March 31, 2024
Sermon Part 1of 2: “Jesus Christ the Conquering King Paved the Way for Our Complete Victory in Death and Life!”
Every day, but especially on Resurrection Sunday, I feel like shouting and dancing for joy, and you should too! Think of it. Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died on the cross; one time, for all people everywhere, for all times. (Rom.5:8 & I Pet. 3:18)
Jesus who knew no sin, lived a sinless life on earth, sacrificed His life, so the world would be reconciled to God; brought home safely to God. (II Cor. 5:18) Jesus accomplished the mission and rose again on the third-day, and is seated at the right-hand of God the Father; angels, authorities, and powers being made subject unto Him! (I Peter 3:22) All Hail to the King of kings and Lord of lords!
For Jesus Christ is Lord over the dead and living. (Rom.14:9)
Happy Resurrection Sunday Saints!
Introduction
At Revelation 1:1-4, 18, the Apostle John wrote that Jesus Christ said to him, as well as to write unto the Churches:
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Saints, we must see Jesus Christ as He is. Jesus is not lying in a manger. Jesus is no longer hanging on a rugged cursed cross for our sake. Nor is His body still laid to rest in a rich man’s borrowed tomb. Jesus has arisen from the dead on the third-day, just as He said He would. (Mark 9:31) Jesus is alive forevermore and seated at the right hand throne of God in all power, dominion, and majesty!
Jesus Christ is our “Conquering King.” He is the, “More Than a Conqueror.” Jesus rules over all, and all things have been made to serve His divine Will and Purpose.
Everything that exists has been made to satisfy God’s Will and Purpose whether in death or life! Today, we are going to focus on Jesus’ more than a decisive victory over “death.” And, next week, we will talk about how we are to live a victorious life through Jesus Christ in this untoward world.
Jesus Christ Conquered Death for Us: Rejoice Forevermore!
Jesus Christ conquered death for us, and by doing so, we have received a “free pass” from death. There is nothing we did to earn nor deserve freedom from death, it is an amazing grace of God! Nothing in this world terrifies mankind more than the prospect of death. According to the World Economic Forum, daily, worldwide “150,000 people die.” Every second two people expire. The Center for Disease Control estimates that prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the average life expectancy of an American was almost 79-years and post Covid-19, the average life expectancy has dropped to 75-years.
Show me a person who does Not have an “abiding” relationship with Jesus Christ, and I assure you they have spent their whole lives in bondage to the fear of death. (Heb. 2:14-15) They fear the day of death when their physical bodies will be placed in a casket, viewed by their loved ones, and interned in a grave.
But the truth is, it’s not how long you live, or what the cause of physical death is when a person expires, but who you know when you die that matters most. If you know Jesus Christ, you do not have to fear or worry about death! It’s only by taking the yoke of Jesus and learning of Him, can you lay hold on the “Perfect Peace” Jesus has given to us. (John 14:26-27) Christ’s Peace gives us serenity over all tribulation and distress, including physical death by any means. My God, in our born-again hearts, we have the same Peace Jesus has and displayed during His Passion and crucifixion!
However, for many people, including many born-again Christians, the prospect of death is scary. They are tormented by fears of the unknown, the prospect of non-existence, eternal punishment, loss of control, and/or fears of what may happen to their loved ones at death.
The mental death grip is so strong for many people that they refuse to even talk about death. They try to suppress thoughts of death, and some become down-right angry when their love ones try to have conversations about their final wishes in case of death.
Further, most people put off making formal plans for their last days on earth and lack adequate insurance to cover funeral and burial costs. According to Legal Zoom, 53-percent of Americans indicate that estate planning is important. (Astounding that 47-percent of Americans don’t view estate planning as important.) But only 33-percent of Americans have documented their end-of-life plans. Also, reportedly, only about one-half of Americans have a life insurance policy.
This is not God’s way of handling life affairs on earth. God expects for us to set our affairs in order, and see to it that our loved ones are provided for when we depart this world. (I Cor. 14:40 & I Tim. 5:8) God expects for us to be faithful stewards over the material resources He has placed in our hands. (I Cor. 4:2) The Bible says we must be honorable in business. (Prov. 22:29)
Though we experience sorrow when our loved ones pass away, and even one day those who love us will mourn our loss, we do not sorrow as the world does. In Christ Jesus, we have an expectation far beyond the grave. We look forward to the day when we will see Jesus face-to-face and be with the Lord forever! As such, for born-again Christians, we should with joy go about setting our affairs in order and engaging in sound financial and estate planning to be ready when the Lord calls us home.
As born-again Christians, we should have “no fear” of death because Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave over 2000 years ago. So many Christians fail to understand that we have been made free from death altogether. (Just like we have been made free from sin, we also are free from death!) Many Christians do not realize that within in their born-again hearts, God has given to us the answer to death. The kryptonite to death, which is eternal life!
