The resurrection of Christ is a fact. So what?

Steve Brown:
The resurrection of Christ is a fact. So what? Let’s talk about it on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
This is Key Life. We’re here to communicate the freeing truth that God’s not mad at His children. Steve invited our friend Pete Alwinson to teach us all this week. Pete is a former pastor, founder of ForgeTruth.com and the author of Like Father Like Son.

Steve Brown:
Hi Pete.

Pete Alwinson:
Hey Steve.

Steve Brown:
This has been fun sitting around talking, you know, even an old guy like me and a semi-old guy like you, who’ve been doing this for a lot of years. You need to occasionally go back to some basics, and there’s nothing more basic than the resurrection of Christ. If you’ve been listening for the last two days, and we just skim the surface. We don’t have time to, but there are so much research you can do on the resurrection of Christ. At the end of which, unless you’re an idiot, you’re going to say that really happened. And what we’re going to talk about is, yes, it did really happen. So what? So why don’t you read some Scripture and then we’ll start talking about, so what?

Pete Alwinson:
Absolutely. That’s great. We read last a couple of weeks ago, or couple of days ago, I Corinthians 15:12 through 19, which Paul basically says, if it didn’t happen, your faith is worthless. And then he says this.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ’s at his coming. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For “He has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when he says “all things are put in subjection,” it is evident he is accepted who put all things in subjection to him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him so that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will those who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are we baptized for them?

Steve Brown:
Oh, that’s a powerful passage, but before we get into discussing the implications of the resurrection, that last sentence was kind of troubling.

Pete Alwinson:
It kind of grips you, doesn’t it?

Steve Brown:
Yeah, well, people always bring that verse up because they say, there, they baptize, God says you can baptize for the dead, but he doesn’t say that, does he?

Pete Alwinson:
That’s not what that means, it can’t possibly, but it is a theological issue that some cults have taken out of context and used. So, that’s not, so what does it mean? There are probably many different meanings. One meaning I know of, Steve, is that Christians are dying and when new Christians come to faith in Christ, there’s a sense in which when those new Christians are baptized, it’s taking the place of the one who died. And so, there’s this ongoing growth in the church, but clearly it’s not baptizing for somebody who’s already dead.

Steve Brown:
I think that Paul was simply taking something that was extant that people were doing. And saying they’re totally illogical.

Pete Alwinson:
Can’t do it.

Steve Brown:
You can’t do that because you, and that was just an example. It was not an admonishment that we go out and baptize for the dead. But that’s enough time on that. Let’s go on to the implications. So, Paul then talks about that in one man, which would be the first Adam, we all died. That means we’re in trouble.

Pete Alwinson:
We’re in trouble. And that is such a major theological point, isn’t it? That when we’re born, and we both have grandchildren and wonderful grandchildren. We just had our latest and she’s precious, but she’s a totally depraved little sinner who needs Jesus.

Steve Brown:
Totally selfish.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
I mean, she’s not thinking about you. She’s thinking about giving me something to eat.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
Let me play with this toy. But, and that’s cute and that’s good, that’s okay. But it does say something about human nature, doesn’t it? That we’re not wonderful people. And if we’re treated right, we won’t become more wonderful, we’ll become worse. My kids went to one of those progressive schools when they were children. And by the way, the building where that was taught, they took the walls down and they said children want to learn. They want to grow. And they built a whole system on that. It’s now boarded up. It didn’t work. The kids didn’t buy into it. They thought, I can get away with anything, and they did. So, that says something about human nature. But it says something about sin too, doesn’t it?

Pete Alwinson:
It really is. It’s we sin because we’re sinners. We don’t sin and then become sinners. It’s our nature and our nature has to be overcome. Humanism teaches the opposite, right? It says we’re basically good and that really is in contradiction to all New Testament teaching.

Steve Brown:
Well, and it explains the differences in views that are economic, that are political, that are philosophical. that are sociological, how we view human nature. And the Scripture says.

Human nature, the heart is deceitful above all things. It’s desperately corrupt. Who can understand it?

So, what does the resurrection have to do with that?

Pete Alwinson:
Well, so the resurrection proves that when Jesus paid for our sins, those who put their faith in him can be actually justified and declared not guilty for their sins. That God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus, therefore there’s no reason on earth or in heaven that he should stay dead. He’s alive. And so, the resurrection is proof that God accepted the sacrificial work of Jesus on our behalf.

