Why did Jesus rise again?
Series: WE BELIEVE
Speaker: James Barnett
Date: 7th March 2020
Passages:
00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 Good morning, everyone. It was about 10 years ago that Alyssa and I spent a couple of months
00:00:06 --> 00:00:14 living and working in a church in Nairobi in Kenya. And it made me realize how good
00:00:14 --> 00:00:21 Australia is and that it's also not perfect. Nairobi is a wonderful city, but there is
00:00:21 --> 00:00:27 some issues with crime that they have, particularly at night. And so if you're out driving at
00:00:27 --> 00:00:33 night, which you don't really do too much, if you're driving, you don't stop at stop signs,
00:00:33 --> 00:00:40 you don't stop at red lights. You might slow down and look, is anybody coming? And then you go through.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:46 There is a problem with carjackings sometimes, so you have your doors locked, you don't stop.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:53 And do you know what? It works there, it functions. And then when we came back from being away for a
00:00:53 --> 00:01:02 couple of months, at night I was out driving, sitting at a red light, thinking, why does this
00:01:02 --> 00:01:10 feel so weird? Oh, that's right, I have to stay here. But there's no one around. This is very strange.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:19 And it made me think, okay, this is good. My doors aren't locked. We don't have as much crime. But
00:01:19 --> 00:01:24 there's no one around. I kind of felt overly controlled by the government. I felt that there's
00:01:24 --> 00:01:30 too much regulation. And it helped me realize that no matter the country we're in, there is always a
00:01:30 --> 00:01:36 longing for things to be different, for things to be better. We can long for better health care, for
00:01:36 --> 00:01:43 government leadership to be better, to end corruption, for justice to be unbiased and consistent.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:50 There's a longing that we have for a new era of rulers and governments to care for people,
00:01:50 --> 00:01:57 because we have an uncertainty about the future, particularly as this country has been hit with
00:01:57 --> 00:02:05 drought and fires and flood, and now as we've seen the coronavirus spread. We can think that,
00:02:05 --> 00:02:09 oh look, our leaders will sort it out, or maybe we just need to vote in new leaders and they will sort
00:02:09 --> 00:02:19 things out. We can pin our hopes on the future on humans. But we don't just need a better government.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:26 We need a radically new one. We need a whole new era to begin. Not just better countries and
00:02:26 --> 00:02:33 leadership, but a whole new kingdom. So today, as we are continuing to go through the Apostles' Creed,
00:02:33 --> 00:02:41 we see the new and better kingdom that we already live in. That Jesus, in his resurrection and
00:02:41 --> 00:02:48 ascension, has brought in a new era for us. And he is the ruler who won't let us down.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:55 So let me pray for us this morning. Heavenly Father, as we continue to look through the Apostles' Creed,
00:02:55 --> 00:03:02 this summary of faith, we ask that we would be placing our trust in you.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:08 Father, we thank you for governments and particularly good government. But Lord,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:13 we thank you so much that your Son is now ruling and reigning. Amen.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:22 The first part of the Creed that we are looking at this morning is that we believe that Jesus was
00:03:22 --> 00:03:29 raised from the dead on the third day. All four Gospels tell how Jesus died and that he was raised
00:03:29 --> 00:03:36 three days later. And they all focus on slightly different aspects. The Gospel of Mark focuses on
00:03:36 --> 00:03:44 the empty tomb and the angels' report that Jesus had been raised. Matthew 28 shows a resurrected Jesus.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:50 He comes and speaks with the women at the tomb. And then he sends them away to tell his disciples
00:03:50 --> 00:03:56 that he's alive. And then Jesus, in Matthew 28, sends his disciples all across the world to spread the
00:03:56 --> 00:04:04 good news. The Gospel of Luke, again, shows a slightly different view. It shows the resurrected
00:04:04 --> 00:04:12 Jesus speaking with his disciples, eating fish with them, and then how Jesus ascends into heaven.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:21 And John shows Jesus appear to his disciples, except for poor old Thomas, who misses out, and then he
00:04:21 --> 00:04:28 doubts that Jesus was really alive. And so Jesus appears to him to prove it. I'm sorry if this font
00:04:28 --> 00:04:34 is a little bit small, but we're in John chapter 20. A week later, his disciples were in the house again,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:39 and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
