Risen

He Has Risen

• 1. People ask, “What sign do you show us? 
  • What’s your proof? How do you know? Justify yourself. 
• 2. Jesus says, I will raise from the dead. 
• 3. Those following Jesus remember and believe.
  • Context of the Gospel
    • but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31
  • Introduction to John 1:1-18/ John 2:11 / 2:17 / 2:22
    • So what have we learned so far? 
      • God, light, life. 
      • Source of joy when the joy runs out
      • What makes God angry? Zeal for his house. 
        • Give our lives to what Jesus gave his life for, the Church
  • This section ends with what his life and death culminate to—> that he has risen.

#1. What sign do you show us? 

• This is a common question… let’s not forget the context. 
  • Jesus kicks down tables, coins everywhere, animals, he’s got a whip. 
    • First time he does this. The leaders raise an eyebrow. 
      • Justify yourself. 
  • Is this not the question of the ages? 
    • Much like Jesus, he does something outrageous, and so do we. 
      • We make outrageous claims. 
      • Believe in a guy you have never met that was executed, and somehow your sins, which are against a God you can’t see that has accumulated a penalty worthy of an eternal punishment, but if you just believe, you will instead have eternal life, and the God that would have punished you will now love you… Ready? It’s insane! 
        • Don’t believe me?  The bible affirms it’s crazy. 
    • And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, 1 Corinthians 15:14–15a
    • And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:17–19
  • What about other religions? Evolution? What if it’s all made up to ease a sense of conscience? The question is, prove it, justify your faith. 
    • There are logical biblical answers to all of these, but at the end of the day, He has Risen. Our faith rises or falls on this fact. 
  • When we live the lives we live, living for others, loving beyond ourselves, going the extra mile, turning the other check, why do you live this way?He has Risen

2. Jesus says, I will raise from the dead.

• Read vs. 19-21
  • Why is this so important? 
  • Let’s look to the Gospel. 
    • Look at Romans 5:8–10 on the screen 
    • but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:8–10
      • “much more”. It’s said twice in these verses. 
• John Piper tells a story to relate the meaning of “much more” 

Now do you see how this phrase “much more” is functioning? Children, consider this illustration. You move with your parents into a new neighborhood. And during the first night a fire breaks out in your house. Your neighbor – let’s call him Mr. Peterson – sees the smoke, calls the fire department, breaks a window, wakes everybody up, crawls inside, gets your mom and dad to safety, but they have passed out. He hears you calling from an upstairs bedroom before the fire fighters arrive. He dashes up the stairs, wets a blanket in the bathtub, plunges through flames in the hall, wraps you in the blanket and brings you safely outside with terrible burns on his arms and face.

Over the next months you become very close friends with your Mr. Peterson and visit him in the hospital. One morning after he gets home, you ask him, “Mr. Peterson, will you come over this afternoon and show me a new trick with my yo-yo?” Mr. Peterson says, “Sure, I’d love to.” But during the day you start to wonder if he will really come. And you say to your father, “I’m not sure Mr. Peterson will come this afternoon. He might forget, or maybe he really doesn’t care about a little kid like me.”

And then your father says, “You know what? If Mr. Peterson was willing to run through fire to save you at the risk of his own life and getting terrible burns, then how much more will he be willing to come over and show you a new yo-yo trick this afternoon! If he did the hard thing for you, then all the more surely, he will do the easy thing.”  Desiring God

• Jesus went through death for you. He quenched the fiery flames of God’s wrath for you and died, but He has risen! He is alive. We wonder as a Christian, does God still love me? We wonder, does he still care? Shall we not look to the cross and remember how much he loves and cares for us. 
  • But does he still care? Will he come over to show me a new trick on my yoyo? Does he care about the little things in my life? Of course he does! 
  • If Jesus was willing to run through fiery wrath of God to save you, then how much more will he be willing to care for the little things in life. 
    • Church, He has Risen! Do you believe? 

3. Those following Jesus remember and believe.

• Read vs. 22
  • When we have questions, when doubts arise, we remember and believe, He has risen
  • When we wonder why we do the things we do, why should I put others first? Love others ever when they don’t love back, go the extra mile, turn the other check? Because HE HAS RISEN! 

May we remember and believe! 

Advent: Peace