If Jesus is dead, your life is meaningless.

Steve Brown:
If Jesus is dead, your life is meaningless. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
This is Key Life, we’re here to let you know that because of what Jesus has done, God will never be angry at you again. Pete Alwinson is a former pastor, founder of ForgeTruth.com and the author of Like Father Like Son, and he’s been teaching us all this week.

Steve Brown:
Hi Pete.

Pete Alwinson:
Hey.

Steve Brown:
This has been good to sit around and talk about the resurrection we’ve been doing this week.

Pete Alwinson:
It’s so important for us, isn’t it?

Steve Brown:
You know, I mentioned yesterday and you mentioned too, that meaning comes from the resurrection. I mean, if Jesus remained dead. Then we don’t have anything outside of us to give us hope of being valuable, of anything being meaningful. It was Albert Camus who said.

That the only question was the question of suicide.

And it came directly from this and he said.

If the resurrection happened, if God has entered time and space, then there’s meaning.

And so, to give our lives meaning, some existentialists said you have to force the meaning. If you want to collect Dixie cups, or if you want to collect stamps, make that the meaning of your life, it doesn’t mean anything ultimately, but go ahead. That’s all you’ve got. But God says just the opposite.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah, absolutely. That’s so good. And that’s sort of philosophical in a way that Americans don’t think right now, but it’s true.

Steve Brown:
It’s true.

Pete Alwinson:
We’re all, so many Americans are out trying to find their meaning and create their identity and their purpose and they’re raison d’etre, they’re reason for living. But in the resurrection, it’s proof that there is a God, that we were created and that we are redeemed to that original purpose that God gave us.

Steve Brown:
So, all of a sudden we have a song to sing, and a flag to follow. I look at our culture and it sometimes makes me angry, but most of the time it makes me sad. I mean, the use of social media to define yourself and what’s this all about, Alvey, is a very sad thing. And I don’t think most people realize that’s what they’re doing. They’re trying to make their life count. And when they realize that it doesn’t, the suicide rate goes through the roof. And we’re facing that in our culture right now.

Pete Alwinson:
Oh man, we are, you know, with fentanyl flooding across our borders. That’s one of the major problems is that people are using that stuff big time and partly to feel good, but also because there is a great deal of despair. And I think many people in leadership don’t realize that the despair that false philosophy is producing, false political philosophy, false philosophy is producing among Americans.

Steve Brown:
An incredible sense of meaninglessness.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
Okay. There’s another question. Am I going to have hair in heaven?

Pete Alwinson:
You know

Steve Brown:
I want to know this.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah.

Steve Brown:
I am?

Pete Alwinson:
Steve, I think you are. Are you going to be 25 in heaven? What’s the body going to look like?

Steve Brown:
That is, you know, all kidding inside. That’s a legitimate question.

Pete Alwinson:
It is.

Steve Brown:
And it’s one of the Bible deals with, doesn’t it?

Pete Alwinson:
See, it does. And I could read a little bit of it.

Steve Brown:
Alright. Do it.

Pete Alwinson:
Alright. Let me read it. He says in I Corinthians 15, he says.

So also is the resurrection of the dead.

The body, about the body.

It’s sown a perishable body; it is raised an imperishable body. It is sown in dishonor; it’s raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there’s also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul”, the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

So, what’s that body going to be? We know it’s going to be imperishable, that’s one thing.

Steve Brown:
And we know from what the Scripture says that I’m going to know you and you’re going to know me. And we’re going to know our friends and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah. I think there’s going to be continuity. So, we’ll know each other. Now, will you have hair? I mean, you know, I ran into a guy I hadn’t seen in a long time and he didn’t have much hair anymore. And he said, you don’t know who I am, do you? I looked at him and I said, oh yeah, it came to me eventually. And in heaven that might be this wonderful reunion over and over and over. But I do think we’re going to have bodies that are going to give glory to God and they will be glorious.

Steve Brown:
I agree.

Pete Alwinson:
I think there’ll be a purpose too, on this planet for extending the glory of God, maybe intergalactically as well.

Steve Brown:
It’s bigger than we think, and it’s bigger than we can think.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah, that’s right.