00:04:39 --> 00:04:47 Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here, see my hand. Reach out your hand and put it
00:04:47 --> 00:04:56 in my side. Stop doubting and believe. And Thomas said, My Lord and my God. Jesus told him, Because you have
00:04:56 --> 00:05:04 seen me, you have believed. Blessed are all those who have not seen and yet have believed. Thomas has the right
00:05:04 --> 00:05:13 response to seeing the resurrected Jesus, my Lord and my God. And the Gospel presents this consistent picture of a
00:05:13 --> 00:05:18 resurrected Jesus. He has the right to say, He has the right to say, He has the right to say, He has the right
00:05:18 --> 00:05:24 because He really was alive, physically resurrected in body. Thomas could have reached out and touched
00:05:24 --> 00:05:34 Him. He ate fish with His disciples. His resurrected body was the same as before and yet somehow new and
00:05:34 --> 00:05:42 unique. And what the Gospel writers are doing is they're showing these things because there was, people would put
00:05:42 --> 00:05:50 claims to a false resurrection. Just like today, there was myths and stories about people coming back to
00:05:50 --> 00:05:58 life. There was, you know, vampires and demons and ghosts and zombies. And that is not Jesus.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:09 Zombies and vampires don't eat fish. Ghosts can't be touched. Jesus was fully restored, raised from the dead.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:18 And so while the authors of these four Gospels are saying what He was, they're also clearly showing what He was not.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:27 It was not fake. It was a real bodily resurrection. In Acts chapter 2, Peter, the apostle, says,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:36 God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on
00:06:36 --> 00:06:45 Him. Death couldn't hold Him. He was perfect and innocent. He did not deserve death. And Pilate, as we saw last week,
00:06:46 --> 00:06:54 declared Him innocent. He was right to do so. And then later in Acts, again, when Peter is sharing the Gospel
00:06:54 --> 00:07:00 with the Gentiles, he said, we are witnesses of everything He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:07 They killed Him by hanging Him on a cross, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:14 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen, by us who ate and drank with Him
00:07:14 --> 00:07:24 after He rose from the dead. Jesus, His death on the cross alone is not sufficient to deal with our sin.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:30 He had to rise. He had to rise. And in His resurrection, He secures forgiveness.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:39 His resurrection gives us assurance that we too will be raised. It's God's big stamp of approval on...
00:07:39 --> 00:07:47 There's some batteries there. It's God's big stamp of approval on Jesus' life and that His death was not wasted.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:55 It's the certificate of authenticity to prove its value. It's the signature on the check, if you still use checks,
00:07:55 --> 00:08:05 to show that it had currency at the bank. Paul describes Jesus' resurrection in Colossians 1 as the firstborn from the dead.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:11 And so we have a wonderful joy in the era that we now live in.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:17 Jesus has brought us into a new age, into a new kingdom.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 With Jesus' resurrection from the dead, we live in a new time.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 We live in a time where dead people come back to life.
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 Death is temporary.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:34 Jesus is the first one to come back to life from the dead.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 And so will all who repent and believe.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:42 Do you remember when the internet first came in?
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 Might be showing your age a little bit.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 There's some young people over here who probably weren't alive when the internet first came in.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:54 Over the last 20 years, the internet, the technology age that we are in,
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 has radically changed how we do everything in life.
00:08:57 --> 00:09:05 The way we buy food, the way we buy clothes, the way we just book hotels,
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 and just generally are humans.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 Alyssa was watching the movie You've Got Mail the other night.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 And somebody said, oh, I couldn't get online.
