Reawakening to the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Christ, 9 January 2022
Reawakening to the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Christ
Series—40 Days of Prayer with The Alliance
Hebrews 2:10-18; 9:11-15; 10:12-14, 19-25
Series Big Idea: The aim of this 40-day focus is to fix our gaze on Jesus, remember who He is, what He has done, what He has given us to do, and what He will do in the future.
Big Idea: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are an example for us to appreciate and follow.
Today we’re beginning week 2 of 40 Days of Prayer with The Alliance. Last week we talked about reawakening to the glory of Christ. We said you can seek your glory or God’s glory, but not both. I believe the reason the Church in America is so weak, anemic, asleep is that we try to sprinkle a little Jesus into our lives. If we just give God an hour on Sunday or a quick prayer before meals or like an Instagram post of a scripture or listen to a few Christian songs on the radio, we’ll experience a little more happiness in our lives.
NO! Jesus’ message was to die…so we can truly live. I think the reason so many Christians live miserable lives is because they’re still trying to be in control, do things their way, play the role of God. We must die first. We must pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus. Then we are ready to experience true joy, peace, and contentment. The resurrected life is infinitely greater than any tweaking or self-improvement of our sinful lives.
Speaking of resurrected life, today we’re jumping ahead to Holy Week. Our topic is reawakening to the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Christ. You’ve heard of Christmas in July? This is Easter in January! I’m thankful for Steve Grusendorf’s sermon outline as we fix our gaze on Jesus today.
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of dying—and aren’t we all?!—remember Jesus set the perfect example for us. He never asks us to do anything he hasn’t already done for us. That’s what it means to follow someone, right?
Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He doesn’t need casual friends. He’s looking for followers, and he’s inviting you and me to follow him…daily. The challenge is Jesus is not safe…but he’s good!
Tragically, many have been told the lie that the safest place to be is the center of God’s will. It’s the most dangerous place to be…but also the most rewarding. If you remain close to Jesus, you will experience both death and resurrection more fully than if you’re just a spectator. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi,
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)
There is no Easter without Good Friday.
There is no resurrection without a death.
There are no shortcuts for followers of Jesus. He wants all of you!
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are an example for us to follow. This is NOT the American Dream! It’s not popular or politically correct. But it’s the greatest way to live. It’s the way to truly be human. It’s the pathway to true peace, hope, and joy.
I must admit God’s plan for us—for humanity—is not what I would’ve imagined. If I wanted to rescue the world from its sin and death, I probably would’ve tried to create something or someone to do the dirty work, to fight the battle, to pay the price. Instead, God sent His one and only son, Jesus, the uncreated one to not only die and resurrect, but also to live for more than three decades in our world, experiencing the same temptations, trials, triumphs, and tragedies we face every day.
I. Jesus lived with us so that He could relate to us in our uncertain lives. (Hebrews 2:10–18).
The writer of Hebrews describes it like this:
God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. (Hebrews 2:10, NLT)
Not only were you made by God and for God, everything was made by God and for God…and He invites us into glory.
I was struck by the second sentence about Jesus’ suffering. In our culture, we will do just about anything to avoid suffering, yet in God’s vision, suffering has a purpose. God doesn’t waste anything! As a student of leadership, I’m fascinated by the link between suffering and leadership here. At its core, leadership is not about a title or position, but rather influence. Suffering was the preparation for Jesus’ mission…and I believe it’s true for all great leaders. Suffering reminds us of our weakness, of our dependency upon God. It forces us to slow down, reflect, get on our knees, and become passionate for God. It is never pleasant in the moment, but it often produces wonderful fruit in the lives of those seeking God’s glory above their own.
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.” (Hebrews 2:11-12, NLT)
If you are a follower of Jesus, he calls you a brother or sister. We have the same Father. Isn’t that amazing?!
He also said,
“I will put my trust in him,”
that is, “I and the children God has given me.” (Hebrews 2:13, NLT)
I find these to be words of intimacy, of relationship. Jesus truly is our big brother and he not only loves us, he proved it by going to the cross.
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. (Hebrews 2:14a, NLT)
That’s the message of the incarnation. Jesus took on flesh. He became one of us.
For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. (Hebrews 2:14b-15, NLT)
Hallelujah! This is wonderful news!
We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:16, NLT)
I love that!
Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17, NLT)
What a plan! What a mission! What a God!
Let me say again to anyone out there who thinks you deserve to go to heaven when you die because you’re a good person, if you’re good enough—which requires perfection, by the way—it was foolish for Jesus to come, live, and die. Jesus even asked for Plan B when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
There’s one more verse in Hebrews chapter two we must not miss.
