)

Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophetic proclamation of God’s plan to establish His Son as King (Acts 13:32-33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5; Rev. 1:5; 12:5). Thus, He is Jesus “Christ” (anointed). Christ begins speaking in verse 7 and rehearses the divine decree spoken to Him by the Lord. This verse is not describing the fleshly birth of Jesus. Instead, Scripture shows its fulfillment when God raised Jesus from the dead. That is when God brought forth or declared Jesus “to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). The apostle Paul declared this fulfillment, “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You” (Acts 13:33). Jesus is the Son of God and King on God’s holy hill of Zion (Psa. 2:6-7). The full authority of Jesus Christ in heaven and on earth is recognized with His ascension to heaven and coronation at God’s right hand (v. 8; Acts 2:32-36; Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23). Christ has the authority to give life and to punish sin (Jno. 5:26-27; 17:2). While offering merciful redemption to the world, Christ’s rule includes punishing those who fight against Him (Psa. 2:9, 1-3). To resist God’s Son brings sure condemnation (Jno. 5:28-30).

Abundant Mercy, Living Hope, and Divine Assurance #2119

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5, NKJV)

Christians have a living hope because Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. His life beyond the grave is God’s proof that we will be raised to receive a heavenly inheritance. When we lived in sin, we had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Now, through faith, God keeps (guards) Christians, and we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (v. 5; Rom. 5:2). Even though living by faith brings tribulations, we do not lose hope. Our confident, lively hope is anchored in God’s mercy, love, and promise of a heavenly inheritance (v, 3; Rom. 5:3-5). We believe God. Our faith assures our hope (Heb. 11:1, 6). Conversely, secularism breeds despair (Rom. 1:18-32). Its atheistic skepticism and reliance on human wisdom fail to nourish the soul with hope beyond death. Faithlessness gives no enduring reason to deny ourselves and follow the Lord’s will with perseverance (Rom. 5:3; Lk. 9:23). Faith overcomes the world’s sin, skepticism, and selfishness (1 Jno. 5:4). Eternal salvation is prepared and will be revealed. Choose to live by faith and live in hope.