Kaleo San Diego Church > Sermons > The Meaning of the Resurrection

The Meaning of the Resurrection

David Fairchild
Apr 4, 2010
Series: Topical

He is risen!

Every year on Easter Sunday, tens of thousands of Christian churches (much like our own) gather around the world to remember the death of Jesus in the breaking of bread and drinking of wine, and to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

These communities believe that the death and resurrection of this man defines and determines their life as a communal family. In fact, every Sunday from that very first Sunday when Christ rose from the dead, the Church has gathered together to signify that this event was no less than the beginning of the new creation.

For the early Church, the cross and the resurrection were to be held together as the hinge upon which all of history turned. Because of the empty tomb, nothing was the same for them. The church lived this reality, taught this truth and was radically transformed by their confidence that Jesus got out of the grave. There was a wonder and a powerful dynamic that energized and emboldened the church. They endured horrific persecution, lived exemplary lives that provoked questions, and served even their enemies with such grace and humility that people either hated them or were warmly attracted to them.

The challenge of recapturing the wonder of Easter is tradition and familiarity. Most modern Easter messages have a tendency to be geared towards two things: 1) An apologetic for the proof and truth of Jesus rising from the dead, and 2) An encouraging reminder that since Jesus rose we will one day rise as well and therefore shouldn’t fear death.

Neither of these truths is insignificant. It is wise for us to discuss the various objections to the empty tomb and I believe we have a responsibility to do so. There is great joy in learning that in Christ, death doesn’t have the last word. I enjoy teaching these truths and I think we should talk about them.

However, the Bible teaches us that there is so much more. The resurrection is more than a divine “I told you so” as Jesus thumbs His nose at His detractors. Its significance is far greater than a ticket to my personal afterlife party.

This Easter, and every Easter, we have an opportunity to make the Gospel clearer and the resurrection more significant to our understanding of the gospel.

Frankly, there are many of us who don’t quite know what to do with the resurrection when we think about the gospel. It is strangely tacked on as a bonus truth that you get after your sins are forgiven on Good Friday.

My aim this morning is simply to tell the resurrection story in Matthew 21 and then discuss what this meant for the church and for the world.

Matthew 28:1-20: “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.’ 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’ 11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, ‘Tell people, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

As we read this account, it is easy to focus so much on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection that we miss the meaning of His resurrection within the biblical storyline. The Gospel writers have the audacity to declare that this story is no less than the true story of the world.

Because our cultural story is told from the perspective of my self as the center of history, it is easy to understand why we’ve made the resurrection account primarily about my life and my personal happiness. But the story of God regaining creation and recapturing a lost people for His glory is where the resurrection account fits in. Another way of putting is like this: The cross and resurrection are for me, but they are not primarily about me.

When we forget this, the cross and resurrection lose their cosmic scope and the communal purpose to reshape our identity.

So instead of asking “How can I, as an individual, be forgiven of my sin by God and granted eternal life?” which makes these two acts ultimately individual, we should be asking, “How can God renew His entire creation and the whole of human life from the pollution of sin?” God is committed to His grace extending as far as the curse is found.

The Gospel most definitely includes the forgiveness of my sin through the shedding of Jesus’ blood, but it has to also include what Paul said was of first importance:

1 Corinthians 15:3-6: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

Do you hear what Paul is saying? He says that the Gospel he preached, the thing that is of first importance above anything else, is that Jesus died for our sins and was raised on the third day. That Jesus rose from the dead, appeared to Peter, then the twelve, then to more than five hundred brothers at one time and in case you need to investigate, most of them are still alive to ask.

So, how is it that the resurrection is of “first importance?” This is all that I want to do this morning. I want us to capture the heart of the Gospel. I want us to see what this day is all about from God’s perspective. What is the true meaning of Jesus’ resurrection in the biblical story? Why is it so significant for our church today?