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. (Hebrews 2:18, NLT)
One of the most abused and sometimes offensive statements in our culture is, “I know how you feel.” Really? We can have empathy for others, but unless we’ve had a similar experience, we really don’t know. I don’t know what it’s like to give birth to a baby…but many of you ladies do! I don’t know what it’s like to break my collarbone…but some of you do. I do know what it’s like to have a sick child for years, to lose a parent, to be laid off from a job, to see a negative balance in the checkbook…and therefore I can help others in similar situations.
Our FAC family has lost several members in recent years to death. One person who lost a spouse told me they recently spoke to a widow in our congregation to offer a word of sympathy, comfort, and encouragement. They understand what it’s like! They can help others in a similar situation.
Jesus has gone through suffering, testing and temptation to help us in ours. He understands! He gets it! I know of no other religion or faith or philosophy with such connection, compassion, and comfort. Jesus can uniquely help us in our trials and temptations because He’s been here and done that!
Hebrews has much more to say about the death of Jesus and what it accomplished.
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. (Hebrews 9:11-12, NLT)
The book of Hebrews has some significant connections with the book of Leviticus, including references to the Jewish sacrifices. Jed Ostoich notes,
“The argument in Exodus and Leviticus was simply that humans could reenter God’s presence in costly fashion. The argument of Hebrews is that Jesus paid that high cost and more.”
Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. (Hebrews 9:13, NLT)
Can you imagine life before Jesus?!
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:14, NLT)
Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (see John 1:29). He is the perfect sacrifice. God died for you! I still can hardly believe such love!
That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15, NLT)
II. Jesus sacrificed Himself in order to secure our heavenly future (Hebrews 9:11–15).
Jesus’ death and resurrection make our future more certain than our present. Think about that for a moment! We don’t know when the pandemic will end or if the Walleye will win tonight, but our heavenly future is secure. We have a certain future which gives us hope in the present.
There are three types of people listening to me.
First, there are those who are investigating the claims of Jesus as LORD. I want to urge you to give your life to Jesus…today! He came to show us what it means to be human and demonstrated his genius through the greatest teachings in history. He died to prove his humanity and his love for you, offering to forgive your sins—past, present, and future. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he proved his deity by conquering death, rising from the dead, appearing to hundreds of people, ascending into heaven, and promising to return. What more could Jesus do to prove himself to you? Take it from me, Jesus is the greatest! He is everything to me! I have made him the leader of my life and I urge you to do the same, not for my sake but yours! His glory is magnificent. His grace is amazing. His love is unending. His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness stretches to the skies. His kindness is beyond description, …I could go on all day!
Second, there are some of you who have experience the glory and wonder of Jesus and have said yes to his invitation to follow him. It’s not an easy life, but it’s an exciting one! The benefits will last for eternity, and there’s nothing in this world which satisfies like Jesus.
But there’s a third group and, honestly, I often find myself here. It’s the comfortable, casual, and familiar. It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt, and it’s so easy to think of this death and resurrection thing as yesterday’s news. It’s easy to forget the radical sacrifice of God himself for pillars of dust like you and me. This is why Jesus said, “Remember me.” It’s why we celebrate communion on the first Sunday of the month. It’s why we gather to sing, to give, to serve, to praise, to study, to worship.
We need to reawaken to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I can’t do that for you, though I can encourage you. I can’t force it upon you, though I can invite you to experience it. Finally,
III. Jesus resurrected Himself in order that He might support us in our uncertainties today (Hebrews 10:12–14, 19–25).
There’s so much we don’t know about this crazy world, but if we fix our eyes on Jesus rather than social media and cable news, we’ll find hope, joy, and peace. Right now, Jesus is seated next to the Father, praying for us (Romans 8:34). How cool is that?!
Jesus is our Savior, but also our sanctifier, healer, and coming King. We have a hope. We have a future! We also have the Holy Spirit with us now to comfort, guide, and lead us.
Let me remind you again of what Jesus has done.
But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:12-14, NLT)
So What?
Jesus suffered for us. He died for us. He knows pain, storms, loss, grief, and uncertainty. He wants to be with us in the storms and the victories of life. It’s just a question of whether or not we will trust and follow Him.
I’ll let Hebrews wrap us up. It needs no explanation.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT)
This is such good news!
