September 15, 2013

Resurrection Truths

Luke 20: 27 - 40

Luke

Then some Sadducees stepped forward - a group of Jews who say there is no resurrection after death.  They posed this question:  "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will be the brother's heir.  Well, there were seven brothers.  The oldest married and then died without children.  His brother married the widow, but he also died.  Still no children.  And so it went, one after the other, until each of the seven had married her and died, leaving no children.  Finally, the woman died, too.  So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?  For all seven were married to her!"

Jesus replied, "Marriage is for people here on earth.  But that is not the way it will be in the age to come.  For those worthy of being raised from the dead won't be married then.  And they will never die again.  In these respects they are like angels.  They are children of God raised up to new life.  But now, as to whether the dead will be raised - even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush.  Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  So he is the God of the living, not the dead.  They are all alive to him."

"Well said, Teacher!" remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there.  And that ended their questions; no one dared to ask any more. 

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Thoughts.....

Lots of ways to head into todays scriptures.  Let's take it a paragraph at a time and see where we go. 

In the first paragraph, we have trickery, like last week.  The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection.  They were trying to trap Jesus, yet again, or still.  And we now know, thanks to Jesus, that we need not follow the old law, because we are under the new.  So, for those women thinking they may be secure if their husband dies, because their husband's brother will care for them, or for those men thinking they can have the pearl their brothers were married to, think again.  Not necessary.  Not so.  Be careful.  Don't do it. 

In the second paragraph, Jesus doesn't respond to the 'old law' (still being practiced then) regarding marriage. He does refer to the 'resurrection law', if you will.  He clearly tells us that marriage is for people on earth, but those who have been found worthy of being raised from the dead  [those who are allowed to enter heaven] will not be married to anyone.  And they will never die again.  He says those will be like angels....children of God raised up to a new life. 

Then he addresses whether the dead will be raised.  He and his followers were preaching and teaching about resurrection.  It was met with opposition, concern.  Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6, a part of the Bible the Sadducees believed in, when he spoke of God being the God of the living, not the dead.  He even stated that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were alive to God....long after they had died.  Having quoted from 'their' Bible, what he said could hardly be refuted.  They then validated him and went on their way.

But what do we know about resurrection?  Will you be worthy to enter heaven's gates?

Do you recall when Lazarus of Bethany died?  Perhaps you haven't read the story yet.  Let me share it with you.  In John 11 we learn that Lazarus, the one Jesus loved, was very sick.  He was the brother to Mary and Martha.  Mary was the one who poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair, and, Martha was the sister who prepared the meals and served.

When Jesus learned about Lazarus' sickness, he said that it would not end in death, but that his death would be for the glory of God.  That he, the Son of God, would receive glory from Lazarus' illness.

As he traveled, he told his disciples that Lazarus had died and that his death would give them another opportunity to believe in him.  [Please read John Chapter 11.  You will derive much from it.]  Four days after Lazarus had been in the grave, they arrived in Bethany.  Four.  Remember this.  Martha told Jesus that had he been there, Lazarus would not have died, believing Jesus could have healed him.  And she said to Jesus that, even right then, she believed that God would give him whatever he would ask.

Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said, "Yes, when everyone else rises on resurrection day."  Jesus' next statement is interesting.  Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.  They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish.  Do you believe this, Martha?"  Her response was  "Yes, Lord, I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God."  Yet Lazarus believed and he perished....on earth.....hmmmmm.

Here is another interesting part to me.  He didn't refute her statement about the day of resurrection.  However, his actions showed that the resurrection day Martha believed might have been different than she perceived.  Resurrection for Lazarus was about to occur RIGHT THEN before their very eyes.  Hang on.

So Martha went to get Mary to tell her the 'Teacher' was there and wanted to see her.  The mourners, thinking she was rushing off to mourn her brother at his grave, followed her.  She met Jesus outside the city where Martha had met him, and fell at his feet, saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Scripture goes on as we read, 'When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing [WAILing] with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled.  "Where have you put him?"  he asked them. 

They told him, "Lord, come and see."  Then Jesus wept.  [JESUS WEPT.]  The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him."  But some said, "This man healed a blind man.  Why couldn't he keep Lazarus from dying?"