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 And it was really frustrating.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:20 And I'm like, just that concept of being online, it doesn't exist anymore.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 We're just always online.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:33 And so we've entered this new age, but that is not nearly as significant as the new era that Jesus brought in when he was raised from the dead.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:39 Jesus, in his resurrection, has changed the very way the whole universe functions.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:44 The very nature of the universe is different because now the dead come back to life.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:49 God placed his seal of approval on Jesus.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 He has ensured us forgiveness of sins.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:57 And we now live in a kingdom where dead people come back to life.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 There's only been one who has done that permanently.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 But he is the firstborn of the dead.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 And that is the hope that we live in.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:11 We don't hope that the next piece of technology will fix all of our lives.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 We hope in the resurrection.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 I still feel relatively young.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:22 And I have a young man mindset about the way my body heals itself.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 It'll heal itself.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 Give it a bit of time.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 If I do these right exercises, everything will be fine.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 I'll get stronger.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:31 And you know what?
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 I might even get better than before.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:38 But as I gracefully age into my mid-30s,
00:10:38 --> 00:10:42 I'm realizing that maybe it won't all get better.
00:10:43 --> 00:10:47 I've noticed that if I stand the wrong way for too long,
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 it hurts to walk.
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 So I'll be standing just over here at the crossing,
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 waiting for the lights to change.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 And I've got a dodgy hip.
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 And what it means is that when the lights change,
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 I think I can just start walking and cross the road.
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 And then all of a sudden I'm hobbling.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 And I have to do this awkward hobble run to get across the road
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 before the cars are trying to hit me and make things even worse.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 The hope for my body is not that it will get better.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 It might get better.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:23 But the joy of the gospel is that it is fixed.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 My hope for my body is to come in the resurrection.
00:11:26 --> 00:11:30 Because the kingdom that Jesus has brought in
00:11:30 --> 00:11:34 is far better than any era that can come in now.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 The Industrial Revolution,
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 the technology age that we can come in,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 whatever age comes next,
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 the one Jesus brought in is better.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 Because we are guaranteed perfect bodies.
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 Because he has defeated death.
00:11:49 --> 00:11:55 The second part of the creed today is that Jesus,
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 raised from the dead,
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 ascended into heaven,
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 We see Jesus' reign in his kingdom.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 And Paul, when speaking about God's power,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 said in Ephesians 1,
00:12:11 --> 00:12:15 that power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 when he raised Christ from the dead.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:21 And seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 far above all rule and authority,
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 power and dominion,
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 and every name that is invoked,
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 not only in the present age,
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 but also in the one to come.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 And God placed all things under his feet
00:12:33 --> 00:12:38 and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 which is his body,
00:12:39 --> 00:12:43 the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 And in Philippians 2,
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 God exalted him to the highest place,
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 and gave him the name that is above every name,
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 that at the name of Jesus,
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 every knee should bow,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 in heaven and on earth and unto the earth,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 and every tongue confess,
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 to the glory of God the Father.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:05 Jesus is at the top of every hierarchy.
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 He is so high,
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 that even just at the very mention of his name,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 Philippians says,
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 every knee shall bow,
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 just at the mention of his name.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 We've had Steve back in the office this week.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:19 It's been wonderful.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 It's been wonderful to have you back, brother.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:23 And,
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 now he's not Jesus,
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 but when he came back,
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 when he,
00:13:28 --> 00:13:28 you know,
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 walked through the doors,
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 we were all standing up.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 We were all acknowledging
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 that,
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 you know,
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 our brother is here,
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 our leader is here,
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 and at that point,
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 there were still hugs and handshakes,
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 because we've missed him.
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 We all stood up and took notice at his return.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 There was a response.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 But when Jesus returns,
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 every person will acknowledge him,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 regardless of culture or ethnicity,
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 position or preference.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 The ascension of Jesus here is a,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 it's a royal coronation.
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 Now,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 I wasn't around for Queen Elizabeth's coronation.
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 You can tell me stories of it later,
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 if you like.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 But imagine,
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 if Prince Charles becomes king,
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 imagine what his coronation will be like.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 There will be a massive ceremony,
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 where representatives from all of the Commonwealth,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 come and acknowledge that he sits on the throne.