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23, NLT)
Amen! Here’s more…
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24, NLT)
There’s your homework for this week! Finally,
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25, NLT)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—40 Days of Prayer with The Alliance
Hebrews 2:10-18; 9:11-15; 10:12-14, 19-25
Series Big Idea: The aim of this 40-day focus is to fix our gaze on Jesus, remember who He is, what He has done, what He has given us to do, and what He will do in the future.
Big Idea: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are an example for us to appreciate and follow.
Today we’re beginning week 2 of 40 Days of Prayer with The Alliance. Last week we talked about reawakening to the glory of Christ. We said you can seek your glory or God’s glory, but not both. I believe the reason the Church in America is so weak, anemic, asleep is that we try to sprinkle a little Jesus into our lives. If we just give God an hour on Sunday or a quick prayer before meals or like an Instagram post of a scripture or listen to a few Christian songs on the radio, we’ll experience a little more happiness in our lives.
NO! Jesus’ message was to die…so we can truly live. I think the reason so many Christians live miserable lives is because they’re still trying to be in control, do things their way, play the role of God. We must die first. We must pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus. Then we are ready to experience true joy, peace, and contentment. The resurrected life is infinitely greater than any tweaking or self-improvement of our sinful lives.
Speaking of resurrected life, today we’re jumping ahead to Holy Week. Our topic is reawakening to the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Christ. You’ve heard of Christmas in July? This is Easter in January! I’m thankful for Steve Grusendorf’s sermon outline as we fix our gaze on Jesus today.
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of dying—and aren’t we all?!—remember Jesus set the perfect example for us. He never asks us to do anything he hasn’t already done for us. That’s what it means to follow someone, right?
Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He doesn’t need casual friends. He’s looking for followers, and he’s inviting you and me to follow him…daily. The challenge is Jesus is not safe…but he’s good!
Tragically, many have been told the lie that the safest place to be is the center of God’s will. It’s the most dangerous place to be…but also the most rewarding. If you remain close to Jesus, you will experience both death and resurrection more fully than if you’re just a spectator. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi,
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)
There is no Easter without Good Friday.
There is no resurrection without a death.
There are no shortcuts for followers of Jesus. He wants all of you!
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are an example for us to follow. This is NOT the American Dream! It’s not popular or politically correct. But it’s the greatest way to live. It’s the way to truly be human. It’s the pathway to true peace, hope, and joy.
I must admit God’s plan for us—for humanity—is not what I would’ve imagined. If I wanted to rescue the world from its sin and death, I probably would’ve tried to create something or someone to do the dirty work, to fight the battle, to pay the price. Instead, God sent His one and only son, Jesus, the uncreated one to not only die and resurrect, but also to live for more than three decades in our world, experiencing the same temptations, trials, triumphs, and tragedies we face every day.
I. Jesus lived with us so that He could relate to us in our uncertain lives. (Hebrews 2:10–18).
The writer of Hebrews describes it like this:
God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. (Hebrews 2:10, NLT)
Not only were you made by God and for God, everything was made by God and for God…and He invites us into glory.
I was struck by the second sentence about Jesus’ suffering. In our culture, we will do just about anything to avoid suffering, yet in God’s vision, suffering has a purpose. God doesn’t waste anything! As a student of leadership, I’m fascinated by the link between suffering and leadership here. At its core, leadership is not about a title or position, but rather influence. Suffering was the preparation for Jesus’ mission…and I believe it’s true for all great leaders. Suffering reminds us of our weakness, of our dependency upon God. It forces us to slow down, reflect, get on our knees, and become passionate for God. It is never pleasant in the moment, but it often produces wonderful fruit in the lives of those seeking God’s glory above their own.
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.” (Hebrews 2:11-12, NLT)
If you are a follower of Jesus, he calls you a brother or sister. We have the same Father. Isn’t that amazing?!
He also said,
“I will put my trust in him,”
that is, “I and the children God has given me.” (Hebrews 2:13, NLT)
I find these to be words of intimacy, of relationship. Jesus truly is our big brother and he not only loves us, he proved it by going to the cross.
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. (Hebrews 2:14a, NLT)
That’s the message of the incarnation. Jesus took on flesh. He became one of us.
For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. (Hebrews 2:14b-15, NLT)
Hallelujah! This is wonderful news!
We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:16, NLT)
I love that!
Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17, NLT)
What a plan! What a mission! What a God!
Let me say again to anyone out there who thinks you deserve to go to heaven when you die because you’re a good person, if you’re good enough—which requires perfection, by the way—it was foolish for Jesus to come, live, and die. Jesus even asked for Plan B when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
There’s one more verse in Hebrews chapter two we must not miss.