Steve Brown:
And so, I’m forgiven. I don’t have to feel guilty anymore, do I?

Pete Alwinson:
No, but we do.

Steve Brown:
Oh, we do.

Pete Alwinson:
Why do we still?

Steve Brown:
Because we’re violating something that’s built into the very nature of the universe. And he’s going to make us better. I really, I’m crucified with Christ. That’s not a command, it’s a fact. And I’m going to get better and have, in fact, I always say, I thought I’d be better by now. And that’s true. I thought I’d be a super spiritual Christian, and that hadn’t happened. But I am better. And in some ways, I’m a lot better.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
Because of what you were just talking about. I’m forgiven. I don’t have to deal with guilt. What about fear?

Pete Alwinson:
Oh man. You know, I mean, if the greatest fear that we face is death and what’s on the other side of it, then we do not have to fear at that level at all.

Steve Brown:
It’s true. And I think we all, I have Christians say, I don’t fear death at all. And I want to say, are you crazy?

Pete Alwinson:
Come on.

Steve Brown:
You’re going to heaven is the good news and you’re going on Thursday. How about that? So, but death’s pretty scary. It really is. It’s one in one, and you never get out of this thing alive, and it’s pretty much the theme that philosophy and metaphysics and religion tries to deal with because it’s so scary to everybody.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s so true. And I really think that a lot of Christians, Bible believing Christians who say they believe in the resurrection, I think they do fear death. I think a lot might say super spiritually, yeah, I’m not afraid of death. Well, one guy said, I’m not afraid of death. I’m just afraid of growing old.

Steve Brown:
Yeah. Okay. All right. Same thing.

Pete Alwinson:
Yeah. But, but I do think that we do need to have a robust, strong theology of death.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

But that comes from the resurrection. And I think we have to consciously think about it. What is it? What is that Latin phrase? Memento mori. Remember, you will die. Remember your death.

Steve Brown:
Do you know, the Egyptians used to, since we’re talking about death, this really is true, at their parties, at their banquets, at their celebrations, they always had a corpse. I guess at the head table. I don’t know where they put him, but you know, I can see Gertrude and Sam dancing. And she looks over his shoulder. She sees that corpse and says, Sam, this creeps me out. But it was, from their perspective, it was a reminder of what you just said. That we’re all going to die.

Pete Alwinson:
That’s right.

Steve Brown:
And that’s a big deal. It’s a lot bigger than most people admit.

Pete Alwinson:
And so, the resurrection shows that there is true life on the other side of this life. And that the renewal that we face, that we have now in Christ and the transformation that’s in our lives now, is going to be even greater than, and so heaven is something we look forward to because of the resurrection.

Steve Brown:
It really is. And we’re running out of time, so we’re not going to spend a lot of time. We’ll talk about it a little bit tomorrow. But the resurrection also gives meaning.

Pete Alwinson:
It does.

Steve Brown:
You know, you get the existentialists who say there is no meaning. You were just a turnip and if there’s no God, there’s no meaning. If there’s no meaning, there’s no value. If there’s no value, it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s all meaningless. And yet the resurrection says, this is all true.

Pete Alwinson:
And you were so important that I came for you and rose again on your behalf.

Steve Brown:
We’ll talk about meaning tomorrow, as we continue talking about the implications of the resurrection. And then on Friday, we’re going to center in on the cross and how important that is. For now, remember you’re valuable. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve Brown and Pete Alwinson. We are right in the middle of our special Holy Week series here on Key Life. I trust you’re enjoying it as much as I am. And good news, not only will Steve and Pete be back tomorrow, we’ll also have a special Good Friday episode as well. Hope you’ll continue with us. So, if you need a reminder, not only about our need for grace, but the power of grace, may I direct you to the Old Testament to find a fellow named Jacob. Yeah, right, that guy, the guy who wrestled with God. Well, we recently spoke about Jacob with author Max Lucado, and it was such an amazing conversation. In fact, we’ll send you that entire conversation for free on CD. Just call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that CD. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for the free CD featuring Max Lucado. Finally, if you value the work of Key Life, would you join us in that work through your financial support? You can charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or now, you can gift safely and securely through text. Just pick up your phone, you know it’s right there, and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word, two words. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950 and then follow the instructions. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And as always, we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.