00:14:30 --> 00:14:34 Jesus has ascended to a throne much bigger,
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 much grander,
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 and much more powerful.
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 Not only will all people bow to him,
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 but the very heavens,
00:14:42 --> 00:14:42 and the planets,
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 and the earth will too.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 The sun,
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 and the stars,
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 and the planets will all bow
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 before Jesus.
00:14:49 --> 00:14:53 And whilst he said on the cross,
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 it is finished.
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 His work of salvation is finished.
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 But Jesus continues to work even now.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 Not saving,
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 because he has saved,
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 but he is reigning,
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 as the king of the universe.
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 Hebrews 1 says,
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 after he had provided purification for sins,
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 he sat down,
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 at the right hand,
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 of the majesty in heaven.
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 He is sat down,
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 not like falling,
00:15:20 --> 00:15:20 this is what I do,
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 I fall into the couch at the end of the day,
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 exhausted.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 But he sat down,
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 into a position of power,
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 and responsibility,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 and authority.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 He rules,
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 and leads,
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 the created universe.
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 And as he reigns,
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 he is also interceding for us.
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 Romans 8 says,
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 that he is at the right hand of God,
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 interceding for us.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 And Hebrews 7 says,
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 that he lives to intercede for us.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 He is still working for us.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:53 It is as if he is pointing out to God,
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 these ones.
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 These ones,
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 I died for.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 Those in Chatswood,
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 who doubt how much I love them.
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 Who are filled with anxiety,
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 and fear,
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 and who attempted to make gods,
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 out of other things.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 Those little ones are mine.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 And Jesus does that now,
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 for all who follow him.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 Jesus' ascension to this throne,
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 of heaven,
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 has brought in a new kingdom.
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 We not only live in an era,
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 where dead people come back to life,
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 but Jesus sits on the throne.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 He has crushed death.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 He has taken on our sins.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 And God's new creation,
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 is pushing into this one.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 Because Jesus rules,
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 and reigns over this universe.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 At the moment,
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 throughout the world,
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 there is a fair amount of political instability.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 And we can fill this pool that,
00:16:53 --> 00:16:55 if only the government would be better.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 If only they were better.
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 If only we elected the right government,
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 all would be well.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 Maybe they'll bring in good policy,
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 to help people,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 to spend tax dollars in the right way,
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 and to end corruption.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 Now,
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 it's been interesting,
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 watching a little bit of the US politics,
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 as they ramp up for the next election.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 There is this tangible yearning,
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 that people have.
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 They want good government.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 It's true in schools,
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 we want good leaders.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 It's true in our workplaces,
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 we want our bosses,
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 and the people who run our organizations,
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 to be good.
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 To make good decisions.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 But if we place,
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 all our hope,
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 on whoever wins the next election,
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 even if they are great,
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 we will be let down.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:48 I've heard of,
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 people's dissatisfaction,
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 with the current leadership of China.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 Why didn't you tell us,
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 that the coronavirus was so bad,
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 back in January?
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 Why was there a two week gap,
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 between telling the US,
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 that it was spreading,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 and telling your own people?
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 Many people in Australia,
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 are questioning the government,
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 even though the government,
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 has been working,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 there's still the question of,
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 what have you been doing,
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 in the midst of drought,
00:18:17 --> 00:18:17 and fires,
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 and floods,
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 and now the coronavirus?
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 We don't want,
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 rulers who play political games,
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 but instead help,
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 to protect lives,
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 and guide the country.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 But if we keep,
00:18:30 --> 00:18:30 looking for,
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 our happiness,
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 and our satisfaction,
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 in the future,
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 from our governments,
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 will always be let down.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 Jesus is,
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 the good,
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 governor,
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 he is,
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 not only sitting,
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 in the seat of power,
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 but he also has,
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 all power to rule,
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 and he does,
00:18:49 --> 00:18:49 what is good,
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 for his people.