And again Jesus was deeply troubled.  They came to a grave.  It was a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.  [Sound familiar?]  "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them.  

Martha told him, "Lord, by now the smell will be terrible because he has been dead for four days."  Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you will see God's glory if you believe?"  [What are you waiting for....will you believe....so you can see God's glory at work in your life?]  So they rolled the stone aside.  Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me.  You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so they will believe you sent me."  [There are times to pray aloud and times to pray silently.]   Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!  And Lazarus came out, bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth.  Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!" 

Lazarus came out....alive!  Bound in graveclothes and his face wrapped in a headcloth.  And Jesus said, "Unwrap him and let him go!" 

Kinda blows the perception of resurrection day up a little bit, eh?  But wait....

In Matthew 27:50-56, we learned that at the moment Jesus gave up his spirit having died on the cross, 'the curtain in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks split apart and TOMBS OPENED.  THE BODIES OF MANY GODLY MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAD DIED WERE RAISED FROM THE DEAD AFTER JESUS' RESURRECTION.'

Wait...there's more! 

'THEY LEFT THE CEMETERY, WENT INTO THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM, AND APPEARED TO MANY PEOPLE.'

That REALLY blows up the perception of resurrection day based on 'standard teachings'.  Bluster and trouble and nonsense and stuff.....we've been taught that we can only 'rise' when Jesus returns.  In the last days, when he arrives on his chariot.  Etc.  In the meantime, we will rot in the grave.  Not so according to resurrection truths.

Folks, I cannot stress enough the importance of reading Scripture for yourself with Holy Spirit.  In the book of 1 John 1:27 (not the Gospel, the book), we learn, 'But you have received the Holy Spirit within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true.  For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what he teaches is true - it is not a lie.  So continue in what he has taught you, and continue to live in Christ.'  Here is the thing, and I will harp on this til the cows come home, the preacher before the preacher before the preacher was taught before the preacher taught him, and yes, her....and ALL that was handed down.  We have a tendency to believe what the preacher says, and NOT check out what God intends for us to know by the power of the Holy Spirit revealing truths via his Word.  Even listening to me is not the Gospel, for I, too, am human, and therefore subject to error.  However, I am listening to Holy Spirit, reading the Word, aligning the Word with itself, which it will not contradict.  Nor will Holy Spirit contradict it.  If you search the truth you will find it, and the truth of God's Word will [SAY WILL] set you free. 

Here are 2 'resurrection' instances, one before Jesus' death and one immediately after Jesus' death, whereby dead folks arose from their graves and walked the earth.  Ok, so you say that is not a 'true' resurrection, it is not heaven.  That we are to rise to a new heavenly place and THAT is our ONLY resurrection, and that will only happen when Jesus returns on his chariot.  Are you sure?  How do you explain it when folks die, go to heaven and come back to tell about it, after seeing relatives there?  It is called 'near death experience'.  But folks, you have to die to get to heaven?  Don't you?  There is nothing near death about that....they had to have died, right?  And those that return, weren't they resurrected on earth like Lazarus?  Ok, so they went to heaven.  But they came back....like Jesus!  Do we know if Lazarus ever made it there?  Nope.  But based on Jesus' statement in the garden that he must return to the Father (in heaven) before he can be touched, Lazarus must have gone to heaven and returned because they had to touch him to take the cloths off.  Hmmmmmmm. 

I never said I do not believe in heaven or that we don't go there.  We absolutely do.  As proved by the folks who have been there and come back to tell about it.  More importantly we learn this by the Word of God!  Is it perhaps you who do not believe that folks can get there YET because Jesus hasn't returned on his chariot?  Hmmmmmm......reread all this.  Sounds goofy, but it is what it is.  

Okay, so you might say that those people who 'died'....experienced a 'near death'....didn't really go to heaven.  That people aren't there yet.  Have you read Revelations?  Are you sure no one is there yet?  Angels?  Isn't God there?  And isn't Jesus there now?  Haven't you learned that Jesus now sits at the right hand of God?  In heaven?  He was resurrected to earth before heaven.