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. (Hebrews 2:18, NLT)
One of the most abused and sometimes offensive statements in our culture is, “I know how you feel.” Really? We can have empathy for others, but unless we’ve had a similar experience, we really don’t know. I don’t know what it’s like to give birth to a baby…but many of you ladies do! I don’t know what it’s like to break my collarbone…but some of you do. I do know what it’s like to have a sick child for years, to lose a parent, to be laid off from a job, to see a negative balance in the checkbook…and therefore I can help others in similar situations.
Our FAC family has lost several members in recent years to death. One person who lost a spouse told me they recently spoke to a widow in our congregation to offer a word of sympathy, comfort, and encouragement. They understand what it’s like! They can help others in a similar situation.
Jesus has gone through suffering, testing and temptation to help us in ours. He understands! He gets it! I know of no other religion or faith or philosophy with such connection, compassion, and comfort. Jesus can uniquely help us in our trials and temptations because He’s been here and done that!
Hebrews has much more to say about the death of Jesus and what it accomplished.
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. (Hebrews 9:11-12, NLT)
The book of Hebrews has some significant connections with the book of Leviticus, including references to the Jewish sacrifices. Jed Ostoich notes,
“The argument in Exodus and Leviticus was simply that humans could reenter God’s presence in costly fashion. The argument of Hebrews is that Jesus paid that high cost and more.”
Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. (Hebrews 9:13, NLT)
Can you imagine life before Jesus?!
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:14, NLT)
Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (see John 1:29). He is the perfect sacrifice. God died for you! I still can hardly believe such love!
That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15, NLT)
II. Jesus sacrificed Himself in order to secure our heavenly future (Hebrews 9:11–15).
Jesus’ death and resurrection make our future more certain than our present. Think about that for a moment! We don’t know when the pandemic will end or if the Walleye will win tonight, but our heavenly future is secure. We have a certain future which gives us hope in the present.
There are three types of people listening to me.
First, there are those who are investigating the claims of Jesus as LORD. I want to urge you to give your life to Jesus…today! He came to show us what it means to be human and demonstrated his genius through the greatest teachings in history. He died to prove his humanity and his love for you, offering to forgive your sins—past, present, and future. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he proved his deity by conquering death, rising from the dead, appearing to hundreds of people, ascending into heaven, and promising to return. What more could Jesus do to prove himself to you? Take it from me, Jesus is the greatest! He is everything to me! I have made him the leader of my life and I urge you to do the same, not for my sake but yours! His glory is magnificent. His grace is amazing. His love is unending. His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness stretches to the skies. His kindness is beyond description, …I could go on all day!
Second, there are some of you who have experience the glory and wonder of Jesus and have said yes to his invitation to follow him. It’s not an easy life, but it’s an exciting one! The benefits will last for eternity, and there’s nothing in this world which satisfies like Jesus.
But there’s a third group and, honestly, I often find myself here. It’s the comfortable, casual, and familiar. It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt, and it’s so easy to think of this death and resurrection thing as yesterday’s news. It’s easy to forget the radical sacrifice of God himself for pillars of dust like you and me. This is why Jesus said, “Remember me.” It’s why we celebrate communion on the first Sunday of the month. It’s why we gather to sing, to give, to serve, to praise, to study, to worship.
We need to reawaken to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I can’t do that for you, though I can encourage you. I can’t force it upon you, though I can invite you to experience it. Finally,
III. Jesus resurrected Himself in order that He might support us in our uncertainties today (Hebrews 10:12–14, 19–25).
There’s so much we don’t know about this crazy world, but if we fix our eyes on Jesus rather than social media and cable news, we’ll find hope, joy, and peace. Right now, Jesus is seated next to the Father, praying for us (Romans 8:34). How cool is that?!
Jesus is our Savior, but also our sanctifier, healer, and coming King. We have a hope. We have a future! We also have the Holy Spirit with us now to comfort, guide, and lead us.
Let me remind you again of what Jesus has done.
But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:12-14, NLT)
So What?
Jesus suffered for us. He died for us. He knows pain, storms, loss, grief, and uncertainty. He wants to be with us in the storms and the victories of life. It’s just a question of whether or not we will trust and follow Him.
I’ll let Hebrews wrap us up. It needs no explanation.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT)
This is such good news!
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23, NLT)
Amen! Here’s more…
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24, NLT)
There’s your homework for this week! Finally,
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25, NLT)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.