Steve Brown:
But it all goes back, doesn’t it, to the resurrection? If Jesus didn’t come back from the dead, then not only is our life meaningless, eternal life is a pipe dream. And what we’re going to be like is also a pipe dream.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
But the Scriptures are clear that that’s not true.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
Now, tomorrow we’re going to talk, and I’m going to introduce it right now, we’re going to talk about the cross of Christ. Tomorrow’s Good Friday. It’s actually Black Friday, or Dark Friday, or whatever you say. And we’re going to talk about the crucifixion. But the crucifixion does in life, and in the Scripture, and in Jesus, precede the resurrection. And so, when we talk about implications, that Tony Campolo song, sermon, it’s Saturday, it’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming, is really important, isn’t it?

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah, boy, it really is. So, we’ve been talking about the resurrection, but now we’re coming to Good Friday. And Jesus was the baby born with a death sentence on him. And he was born, he was born to die. He was born to go to the cross. So, what we need

Steve Brown:
We need to recognize that because it’s a strong truth of the Christian faith.

Pete Alwinson:
Absolutely.

Steve Brown:
That he was born with the death sentence.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
That he came, but the crucifixion precedes the resurrection. And that’s a principle that’s pretty big. It’s big in lots of things that we’re involved in in our lives. There are hard places, but you’ve got to go through the hard places to get to the easier places. Or as that great theologian and metaphysician Mary Tyler Moore said.

If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not doing it right.

But if you, but when you move into Jesus, you’re moving to something that really, really is important and that He promised us. He didn’t promise us a rose garden. He promised us a cross.

Pete Alwinson:
His life really models for us, what our life can be and in a joyful life of willing sacrifice to the glory of God and for the good of other people. And that’s how he lived his life for us.

Steve Brown:
And that’s how you get to the resurrection, too, is going through the crucifixion. Can you imagine being the disciples in that upper room after he had been crucified? I mean, you’ve given your life to a cause, and all of a sudden it’s dead. Your dreams are pipe dreams.

Pete Alwinson:
They were absolutely convinced Jesus was the Messiah, the fulfillment of Scripture in their time. And they had given their whole lives to this.

Steve Brown:
But he wasn’t.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah.

Steve Brown:
Because he died. He didn’t even bring in the armies. He didn’t do a thing. He just, and not only that, while he was dying, he cried out that God had forsaken him. What kind of Messiah is that? And you can put yourself, you know, Peter said, when they were in the upper room, I’m going fishing. That’s, that meant, that’s all I’ve got left. I’m going to go fishing. That means that everything I hoped for, everything I dreamed, everything I look to as important in my life is gone.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah. And that’s why they were so alone, separated, despairing, praying, mourning, all alone, but the Resurrection made all the difference, of course.

Steve Brown:
Oh yeah. In fact, going back to what we said when we first started talking about the proofs of the Resurrection, what in the world happened? Was it booze? Was it they decided, you know, the only way we’re going to salvage something out of this is to sit down and dream up a story that people will listen to, that doesn’t explain it. That doesn’t explain Peter going from, I’m going fishing because everything’s gone, to being willing to die in Rome for the cause that he had seen.

Pete Alwinson:
Right, the Resurrection changed everything, didn’t it?

Steve Brown:
It really did.

Pete Alwinson:
It changed everything. It changed the course of their lives. It changed, and we need to allow it to change the course of our lives as well, and to think outside the box, not try to get God in our box, but to say, Lord, what’s your will? How can I follow you? What do you want to do that is bigger than me?

Steve Brown:
And this changes the world, you know, sometimes we forget that we’ve been called to see world changing things happen. And frankly, Pete, I don’t know anything that will do that. Communism says they’re going to do it, they can’t pull it off. Capitalism is the best thing going and they can’t pull it off. All kinds of charismatic leaders come along and make promises and they can’t pull it off. But one thing can pull it off and that is Jesus. And he is real because of the resurrection. So, now tomorrow is Good Friday and we’re going to talk about the cross. But think about some of the things that we’ve said over this past week. A dead man got out of a grave. And not only that. He said, you could too. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
If Jesus is dead your life is meaningless. How true that is and how wonderful that that’s not the situation. This week we’ve been taking a break from our exploration of Proverbs to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus. And we will wrap up this special Holy Week tomorrow. Do not miss it. So, real talk, as the kids say. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by how broken this world is? I mean, there’s just so much hurt and need, right? Well, here’s some encouragement for you. One of the biggest things we can do for our world is to simply love each other. Steve spoke about this in a powerful sermon called All The World Needs Is Love. In it, he explores what love is, how it’s expressed, and the life changing impact it has. Get that on CD for free by calling us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] and ask for that CD. To mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Just ask for the CD called All The World Needs Is Love. And finally, if you value the work of Key Life, would you join us in that work through your financial support? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or give safely and securely through text. Just text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word, two words. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.