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 So we believe,
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 in a Jesus,
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 who was,
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 raised from the dead,
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 who ascended,
00:18:56 --> 00:18:56 into heaven,
00:18:57 --> 00:18:57 and now sits,
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 at the right hand,
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 of the father,
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 and from there,
00:19:01 --> 00:19:01 he will come,
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 to judge the living,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 and the dead.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 So Jesus's kingdom,
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 is going to come.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 Jesus will return.
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 And his second coming,
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 will be different,
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 to the first.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 When Jesus first came,
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 he came as a baby,
00:19:16 --> 00:19:18 he took on humility,
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 he learned,
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 obedience to God,
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 and he came,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 to point to God,
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 and to be crucified,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:26 raised,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 to ascend,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 to a throne.
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 But now,
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 in that power,
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 when he returns,
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 we will see him,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 coming,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 in all his power,
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 and authority.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 It's the two sides,
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 of the same coin.
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 It's like how,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 a mother can be,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 compassionate,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:43 and caring for her child,
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 but also,
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 lift a car,
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 or fight off,
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 an enemy,
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 for the sake of her child.
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 Revelation 19,
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 paints this picture,
00:19:53 --> 00:19:53 of Jesus,
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 coming back,
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 to fight for his people.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 It says,
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 I saw,
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 this is John speaking,
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 I saw heaven standing open,
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 and there before me,
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 was a white horse,
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 whose rider,
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 is called Faithful,
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 and True.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 With justice,
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 he judges,
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 and wages war,
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 his eyes,
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 are like blazing fire,
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 and on his head,
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 are many crowns.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 He has a name,
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 written on him,
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 that no one knows,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 but he himself.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 He is dressed,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 in a robe,
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 dipped in blood,
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 and his name,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 is the word of God.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 The armies of heaven,
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 were following him,
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 riding on white horses,
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 and dressed in fine linen,
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 white and clean.
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 Coming out of his mouth,
00:20:30 --> 00:20:32 is a sharp sword,
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 with which to strike down,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 the nations.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 He will rule them,
00:20:35 --> 00:20:37 with an iron scepter.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 He treads the wine presses,
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 of the fury,
00:20:41 --> 00:20:41 of the wrath,
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 of God Almighty.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 And on his robe,
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 and on his thigh,
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 he has a name written on it,
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 King of Kings,
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 and Lord of Lords.
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 This is Jesus,
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 in all his splendor.
00:20:52 --> 00:20:55 A sword coming out,
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 of his mouth,
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 an iron scepter,
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 in the other hand,
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 leading an army,
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 to pour out God's wrath,
00:21:00 --> 00:21:02 on those who are his enemies.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 And when he comes,
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 he comes to judge.
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 Matthew 25 says,
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 that when the Son of Man,
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 comes in his glory,
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 and all the angels with him,
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 he will sit,
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 on his glorious throne.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 All the nations,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 will be gathered before him,
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 and he will separate,
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 the people,
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 one from another.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 As a shepherd,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 separates the sheep,
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 from the goats.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 He will put the sheep,
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 on his right,
00:21:29 --> 00:21:29 and the goats,
00:21:30 --> 00:21:30 on his left.
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 His judgment,
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 looks like,
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 separating the sheep,
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 who love him,
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 who follow his voice,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 separating them,
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 to eternal joy.
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 And he separates,
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 the goats,
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 who don't listen,
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 to his voice,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 who don't follow him,
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 and who destroy,
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 and damage.
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 And they get separated,
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 to eternal,
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 everlasting torment.
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 This judgment,
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 is coming.
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 Paul said in Philippians 2,
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 that every knee,
00:22:00 --> 00:22:00 shall bow.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:02 The kingdom,
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 that Jesus,
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 has brought in,
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 sees dead people,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 come alive.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 It has,
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 an all powerful king,
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 and his kingdom,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:13 is only for those,
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 who follow this king.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 It's easy,
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 to be fearful,
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 of this day.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:20 The prophet Joel,
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 describes it,
00:22:21 --> 00:22:21 as the great,
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 and terrible day,
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 of the Lord.
00:22:23 --> 00:22:25 But the reassuring,
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 thing about this day,
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 is not the judgment,
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 it's the judgment,
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 is not from a human judge.