If there is anyone among us who has fears, anxieties, or worries about death; by the Spirit of God, I say to you to rebuke and resist such thoughts because they are not of God. These thoughts are from the devil and he is a liar! If you are sick in your body, have a reportedly incurable disease, and/or the doctors have given you only a few day to live, do not become despondent with the prospect of death!
By the blood of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross, you have been made free from sin, death, hell and the grave. Don’t let your heart be troubled, because you have been sanctified in the Truth (Word of God) so only believe the Word. (John 17:17) The testimony of God is greater than that of man! (I John 5:9)
*Receive the truth that Jesus Christ has the keys of death and hell. (Rev. 1:18)
*Receive the truth that Jesus Christ has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.” (II Tim.1:10)
*Receive the truth that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (II Cor. 5:7-8)
*Receive the truth that whoever believes in Jesus and keeps His sayings is passed from death to life: they never will see, nor taste, nor experience death. (John 5:24)
*Walk in the knowledge that you have already “defeated death” because you have eternal life in Christ Jesus!
*Shout for joy: “In Jesus Christ, I will never die because I have eternal life!”
*Shout for joy: “Through Jesus Christ, death is dead forevermore!”
*To God be the glory for the things He has done! He has done great things whereof I am glad!
The Sermon heading in this section, “Jesus Christ Has Conquered Death for Us,” speaks directly to Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead on the third-day. Jesus Christ testified to the Apostle John that He was dead and is now alive and lives forevermore. (Rev.1:18)
One of the multitude of things I love about Jesus is that He “knew” that He would conquer death before He ever faced it! This is what mighty “Conquerors” and “More than Conquerors” do you see? In advance of the battle they predict the outcome of a more than a decisive victory!
Like the “More than a Conqueror” David, the ruddy young lad who kept the sheep of his father’s herd, told the nine-foot tall giant Goliath that he would slay him. Check out David’s boast in the Lord at I Samuel 17:45-46.
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
Not only do “More than Conquerors” plan and predict the defeat of their enemies, but they also subjugate (dominate and enslave) them! Christ Jesus not only accurately predicted His death and Resurrection from the dead. (Mark 8:31-32, Luke 9:21-22, 18:31-34) But, Jesus even called Himself the “Resurrection!” and the life. Meaning: “I AM” the one responsible for everyone raising up again, standing up again; and never dying again! (John 11:25) Jesus was saying not only will I conquer death, but I will cause everybody who believes in me to defeat death too!
No other religious leader in the history of the world has predicted his own death and Resurrection, (Matt. 16:21) and then kept that promise. (John 2:18-19, Matt. 27:40, & Luke 24:1-6) What emphatically sets Christianity above and apart from all other world religions are three powerful words:
“CHRIST CONQUERED DEATH!”
Jesus’ Resurrection marked the first time in history that someone rose from the dead never to die again. There were several other Biblical characters who were raised from the dead; but eventually died a second time. (Refer to examples at I Kings 17:17-24, II Kings 4:32-37, Jonah 2, Mark 5:39-42, & John 11:38-44.)
However, Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead on the third-day was the true and complete defeat of death. As the only begotten Son of God, Jesus overcame death “once,” and for all. (Heb.10:12-14) In Acts 2:24, the Apostle Peter exclaimed that, “…It was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”
Praise God, it did not matter that the Roman soldiers had secured the tomb with a very large stone, sealed it on both ends with a cord and clay, and placed an armed garrison of soldiers in front of the tomb to keep watch. No grave could hold Jesus for He is the Son of God, as the power of God loosened the pains of death, quickened His body, and raised Him from the dead!
The angel of the Lord that appeared at the tomb did not roll the stone away so that Jesus could get out of the tomb. Rather, it was removed so that witnesses could come in and see for themselves that Jesus had risen from the dead. (Matt. 28:1-7)
As Jesus Christ said to the Apostle John, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hell.” (Rev.1:18) Meaning, Jesus has the authority and is sovereign over death, hell, and the grave. Again I say to you, Jesus didn’t just defeat death, He eternally subjugated death, hell, and the grave unto Him!
It is God in Christ Jesus alone who determines the rules of our eternal destination; heaven or hell. The rules are as follows: Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, and His finished works on the cross and is baptized, goes to heaven. Whoever does not believe in Jesus Christ remains trapped in their sins, dies, and goes to hell. (John 3:16-19 & Mark 16:15-16) There is no other name under the heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, other than the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12)
Christ conquered death because He was sinless. The curse upon mankind in the Garden of Eden, brought about by Adam’s sin, was plainly stated by God: “You will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Ever since, sin has entered into the world and mankind has experienced the truth of Romans 6:23, which states, “The wages of sin is death.”
