No Fear in Resurrection Life!

THOMAS FRANCIS
Home with Jesus, April 2, 2009

 

Daily, the headlines tell the grim news. “Markets Down”, “More Jobs Lost”, “Major Corporation To Declare Bankruptcy!” You can feel danger in the air. People who have lived in a time of great wealth are in deep trouble. For generations Americans have come to expect their piece of the American dream as their right.

“Work hard and you will succeed”, is a mantra we have all grown up with. Now, in a matter of a few weeks, the dream seems to be gone. Promises of hope and change have become nightmares of gloom and despair. There is fear everywhere.

Circa 30 A.D.

It had been an amazing day! The crowds had been huge, the teaching electrifying. Excitedly they had left Him and had begun their slow night cruise to the other side of the sea. Then, without warning—danger! Winds howled; the storm raged; waves threatened to sink their ship. Though they were experienced in the ways of the sea, they could feel that they were in deep trouble.

Then, as if the storm were not generating enough fear, they saw a figure walking on the water over the awesome waves. They were terrified!

The Bible says, “But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, ‘Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.’ Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped” (Mk. 6:50-51 NASB). They were astounded! How could this man do these things?

Now, huddled in the upper room, memories crowded their tired minds. For three years they had followed Him, fully expecting Him to establish His kingdom and make them important officials. Instead, it had all ended with the terror of His arrest, torture, and crucifixion. They had scarcely escaped with their lives, and now they were hiding, expecting to be the next victims of the angry Jewish leaders.

There had been rumors, too crazy even to hope for, that He was alive. They knew better; they had watched Him die, and from a distance, they had watched two wealthy Jewish officials take him from the cross, embalm him, and place him in the tomb. Bereft and grief-stricken, they hunkered down in despair.

Fear was in the room. It was the evening of the first day of the week. The door was bolted. The lights were low, and the lookout was posted to watch for approaching danger.

And then … He was there! He spoke to them, “Peace be with you!” The unthinkable was true. Jesus was alive!

Jerusalem, seven weeks later

It had been seven weeks since that horrible, amazing weekend. Events had happened so fast they were blurring in their memories. They had known terror, complete joy, and finally amazement as they had watched Him go away into heaven. The two angel messengers had promised that He would be coming back. He had told them to go into Jerusalem and wait until the Holy Spirit would come upon them. Then they were to be His witnesses.

Witnesses to what?

Suddenly the room shook with a mighty wind. Flames of fire appeared on each of them. The ability to speak languages they had never spoken or understood before came to them. Throngs of Jews from all over the Mediterranean world were gathering at the sound of the event.

It was early on that Pentecost Sunday morning, and Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the very first sermon of the church that was Christ’s body. What did he preach?

His message was the very first presentation of the Gospel, the message of the resurrection. Note the points of His sermon. He began by explaining that the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah. He came, and the people killed Him by hanging Him on a tree. “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:34 NASB). We are His witnesses to this singular event. He is now at the right hand of he Father. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 3:36).

The message was powerful. It always has been and still is powerful each time it has been presented. The listening crowds were convicted; they were pointed to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, and three thousand were baptized in a single day.

Personal peace

Today, as in the days of the early church, our culture has let us down. As St. Augustine is loosely quoted as saying: “My soul shall find no peace until it finds its peace with Thee”. The need of our culture is not restoration of what was, but the discovery of true peace—the perfect peace and sabbatismos rest (Heb. 4:9)—that comes through the message of the resurrection. The message of the resurrection is the pure, sweet, soul-saving Gospel preached by Peter and by all the great preachers of the church from that day until now.

The Apostle Paul clearly defined the gospel: “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time…then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (I Cor. 15:1-8 NASB). Notice the simplicity, the clarity, the assurance. But did you notice the hook?

Of first importance, Christ died for our sins, according to—or as foretold by—the Scriptures. He was buried. And, most importantly of all, He was raised on the third day—again, according to the Scriptures. Have you ever wondered why the Christian church has made such a big deal out of this message? Here is your answer. Because it is by believing this good news of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, by receiving it, and by taking your stand on this news that you receive your salvation. Without the the resurrection event, Jesus would have only been a failed preacher who died a noble death for a lost cause. But because of this wonderful event, the Gospel is the “power of God to salvation to all who believe”.

And there is the “hook”. Paul’s gospel ended with, “last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” Paul acknowledged that he was not worthy of seeing Jesus, yet with such humility he stated, “He appeared to me also”. For Paul, the Gospel was not a theory, a theological statement, or even a doctrine; it was personal. “He appeared to ME.”

The great reformers of the sixteenth century had four great statements which were the pillars of their faith. The foundational statement was Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone as the only written revealed word of God, without error and sufficient for salvation. From Scripture, they believed as did Paul, came the next three statements: Sola Gracia, that salvation is the gift of God’s grace alone, Sola Fide, through faith alone, and Solas Christos, through trust in the death and resurrection of Christ alone. Paul made the same claim in Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). You can’t earn salvation. In fact, Paul says if you try, you are severed from Christ and fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4). Fearful words!

The Gospel message of the resurrection is a message that must be received personally. It doesn’t come with added light or rules and restrictions that make you work hard to earn God’s favor. It comes with a gentle whisper from the One who said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). It comes with a command, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (Jn 6:29.) It comes with assurance, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (Jn 5:24 ) And it comes with a promise, “the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (Jn 6:37).

At the same time, it comes with a requirement: you must believe and trust, even if it seems too easy to be true. As John stated in his first letter, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (I Jn 5:13).

The promise of the resurrection is blessed; it is true; it is sure; it is paid for with blood, guaranteed by the empty tomb, and sealed with the Holy Spirit’s presence in you (Eph. 1: 13-14). Can you hear His soft whisper?

“It is I, don’t be afraid. Come to Me and I will give you life that will never end.” Can you say with assurance that the promise is yours? If not, why not now? If not now, when? †

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Thomas Francis went home to the Lord on Thursday April 2, 2009. His son Eric writes, “We are mourning our loss, yet rejoicing in his gain. He suffered with diabetic-related illnesses for over a decade, yet he never gave up, never gave in, and lived for Jesus Christ every day. I am aware he has written several articles for Proclamation! over the years and has touched unknown lives for Christ. I thought you would want to know. Your ministry meant a great deal to my dad, Thom, in that you allowed him to reach others who had been misled by “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. Thank you for following the Lord in your ministry—our prayers will be with you.