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 The reassuring thing,
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 is that the judgment,
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 doesn't come from,
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 a human judge.
00:22:35 --> 00:22:35 Judgment,
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 is not going to be biased.
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 This judgment,
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 can't be,
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 bought out.
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 Jesus,
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 would judge,
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 with justice.
00:22:43 --> 00:22:43 The king,
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 who is coming,
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 to judge,
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 is the same one,
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 who died,
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 for the guilty.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 What human judge,
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 has done that?
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 What human judge,
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 has gotten out of their,
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 seat of judgment,
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 and power,
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 and taken,
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 the place,
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 of the condemned?
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 Jesus,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 is the king,
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 and judge,
00:23:02 --> 00:23:02 that we can trust,
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 because we long,
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 for his good judgment.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 Rather than being,
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 fearful,
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 of this judgment,
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 it's a wonderful joy,
00:23:12 --> 00:23:12 that we can draw,
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 near to him.
00:23:13 --> 00:23:16 There are plenty,
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 of goats,
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 who destroy people,
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 only for themselves.
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 This is our,
00:23:21 --> 00:23:23 natural position,
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 without God.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 To do what a goat does,
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 which is to tear,
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 and destroy,
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 and to rip it,
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 everything in sight,
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 until it's gone.
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 In this life,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 many people seem,
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 to escape judgment,
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 for the most heinous,
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 of crimes.
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 But we are promised,
00:23:39 --> 00:23:39 that there is,
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 a powerful king,
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 who will come,
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 to make things right.
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 But it's also,
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 a reminder,
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 that this world,
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 has an expiry date.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 We're not sure,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 when it's going to end.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 We can't do,
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 what we do with a milk carton,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 and give it a sniff,
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 and check,
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 whether your expiry date's right,
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 or whether it's still okay.
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 We don't know,
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 when the end is coming,
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 but there is,
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 judgment coming.
00:24:03 --> 00:24:05 And this should spur us,
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 to speak loving words,
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 to our friends,
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 our family,
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 who don't know Jesus.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 Easter is coming,
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 it's in a matter of weeks.
00:24:14 --> 00:24:14 The eggs have been,
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 on the shelves,
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 for two months,
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 so that must mean,
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 it's around the corner,
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 anytime soon.
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 I think I've eaten my weight,
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 in hot cross buns already,
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 and Easter's not for a month.
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 And Easter,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 is a wonderful time,
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 to remind people,
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 to start the conversation,
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 that there is a God,
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 who would do,
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 all that is necessary,
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 to guarantee,
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 a future,
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 for people.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 Especially,
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 when we are,
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 in a time,
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 of doubt,
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 and fear,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 and anxiety,
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 about what will happen tomorrow.
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 We believe,
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 in a Jesus,
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 who was raised,
00:24:46 --> 00:24:46 from the dead,
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 ascended,
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 to the greatest throne,
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 and he will come back,
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 to judge.
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 Jesus has brought in,
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 a new kingdom,
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 a new era,
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 a time of,
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 wonderful blessing,
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 before God.
00:24:58 --> 00:24:58 A time,
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 where we have an assurance,
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 that the dead,
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 will rise,
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 where the one,
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 who showed his love,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 on the cross,
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 is now the Lord,
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 of all the universe.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 And that loving Lord,
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 will come to judge.
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12 No government,
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 or leader,
00:25:13 --> 00:25:15 can fill our yearning,
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 for the good,
00:25:16 --> 00:25:18 and sacrificial ruler.
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 No health fix,
00:25:20 --> 00:25:22 no health solution,
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 not even a cure,
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 for coronavirus,
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 is going to fix,
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 our anxiety,
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 about the future.
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 No justice system,
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 will ever deal,
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 with all of those,
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 who deserve to be punished.
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 It is only,
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 the ascended Jesus,
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 who will do that,
00:25:37 --> 00:25:39 sitting on his throne,
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 waiting to return,
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 to bring us home.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 Let me pray.