Oh, but praise God, Jesus Christ had no sin. Therefore, Satan and death had no power over Him. (I Pet. 2:22) Jesus’ death was a voluntary sacrifice for our sins, and, given His sinless perfection, His Resurrection from the dead on the third-day as He predicted logically followed. Jesus willingly and freely laid down His life for us; nobody took it from Him. At John 10:17-18 Jesus affirmed:
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Christ Triumph over Death Satisfied Bible Prophecy
The fact that Jesus Christ conquered death is a fulfillment of prophecy. For example, King David predicted the Messiah would overcome death, he wrote:
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Ps.16:10)
Other prophets proclaimed to the children of Israel the hope that the Lord would one day abolish death: “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces,” and “he will remove his people’s disgrace from off all the earth.” (Is. 25:8) “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction…” (Hos.13:14)
With the empty tomb, Jesus Christ spoiled and destroyed the devil’s most powerful weapon, “death.” Satan, our accuser, is now powerless to condemn Christians. And, we will not share in his final plunder into eternal doom and destruction. (Rev.12:9-11, 20:10 &14) When Jesus Christ conquered death for us, He removed the “sting of death,” which is sin. He bore all of our sins, griefs, and sorrows in His own body. Therefore, those who die in Christ do not experience the pains of death.
Christ received our death penalty for sin, and through His death, has conquered death. (Rev.20:14) And as I noted last week, as born-again Christians, we will not be judged by God according to our sins. Rather, we will stand before God robed in Christ’s own perfect righteousness. (I Cor. 15:56) That is why believers in Christ “will not be hurt at all by the second death, (the death of the wicked) as it has no power over them.”(Rev. 2:11, 20:6)
The Gospel is Rooted in Jesus’ Resurrection from the Dead
The fact that Jesus Christ has conquered death has eternal consequences for us. The good news (The Gospel of Jesus Christ) is grounded in Christ’s victory over death. Without the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the third-day, there is “no gospel;” no good news! Indeed, the world and all of us who dwell therein would have no hope. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (I Cor. 15:17) If Christ did not rise from the dead then our sins have not been forgiven, we are still trapped in our sins, destined for death and hell, and have no hope of eternal life.
But, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third-day. The Resurrection is the center piece of the gospel message. Because Christ rose from the dead as he promised, we know that what He said is true; He is God. We are sure that our sins have been forgiven and forgotten by God. We are sure that we are reconciled to God and will be raised up at the last day, by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. (Rom.8:11) Oh yes, Saints shout for joy, we have a clear path to God our Father in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ.
We have believed the report of Jesus Christ, and now the same Spirit of the Life and Mind of Jesus Christ abides in our born-again hearts. That same Conqueror, and More Than a Conqueror Spirit of Jesus, is in us and we have been “passed from death to life, because we love the brethren…” (I John 3:14). As Jesus Christ is, so are we in this world. (I John 4:17) We are God’s mighty, “More Than Conquerors in this world! (Rom. 8:37)
Moreover, according to I Corinthians 15:20, Christ is “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” This means that Jesus’ Resurrection on the third-day, is the first of many more believers in Him who have “fallen asleep” (died) and will likewise be resurrected from the dead. Jesus promised all who would follow after Him saying, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19) Jesus is our forerunner to rise from the dead and never die again, and He is the guarantee of our eventual resurrection to eternal life.
As Paul wrote, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” The answer is nothing in death or life. (Rom. 8:35-39) Christ has conquered death, and as believers we stand firm on Jesus’ words recorded at John 11:25-26:
…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
In closing, Jesus Christ admonished His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled, but as they believed in God, to also believe in Him. We are to take this to heart too.
Jesus said in “My Father’s house there are many mansions,” and a dwelling place has been prepared for all of us who love Him. (John 14:1-2) No matter the persecution and afflictions we may suffer in this life-time, they are all working for a greater weight of glory that has yet to be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18) Everything works together for our good because we love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
At II Corinthians 5:1, The Apostle Paul encourages that even though our earthly bodies are perishing, we have a spiritual house that cannot be dissolved. He wrote:
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tablernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
Keep on trusting, relying, and depending on the testimony of Jesus Christ who has conquered death for us and made us “More Than Conquerors” in death and life. For we take great comfort in knowing that “we shall be changed.” (I Cor.15: 51-52) Paul went on to write:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump: For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He is the life-giving Spirit. With His Resurrection, He entered into a new form of existence. Jesus is the source of the spiritual life that will result in our resurrection
Christ’s new glorified body now suits his new glorified life. When we are resurrected, God will also give us a transformed eternal body suited for our new eternal life. A spiritual body that never grows tired, weak, old, or experiences pain. God will wipe away all of our tears. There will never be death again, sorrow, and crying for the former things in this life will have passed a way. (Rev. 21:4) It’s so good to know Jesus. It’s so good to know that through Jesus Christ we are “More than Conquerors” in both death and life, through Jesus Christ who loved us. Give God glory and praise in this house! Amen.
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