Sermon Title: To know the Resurrected Christ
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Just as the Apostles before us, the Christian life must be empowered solely by the Holy Spirit, and framed wholly by the Resurrection story.
Do you know the resurrected Christ?
For Christ’s first witness upon His Resurrection (Ref: John 20:1), Mary Magdalene’s heartfelt cry to Him was, “Rabboni” – which means: beloved, revered Teacher.
And when Thomas finally met the Lord, he may have echoed the rest of the disciples by saying to Him, “My Lord” but he was certainly inspired by the Holy Spirit to be the first to utter, “and my God!” (John 20:28)
To His disciples, the Resurrected Christ is beloved Teacher, Risen Lord and Mighty God.
Who Christ is, matters to us; but who He is to you - matters even more.
Christ – our Beloved Teacher
If Christ is your beloved Teacher, hold on to all His Words.
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Every religion in the world sets forth divine commands by ‘god’ or ‘gods’ that must be followed in order to obtain divine favor.
The Lord Jesus not only teaches us, He exemplifies how we must live – in order that we may be holy; just as He is holy. (Ref: Leviticus 11:44)
No other ‘god’ has done as Christ has done for us – that by dying on the Cross for our sins destroyed death, and by rising from the grave, restored life to us; that whosever believes in Him might share the gift of eternal, holy life.
Christ, who gave His life for us, is truly our beloved Teacher – we must bear all His Words, follow Him and be Holy.
Christ – our Risen Lord
If Christ is your Risen Lord, obey His Command, and serve Him by preaching the Gospel everywhere.
“15Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” (Mark 16:15-20)
To His Disciples, Christ remained very much alive, and present to them – to which, they were empowered to fulfill the Great Commission.
His absolute Presence in our lives is the key to differentiating us from becoming false disciples.
Our Lord Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Christian ministry is never defined by miraculous signs, even though His Name is invoked; but rather, it is defined by the very Presence of Christ in the lives and ministry of disciples devoted utterly to Him.
Our Lord is never one who stays away from us, nor will He stay away from the work of His Gospel.
He remains the Chief Gospel Worker; and He works with us.
It is never about the acts of Christian ministry that makes a disciple of Christ; but rather, the Presence of Christ in the life of the disciple devoted to preaching His Gospel that makes the true disciple of Jesus.
Christ is truly our Risen Lord - serve Him by preaching the Gospel everywhere.
Christ – our Almighty God
If Christ is Almighty God, worship Him.
Even before Thomas uttered the words that acknowledged that Christ is God (Ref: John 20:28), it was the women who first acknowledged His divinity through their act of worship.
We observe in Matthew 28:8-9 - So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
To His disciples who had been raised as Jews, God alone is to be worshiped.
To worship God meant that He must be in the first and highest place in every facet of the worshiper’s life.
And through their lives devoted to the work of Christ’s Gospel, the disciples have faithfully exemplified what it meant to put God first in everything.
The Apostle Paul would later resonate the indisputable reality of, and our right response, to Christ’s Divinity in Philippians 2:9-11:
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Every knee shall bow before Christ; and every tongue will acknowledge the Divine Sovereignty of Christ – who shares in the Father’s Glory.
Christ is truly our Mighty God (Ref: John 10:30), worthy of our worship – put Him first in everything!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing who You truly are, to me.
I acknowledge that You are my Beloved Teacher.
I love You, Lord Jesus!
Disciple me in the Holy Ways of God.
Grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to follow You through it all; and hold on to Your every Word.
I acknowledge that You are the Risen Lord.
I will serve You alone – by being present to You, and participating in Your Kingdom Work – through preaching the Gospel everywhere, just as You have commissioned me. (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20)
I acknowledge that You are the One, True and Mighty God.
I will worship You alone; and put You first in everything!
Grant that my heart would be filled utterly with the holy desire to find favor in You alone!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Just as the Apostles before us, the Christian life must be empowered solely by the Holy Spirit, and framed wholly by the Resurrection story.
Do you know the resurrected Christ?
For Christ’s first witness upon His Resurrection (Ref: John 20:1), Mary Magdalene’s heartfelt cry to Him was, “Rabboni” – which means: beloved, revered Teacher.
And when Thomas finally met the Lord, he may have echoed the rest of the disciples by saying to Him, “My Lord” but he was certainly inspired by the Holy Spirit to be the first to utter, “and my God!” (John 20:28)
To His disciples, the Resurrected Christ is beloved Teacher, Risen Lord and Mighty God.
Who Christ is, matters to us; but who He is to you - matters even more.
Christ – our Beloved Teacher
If Christ is your beloved Teacher, hold on to all His Words.
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Every religion in the world sets forth divine commands by ‘god’ or ‘gods’ that must be followed in order to obtain divine favor.
The Lord Jesus not only teaches us, He exemplifies how we must live – in order that we may be holy; just as He is holy. (Ref: Leviticus 11:44)
No other ‘god’ has done as Christ has done for us – that by dying on the Cross for our sins destroyed death, and by rising from the grave, restored life to us; that whosever believes in Him might share the gift of eternal, holy life.
Christ, who gave His life for us, is truly our beloved Teacher – we must bear all His Words, follow Him and be Holy.
Christ – our Risen Lord
If Christ is your Risen Lord, obey His Command, and serve Him by preaching the Gospel everywhere.
“15Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” (Mark 16:15-20)
To His Disciples, Christ remained very much alive, and present to them – to which, they were empowered to fulfill the Great Commission.
His absolute Presence in our lives is the key to differentiating us from becoming false disciples.
Our Lord Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Christian ministry is never defined by miraculous signs, even though His Name is invoked; but rather, it is defined by the very Presence of Christ in the lives and ministry of disciples devoted utterly to Him.
Our Lord is never one who stays away from us, nor will He stay away from the work of His Gospel.
He remains the Chief Gospel Worker; and He works with us.
It is never about the acts of Christian ministry that makes a disciple of Christ; but rather, the Presence of Christ in the life of the disciple devoted to preaching His Gospel that makes the true disciple of Jesus.
Christ is truly our Risen Lord - serve Him by preaching the Gospel everywhere.
Christ – our Almighty God
If Christ is Almighty God, worship Him.
Even before Thomas uttered the words that acknowledged that Christ is God (Ref: John 20:28), it was the women who first acknowledged His divinity through their act of worship.
We observe in Matthew 28:8-9 - So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
To His disciples who had been raised as Jews, God alone is to be worshiped.
To worship God meant that He must be in the first and highest place in every facet of the worshiper’s life.
And through their lives devoted to the work of Christ’s Gospel, the disciples have faithfully exemplified what it meant to put God first in everything.
The Apostle Paul would later resonate the indisputable reality of, and our right response, to Christ’s Divinity in Philippians 2:9-11:
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Every knee shall bow before Christ; and every tongue will acknowledge the Divine Sovereignty of Christ – who shares in the Father’s Glory.
Christ is truly our Mighty God (Ref: John 10:30), worthy of our worship – put Him first in everything!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing who You truly are, to me.
I acknowledge that You are my Beloved Teacher.
I love You, Lord Jesus!
Disciple me in the Holy Ways of God.
Grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to follow You through it all; and hold on to Your every Word.
I acknowledge that You are the Risen Lord.
I will serve You alone – by being present to You, and participating in Your Kingdom Work – through preaching the Gospel everywhere, just as You have commissioned me. (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20)
I acknowledge that You are the One, True and Mighty God.
I will worship You alone; and put You first in everything!
Grant that my heart would be filled utterly with the holy desire to find favor in You alone!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.