We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ

was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

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.

Romans 6:4-5

Luke 24:24-27; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58

Recurrent Thought

The Resurrection of Jesus was an event that established a new way of Faith-Living, which deserves to be propagated to the whole world                                      

The Cross and the Resurrection are events that are insuperable twins. For the resurrection to make sense there must be an established fact that someone died. For a death to have impact and influence, it has to have a powerful after event significance, and in this case the resurrection gives the death of the cross powerful meaning.

In the first Message we dealt with Three Discourses and Two responses, in this Message we handle two discourse and two responses. In this second, part of the preaching we deal with Two Discourses (discussions) and two responses.

Discourse # 1:

1.The Resurrection Was Anticipated

• Jesus Spoke about the Resurrection while he was alive with the Apostles
• Mat 16:21  From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
• John 2:19  Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
• Mark 10:33  saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 
• Mark 10:34  And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”
• But when he was crucified, the Apostles were so overwhelmed with the death on the Cross and totally forgot that he mentioned His resurrection. So when He arose Jesus rebuked the two disciples for lack of discernment and proceeded to inform them that the Messiah needed to suffer before glorification.
• Jesus showed that the Cross and the Resurrection were prophesied events.
• When he met the men from Emmaus, he showed the Cross & Resurrection from Moses and the Prophets (Luke 24:24-27)
• Later on when he appeared among the Apostles he reminded them that, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44).
• Notice Jesus states that all the sections of the OT spoke of the Messiah to come (Moses, Prophets and Psalms)
• Messianic Prophecies are those that spoke of the coming of the Christ. Some spoke of his Sufferings (Cross) and some His Glory (Resurrection & Ascension). Jesus stated this in Luke 24:26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 
• Jonah's experience in the belly of the fish was a type of the Resurrection
• Mat 12:40  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 
• The Messiahs Body will not see Corruption
• Psalm 16:8-11: Often cited by the Apostles (Acts 2:25-32) as a direct prediction that the Messiah would not decay in the grave, but rather experience the "path of life". Others include Psalm 22:22-29 Isaiah 53:10-12
• The timing of the Sufferings and the Glories of the Messiah confused many
• The Prophetic Black Hole is not to realize that there is a nature and time confusion on the Sufferings and Glories of the Messiah.  To a certain level the Jews only anticipated the Glorified Messiah.
• The Apostles thought there was no time lapse so when he rose from the dead, they thought he would immediately usher in the Triumphant Kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6). 1Pe 1:11  inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 

Discourse # 2:

2.       The Resurrection and its Importance to the Christian Faith

• Disciples were overwhelmed by the Crucifixion
• The Resurrection Day, came and rolled on as a normal day. The Disciples were still in a state of shock, and disbelief. The Master was executed and buried and everything seemed had come to a standstill. Mary Magdalene and others aligned to Jesus went to the Grave to take care of the body of their crucified master. They found an empty grave and angels who informed them he was arisen. From that time onwards what transpired was dramatic and extraordinary. Peter was told the same things by an angel when he went to the grave: he was risen. Later Jesus appeared to two disciples going to Emmaus, and then miraculously entered a closed room where his disciples were gathered. Over 40 Days he appeared countless times until he ascended to glory.
• Encounters with the Risen Jesus emboldened the Early Church
• The Disciples grew fiercely confident and courageous after these 40 days. They were fully convinced in the bodily resurrection of their master. Apostle John captured this confidence when he wrote that:
• 1Jn 1:1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 
• 1Jn 1:2  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 
• 1Jn 1:3  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ
• After the Day of Pentecost, the emerging Church had the Resurrection of Jesus as a sure foundation to their belief systems. The belief in the Resurrection became the absolute cornerstone of the early church, transforming demoralized disciples into bold witnesses, validating Jesus’s divinity, and validating their hope in eternal life. It turned fear into joy, providing the central foundation for Christian preaching, worship, and the conviction that death had been conquered
• The Resurrection Became Part of the Apostolic Teaching
• During the Acts of the Apostles Early Church, Part of the Apostles Teaching was to show the importance of the Resurrection to the Christian Faith. The Resurrection is the Centerpiece and cornerstone to the Christian Faith. It is the crown Jewel to the Teachings, Miracles and death on the Cross. It validated everything Jesus taught, claimed and demonstrated. It authenticated His divinity, proved the success of His sacrificial atonement for sins. Without it, faith is deemed worthless and hopeless. It is the foundation for the believer's hope, justification, and future resurrection. 
• Paul as the Preacher of the crucified Christ makes an expose of the Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15. In this text the Holy Spirit through Paul shows the absolute centrality of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ to the Christian faith. The extension is that the resurrection of Jesus guarantees the future resurrection of believers. Paul argues that if the resurrection is not true, faith is worthless, but because Jesus was raised, death is defeated and believers have eternal hope
• Some Facts proving the authenticity of the Resurrection [i]
  • Jesus died by crucifixion.
  • Jesus’ disciples really believed that Jesus rose from the dead, and appeared to them.
  • Saul, the persecutor of believers was radically transformed into the Jesus preaching Paul.
  • The skeptic James (the brother of Jesus) became a believer (1 Cor. 15:7).
  • The Empty Tomb as narrated by his women followers.