The Resurrection is the Dawn of a New Age

The early church believed that when Jesus rose from the dead, this was the beginning of new creation. In the New Testament, the church taught that Jesus was the firstborn, the firstfruits, and the beginning.

As the “firstborn” from among the dead (Col. 1:18), Jesus is the first person to be born into the new world to come. To be the “firstborn” means more than simply being the first one to rise from the dead. It means that Jesus occupies a special place as the very one who opens a way for his followers.

As the “firstfruits” Jesus is the first and best taste of what is coming fully at the harvest. In Him we see there is something great coming. He is the preview of what is about to be shown and He is the most choice and valuable fruit of new creation.

As the “beginning” Jesus is the pioneer who inaugurates the coming age.

Jesus’ resurrection means that the age to come, the kingdom of God, the resurrection life, has already begun. This gives history its meaning and direction. When Jesus returned from the grave, something new began to grow that will one day fill the whole earth. The empty tomb declared to mankind and nature that our situation has forever been changed.

This has a profound impact on what it means to be the church. When Jesus rose, the kingdom of God became a reality and He brings us into this reality to share in its accomplishments. One heart at a time is recreated and given a beat that keeps rhythm with His kingdom. This is why Paul says:

2 Corinthians 5:17: “If any man is in Christ, he belongs to the new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”

Even though God’s kingdom people still live in a world where sin and death are at work, new creation is breaking in all over the place in every one who is joined with Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

The death of our Savior means the end of the old age. The powers of sin, Satan and death are defanged and defeated foes that no longer rule over the one who is part of the new age. The resurrection of Jesus means the beginning of the new. The powers of this new age are at work in a gospel-believing, spirit-empowered community.

Paul says is Romans 6:

Romans 6:5-8: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

The resurrection creates a community of believers that share in the resurrection of Christ and experience the power of the new creation. Every time we repent and put sin to death, and every time we turn in faith to Christ, we are living resurrection lives together. Like a mustard seed, the kingdom is promised to grow and advance as Jesus’ reign as King is spread.

Sent by the Resurrected Lord

At the end of every one of the Gospel accounts, following the resurrection, Jesus gives His family a task that will be passed on from generation to generation until His return.

At the crucifixion and resurrection, the work of the Messiah to gather together a forgiven and purified people to embrace their calling to be a light to the nations is close to completion. All that is left is Jesus’ final commission and promise that they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish their calling.

Every gospel account ends with the risen Jesus calling his community to make disciples by taking the good news to all nations. However, this did not simply mean to send individuals off into foreign nations (though it might include this). The meaning which fit the biblical story was that Jesus was sending a community into the world.

The commission we see at the end of Matthew is an example of how Jesus establishes their identity and role in the world as a new covenant community that embodies new creation as a city on the hill and salt of the earth. Jesus’ instruction to this little group of followers is to begin the gathering process that He came to accomplish and initiate in His death and resurrection. Each gospel carries with it a different sketch on this common theme. What are we now that Jesus has risen? What does it mean to be a resurrection people?

1) We are a disciple-making community by proclaiming forgiveness of sins to all nations. This means that God’s promise of blessing all the nations has begun.

God’s inclusion of people from every tribe and tongue is the new creation promise that runs through the biblical storyline. Now, instead of one people and one place to which the nations are called to make a pilgrimage, this new community is to go together to reach them. God’s people are now the pilgrims that seek out those whom God might welcome into His family.

When we read Matthew, we see how Jesus makes disciples. A disciple responds to the summons of King Jesus to come into His kingdom through faith and repentance. A disciple is someone who orients His entire life on Jesus. A disciple learns to lovingly obey Jesus’ every word and participate in the mission of Jesus by making the gospel of the kingdom known in word and deed.

2) We are a Spirit-empowered people that have been given the Spirit of Christ for the very purpose of mission. In all four gospels, the resurrection gives birth to mission. The resurrected Lord who has been given all authority in heaven and earth, charges his disciples to summon all mankind to lay down their allegiances to previous lords and submit to Jesus’ cosmic Lordship.

