Tag: Resurrection

Jesus has been Gifted Everything

On By TimIn John 05, Resurrection, Salvation1 Comment

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all men should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 5:21–23 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Everything the Father has is given to Jesus; just as we see here, Jesus even has the power to raise the dead. More importantly, Jesus has the power to give life!

Maybe you’ve never thought that through. Yet right here… Jesus is making a bold statement. Wait, you’ve never really thought that Jesus is God?

That first statement is an attestation to that simple fact.

The Son Gives Life to Whom He Will

Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I get it. The Father has to draw. The Father has to grant life. That is also given to Jesus.

He gave life to you! How do I know?

You’re breathing and reading this. He breathed the breath of life into you. Furthermore, the Father wants all of me to honor the Son. So that they may have access to the Father.

He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 3:36 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)
That Judgment Thing

God has even given the authority to judge solely to Jesus. He is the One Who chooses. He is the One Who judges.

Yet Jesus would have you honor Him just as any of us would honor God. Remember, He chooses.

All of us have had the wrath of God on us. Some may still be under that encumbrance. Yet we know the Father and the Son don’t want that for you. Don’t believe me. It’s right there…

“that all men should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. ”

All men is better understood as all humans. He chose to give you life by sending His Son for you to believe and believe in.

The math is simple… Those that want to honor the Father must honor the Son. There is simply no other way.

If you think Jesus was a good man and a great Hebrew, that’s not good enough.

If you think Jesus was a great teacher and an example to follow, that’s not still good enough.

If you think Jesus came to teach us how to love others, that won’t work.

Even if you think Jesus died on a cross thousands of years ago, neither is that good enough.

You must honor Jesus as you honor God. And we do that by first believing He is Who He said He is… God. We can then believe His death was personal… Sufficient for each of us. Proven in that we’re still breathing.

The Father sent the Son to save the world; thus giving everyone enough time to understand these things. All who inhabit the world ought to honor the Son and be given life… Eternal life.

How Is It the Pharisees Knew?

On By TimIn Apologetics, Daily Walk, Jesus, Matthew 27, Prophecy, Resurrection, The CrossLeave a comment

In one of our recent excursions in the text of the Gospel of Matthew, we encountered Jesus preparing His disciples for the near-term future when He would die and rise again. Clearly, in that discussion, the part He spoke of Himself rising again was ignored by His friends, as they were more concerned with ensuring Him of their loyalty.

Later in Matthew’s account, we read this:

The next day, following the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ The last deception will be worse than the first.”

Matthew 27:62–64 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The chief priests and Pharisees listened keenly to Jesus. They knew He was teaching that He would rise again. It is difficult to read the texts of the four Gospels and find that the disciples actually expected the resurrection. Yet here we see one of those very men setting to pen. Those set against Jesus clearly understood—even expected it to happen.

I know how the skeptics would want us to read the Gospels… Thinking that such were penned to make a new religion. They want you to believe Jesus was just a man and died as just a man. That He was buried and somehow in the middle of the night, His friends took the body away and hid it. Then these men would lie saying He rose again.

I have difficulty even entertaining that farcical point of view. If what the skeptics say were entertainable, why would Matthew abase himself as not understanding the coming resurrection with which they would allegedly attempt to deceive others?

Furthermore… How is it the chief priests and Pharisees did expect what the disciples did not?

It really is the resurrection that sets Christianity miles apart from any other religion. Think about it. God came to His created humans as a human. He died as a Human. He rose again as a human. He did this to defeat the enemy of all of us… Death. We don’t have to die and be separated from the external God. He wants us to be with Him for eternity and made a sure Way for that to be.

The last thought to consider: For almost 2,000 years it’s recorded plainly, the leaders had their alternate story set. “His disciples came by night and stole the body away.” Today that thinking still circles in the fringes. The Pharisees anticipated the resurrection and crafted an alternate explanation. Why do you think that legend of stealing Jesus’ body was recorded by Matthew?

It Wasn’t Really Expected

On By TimIn Apologetics, Daily Walk, Encouragement, Jesus, Matthew 26, Resurrection, The CrossLeave a comment

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away on account of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’

Matthew 26:31 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Jesus told the disciples of many insights from the Old Testament. He showed them that even their behavior was prophesied long before it would happen. He shared it with them to prepare them.

As always, people tend to only focus on themselves. Read on as the disciples do that. They would turn their focus on themselves and miss something important.

It’s the proverbial elephant in the room!

But after I have risen, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Matthew 26:32 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Jesus isn’t talking about them… Really. I mean, these guys walked with Jesus for around 3 years. They knew Him and loved Him. He relates His impending death, their scattering, and His resurrection and continued shepherding of them.

Peter answered, “Though all men will fall away on account of You, yet I will never fall away.”
Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Peter said to Him, “Though I should die with You, yet I will not deny You.” And all the disciples spoke in this manner.

Matthew 26:33–35— Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Sometimes we, like the disciples, get so focused on our performance, we miss the bigger picture. Jesus is trying to prepare the disciples for what is going to happen. He would die and rise again. He will again lead them. He gives them the very hope they need to not fear the coming trial.

So focused on proving their loyalty, they missed what He said… After I have risen.

Is it any wonder?

Did they really expect the resurrection, even now?

Think about that. We know the resurrection, as the central tenet of Christianity. Without it, there’s no hope. Skeptics get it. They will pounce on the idea with cockamamie stories on how it is a lie. They will say this dying and rising God was copied from elsewhere. They will allege the disciples stole Jesus’ body and hid it. (I am sure there are even more objections.)

If the resurrection were a lie foisted upon us by these witnesses who penned accounts of it, why would Matthew embarrass himself by recording his own ignoring of it?

In the passage we examined, the fact they would be scattered wasn’t missed. The most important thing wasn’t even acknowledged.

It wasn’t expected, at all.

In your own reading of the Gospels, take note of how many times Jesus spoke of the resurrection. Also, the note how many times it was acknowledged. Deeply consider that.