Two Responses to the Resurrection of Jesus

1.Live a Transformed Life Provided by the Resurrected Jesus.

• The Resurrection is the Basis for Your New LIfe in Christ
• The cross leads to a resurrection life. The cross ends the old life and begins the new. The bible states that
• Rom 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
• The power of Jesus Christ establishes gives you a new identity as a child of God which also gives you capacity to overcome the power of the sinful flesh. It shifts our perspective from finding worth in personal achievements to finding it in God’s love. With the New Life You apply the "Great Exchange” Principle: Exchange your brokenness for His wholeness, your guilt for His forgiveness, and your unrighteousness for His righteousness, as described in. With this new identify comes freedom from Shame and Guilt.  The power from the Cross clears away guilt, silences accusation, and removes the condemnation of past failures, and past sins. 
• The New Life is dependent on the Spirit of Resurrection
• The "New Life" in Christian theology is entirely dependent on the Spirit of Resurrection, as the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is believed to live within believers to transform, empower, and sanctify them in the present. This new life is not a future hope alone, but a present reality facilitated by the Holy Spirit, which allows individuals to walk in victory over sin
• Walk in Step with the Spirit
• Gal 5:25  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Trust the Activity of the Spirit as you walk in step with Him: This New life is lived better under and through the  "immeasurable greatness of his power" that was exerted in raising Christ, moving You away from earthly, dead works toward a life of spiritual vitality. As you walk by the Spirit, He provides the strength to live sacrificially and generously, reflecting the love and life of the risen Christ.

2.Preach Jesus the Crucified

Because Preaching of the Crucified Christ was central to the Early Church it must be also to us

Paul shows us that true preaching is not about impressing people. It is about revealing God’s power through the cross.

Message, Man, & Method

• The Message of the Cross is foolishness to the natural man
• To the natural mind, a crucified Savior makes no sense. You must know that God reveals what the World rejects. People who are intellectuals seek truth through reasoning, unfortunately, salvation cannot be discovered but it is revealed. Be convinced that human intellect cannot reach God; revelation is necessary. We seek God through His Word, not merely through reasoning. That is why must first destroys the wisdom of the wise. He actively overturns human systems that try to replace Him. Human wisdom collapses where divine truth stands. AS you preach let us know that we don’t build our faith on trends, but on the eternal Word. Have it in your mind that the world cannot know God through wisdom (…the world by wisdom knew not God…” (1 Cor. 1:21).
• The Message of the Cross Comes with the Power of God
• Here is a paradox: what seems weak in the cross is actually the greatest demonstration of God’s power. The scripture shows that the Cross is the Power of God to those being saved. The message of the cross transforms lives. It may not be logical to you, but it does. It is not theory but the power of God at work. Here is the reality check. As you preach, the Cross does not need analytical explanation, it needs delivery. A changed life is the greatest evidence of the gospel.
• The Message is Delivered by Unlikely Men  
• And in that same wisdom God chooses the weak to shame the strong. God uses the weak to confound the mighty (1 Cor. 1:27). God works through what the world despises. God uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible. Therefore, do not disqualify yourself, God can use you. One thing worth mentioning here, as You minister the Crucified Christ, you come to realize that God hates the glorification of the flesh. He says :”no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Cor. 1:29). Therefore, we must give all glory to God in our salvation and ministry.
• Our Method of Preaching Must Depend on God
• Biblical and True preaching is not based on human ability but on divine power. Preaching is not based on eloquence and excellence of speech. Paul states that he did not go with excellency of speech or of wisdom…” (1 Cor. 2:1). God’s power is not in polished words. Let us Focus on truth, not performance. What is that Truth? Christ crucified!
• 1Co 2:2  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 
• The message must remain centered on Christ. When Christ is central, power is present.”
• Keep Christ at the center of your message and life. One important aspect when we emphasis the truth, the power comes from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:4). True effective preaching comes from the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, preaching is empty. Therefore, learn to depend on prayer and the Spirit, not talent.

Altar Time

1. May I walk with the Spirit and be perpetually empowered
2. May I be available to Preach the Christ Crucified

[i]Tim Stratton, Historical Evidence of the Resurrection: A Debate with a Skeptical Friend, 2017 Available on https://www.freethinkingministries.com/