The Spirit is given in John and Luke as a fulfillment of a promise God made. That promise in Joel 2 was given so that salvation could extend to all mankind. Because of Jesus’ cosmic authority, people from all nations are being brought in as His very own possession.

3) We are a resurrection community. Jesus’ entire ministry was to gather and transform a people who will embody God’s purposes for the sake of the whole world. Jesus doesn’t send only individuals, each with his own plan to be a witness. This task isn’t assigned to individuals, but an identity given to a community.

When Jesus speaks to His disciples after His resurrection, He speaks to them as a community. They are the seedling of the New Testament church and they have been given an identity and role in God’s mission. If the church doesn’t see itself primarily as a missional community, it hasn’t understood the purpose of the resurrection and Jesus’ post-resurrection calling.

4) We are a light to the nations, sent to live among the nations. The people of the world are brought into Israel’s life and story. God’s people make their homes in the midst of the various cultures of the world.

This is the renewed Israel, now transformed by Jesus’ death and empowered by Jesus’ Spirit into the beginning of resurrected life. God’s missional plan always included all the nations. This was the promise to Abraham and the hope for the world. In Jesus’ community, we are participating in God’s promise to Abraham to be a blessing to every nation and race.

Jesus commissions His disciples to go into their city and to the nations, beginning with their own, and replicating themselves by creating communities of joyful holiness among the nations. Jesus says in John’s gospel, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). We are sent in the same way as Jesus to carry out God’s mission.

That’s what resurrection life is all about. Jesus formed that first community to participate in His kingdom mission with deeds of humble service and power. His life demonstrates what it looks like to live a life fully in a Father-child relationship with God.

This is why we say that the resurrection means so much more than my future afterlife. God is concerned with here and now. He wants us to look forward in hope to the full kingdom coming when Jesus returns, but we are to live as kingdom people today who make known to our neighbors what resurrection, new creation looks like.

Yes, we’ll rise again one day in bodies that are made for eternity. Yes, we’ll no longer experience death and suffering. Yes, we’ll have senses budding that we didn’t even know existed. Yes, to all these things and more in our future resurrection.

But Jesus has risen from the dead to begin new creation by inaugurating His kingdom. His kingdom reign is a place where justice, mercy, grace, joy, humility, loving service, righteousness, life, and the richness of being human is experienced. When it comes in fullness there will be no hunger, wars, injustice, slavery, broken relationships, homelessness, rape, selfishness, abandonment, betrayal, and marginalized.

We live today with the firstfruit taste of what’s to come. This means that though we don’t experience this fully now, we are tasting it. The resurrection people that make up this new kingdom community are more and more growing into what God intends for their future.

So the call for everyone who is weary, everyone who is tired of the false promises of this world, everyone who has experienced the failure of false messiahs, is to come to Him. Come to the one who took your failure upon Himself. Come to Him, the One who bore on His body the punishment our sins deserved. Come to Him who swallowed the evil, injustice, and death that destroys everything good in God’s creation.

Come to Him, the ever living One, who rose from the dead to give new life in the dawning of a new day. His forgiveness is deeper than your worst treason and His life is better than any other life.

If Good Friday calls us to examine the old things we should put away, Resurrection Sunday is about new things that we are to take up. It’s a time of new beginnings and a new understanding of what our life is to be about now that we’ve come to trust Him.

Let’s live as wide-awake people. This day is about a real Jesus coming out of a real tomb and getting God’s real new creation under way. Easter is not to be celebrated as only one day. Easter for the believer is every single day they live, they live in a new reality. If you take away Christmas and the Christmas story, you lose a couple of chapters in Matthew and Luke. Take away the Easter story and you don’t have Christianity.

If Good Friday means weeding the garden, then Easter is about planting new seeds of joy and life so the garden flourishes. This is about renewed worship as we follow Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to fall at Jesus’ feet. So let’s come and worship the risen Lord.