Introduction

1. Today a large number of the members and friends of our church are suffering more than ordinary physical difficulties, and so it is a providential blessing that today, Easter Sunday, we have opportunity to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

2. It is in our bodies—in the bodies God has given us—and by means of our bodies, that we experience both great joy and great sorrow in this life. In God's plan of salvation, God has graciously chosen to save not only our souls, but our bodies as well, from sin and suffering, mortality and death. For this reason God the Son, the eternal second person of the Trinity, took on a human nature just like ours. He lived and died in a body just like ours. But unlike us, by the power of His divine life He rose from the dead. Why did Jesus rise from the dead? One great reason was to give us new bodies when He one day raises us from the dead, too. The final harvest of the souls—and bodies!—of God's people began in Christ's resurrection, because He was the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Cor. 15:20)

3. The only one who knows the beginning and end of history today is God Himself. Similarly, only God fully understands your origin and your destiny. You cannot remember the day you were born, and cannot see what lies beyond the veil of death. So we are left with many questions about what will happen when we die.

   1. Christians know for certain their soul will immediately pass into glory, and their body will rest in the grave until the resurrection. Christians know they will be given a new body. But questions remain for us—"Will I still be me? In my body, with my personality, my memories? Will I still be able to recognize my friends and family? What will my new body be like? How old will I look? Will I still bear the scars of my sins and suffering from this life?" And in our pain we ask a different sort of question, "When will my suffering end?"

   2. These questions flow from faith, but other questions flow from unbelief. Some will ask, Is there really life after death? Otherwise, we may as well "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!" (1 Cor. 15:32) And many people live that way today—"He who dies with the most toys wins." Some in the Corinthian church asked questions like this because they did not believe our bodies will be raised from the dead. They asked, How is it possible for the dead to be raised? By what means will they be raised? With what kind of body do they come?

4. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul answered the questions of believers and unbelievers with the truth God has chosen to reveal. His answer doesn't answer every question we have. But it gives us a clear guide with the principles we need today, which build our faith, hope, joy, and endurance, as we await the resurrection of the dead.

5. Outline. Today I will depart from my usual method of laying out the outline of the passage and seeking to explain and apply each part. Instead, I will quickly run through the outline of Paul's answer, then dive deep into the "deep end" of the passage in order to give you a solid foundation on which to stand when you face a hard question, or a great fear, about your death, and your resurrection.

Introduction

1. We have been learning of the works of the kingdom in Matthew 8 and 9, and in anticipation of Easter we turn to consider Christ's greatest work in His death and resurrection.

2. Before Christ's death, His disciples did not understand when He told them He would die. After Christ died, His disciples mourned His death, confused about why God would let this great evil happen. Why did Jesus Christ die on the cross? There was good reason.

3. But it is easy to miss that reason. The majority of Protestant churches in America, and the majority in Caney, are Arminian. Their gospel message goes this way: "Christ died to make it possible for you to be forgiven for your sins, if you believe in Jesus Christ." These words are Biblical, but their Arminian meaning is not true. Specifically, Arminians claim Christ died to make salvation possible for all who will believe. But they will not teach that Christ actually saved His people by dying on the cross. Their reason is they believe your faith is what actually saves you. Christ's death only made your salvation possible. In believing this, Arminians make Jesus Christ no Savior, and they empty His death of its true meaning. As they and we consider Christ's death this week approaching Easter Sunday, I challenge you to believe the full biblical gospel that Jesus' death on the cross actually saved you from your sins. Anything less is not truly worth celebrating.

4. Of the many passages which reveal the meaning of Christ's death, this passage is eminently clear that God saved us from death through the death of Christ. Why did Christ die? To save you from death. To save you from sin, condemnation, and their final result of death, in that order. The outstanding English Puritan theologian John Owen wrote an excellent book titled "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ." Through careful exegesis of many passages he demonstrates this truth—scripture teaches that Christ died not to make salvation possible for all men, but to actually save the elect. You see, if Christ merely made salvation possible, even for all men, then He did not defeat death for you! The Arminian doctrine that Christ died to make salvation possible for all men is called "Universal Atonement." The Biblical doctrine that Christ died to actually save the elect is the third of the five points of Calvinism, called "Limited Atonement," "Definite Atonement," or "Particular Redemption." Christ definitely saved a limited number of particular people when He died on the cross. And that is the real reason Christians celebrate Jesus' death.

5. Outline. We will consider this passage in 3 parts.

   1. The One Man vv. 12-14

   2. The Free Gift vv. 15-17

   3. The One Act vv. 18-21

Introduction

1. You remember that during our congregational meeting I said this may be a year of famine. A year of suffering, and pain, because of our economy, because we are a small congregation. I want to remind you that though it may be a year of famine, it is still a year of our Lord. It is still a year when we can say Jesus Christ has come to earth and He is doing the work of His kingdom today. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and is at work in the world through His church by His word and Spirit, transforming men's hearts and lives and societies in this life in preparation for the life to come. His kingdom is coming, and His will is being done, on earth as it is in heaven!

2. We have been learning about the works of the kingdom as they flow from Christ's power and mercy. Now Jesus teaches us how we should respond to His work as our Savior—we should celebrate! Should we feast or fast? We should feast! But in the process Jesus also teaches us when we should feast or fast, and who should feast or fast.

3. Christ has power and authority not only over nature and demons, sin and sickness, but He also has power to lead in the true religion. In this passage Jesus is asked a question whose essence is this—is Jesus' religion really the true religion? If the true believers fast, why don't Jesus' disciples?

4. Outline. The question comes in v. 14. Jesus' answer is in vv. 15-17, telling us when to feast or fast, and who should feast or fast.

   1. Question: Feast or Fast? v. 14

   2. Answer: Feast with Christ; Fast without! vv. 15-17

      1. When to Feast or Fast v. 15

      2. Who Should Feast or Fast vv. 16-17

Introduction

1. In this passage Jesus told the Pharisees to "Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.'" I want you to search out what Jesus' words mean as we study this passage. Jesus' words express this principle: "Holy things are for unholy people, because holy things sanctify unholy people. Holy things give God's mercy to unholy people." Christ has power not only to heal and forgive sins, but to sanctify—to make the unholy holy.

2. Outline. You can see God's intent to mercifully sanctify unholy people in the two parts of this passage. V. 9 presents the sanctification of Matthew. Vv. 10-13 present the sanctification of sinners.

   1. The Sanctification of Matthew v. 9

   2. The Sanctification of Sinners vv. 10-13