I heard that....you said, 'Now wait a minute here.'  Well, he did leave his grave (was resurrected) and went to hell.  And then he arose 'on the third day according to the Scriptures' (having been resurrected from hell).  And he showed himself to Mary in the garden, remember, she thought he was the gardener.  Then he showed himself to other disciples and to his followers.  In the meantime, he's flitting here and there, showing up in closed rooms and on roads.  You think he's a ghost at this point.  How can a ghost eat?  He ate fish with the others.  Can't be a ghost.  Jesus told Mary not to touch him because he hadn't ascended to the Father yet.  And then he told Thomas to look at his hands and feet and 'touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you can see that I do!"  Apparently he'd been to heaven (resurrected) and returned again, because then he could be touched.  Jesus said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise AGAIN from the dead on the third day."  When did he rise the first time for their to be an 'again?   1.  From the grave to hell.  2.  From hell (the 'again' part) to earth.  And for the record:  3.  From earth to heaven, before returning to earth and being able to be touched.  4.  Into heaven.  As near as I can figure. 

So now that I've got your head spinning, are you ready to search the Scriptures for yourself to learn more about resurrection truths?

Were the folks 'resurrected' from the grave, when Jesus died on the cross, and walked around alive? Did Lazarus really get 'resurrected' to life with Jesus calling unto God?  ['Jesus said it, I believe it, that's that!']  Did Jesus rise from behind the stone after death, and from hell, and from earth (then return to earth....), and into heaven?  These my friends are resurrection truths.  What was it Jesus said?  In Matthew 22:29 it is recorded as him saying to the Sadducees, "Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God."  I say, you may know the Scriptures, but have you been putting them in the sequence and unto the understanding given you by man or woman preaching before you, or as given by Holy Spirit within you?  

Do the other resurrections negate 'THE' resurrection into heaven?  Not on your life....or Jesus'.  And, if once resurrected to life  'they never die again' per todays reference, how can Lazarus and the others having risen from their graves and walking around alive get to heaven?  Will they have to die again?  Or will God just 'beam them up?'  Did Jesus have to die again after he went to heaven, and returned, and ate with the gang, before he ascended a 'final' time?  And how will it be for you....me?  What path will God choose for us?  Resurrection truths.  Lots to think about.  Either way, YOUR end times WILL come before THE end times.  Jesus spoke of 'those worthy of being raised from the dead'.  Are you worthy of being raised from the dead?  Or will you be 'like a useless branch and wither, gathered into a pile to be burned'?  John 15.  Or will you live your life according to the Holy Spirit?  Galatians 5:16-26.

Choose this day whom you will serve.  Be resurrected in truth!      

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Let Us Pray   

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!  Thanks for this lesson today to help me see new things.  To learn more about how great thou art.  How much I need to bow down in worship to you, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  And that I better watch out how I live my life, so that I will be worthy to be raised up on my last day.  LOTS of questions for me to study.  Study being the operative word.  I understand you don't want me to just listen to someone else, but search who you are, how wonderful you are....THAT you are....in the Word and in life!  That you want Holy Spirit to be such a huge part of my life that he IS my life.  That at every precious moment I can KNOW that he IS with me, guiding me, teaching me, directing my steps, raising my awareness, lifting my level of knowledge and wisdom.  Going with me always as you enlighten us both to new freedoms and truths.  I am sincerely and eternally grateful for your love God, you are my Heavenly Father and Creator; and for your love Jesus, your life and resurrection give me the opportunity to live forever, if [BIG IF] I walk in godliness and holiness; and Holy Spirit, for your love, guidance, direction, truths of all knowledge and wisdom, as you impart all I need to know....now if I would only listen better, so that I might be hear you, walk in what I learn, and be wise.  Note, I did not say wiseR....some days I think I lack wisdom altogether.  Carry me, please, Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit on the days I find too rough to bear the journey.  And never stop revealing your truths or loving me, please.  Please forgive me of my sins....thank you.  Help me continue to study day in and day out to show myself 'approved'.  I love you, I need you, I want you always in my life....please never let me go.  Thank you!  I praise you!  I bow down before you!  Amen.   

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When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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