33.z. “Let these words sink into your ears”

 

Matthew 17:22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

 Mark 9:30-31    They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know,  for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.

Luke 44  “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”

 Matthew 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.

 Mark 8:31    And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

 Luke 9:22     saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

 Mark 10:33-34   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.  And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

 Luke 24:6-7    He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,  that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

 Luke 24:26     Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Jesus, knowing of His betrayal, beatings, mocking, rejection, and suffering to death on the cross, chose to bear all of this for your salvation and redemption. Willingly He took on all the sins of man, past and future so that those who would believe in Him would have eternal life.

John 3:15 “that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

I fear there will be many who believe Jesus was the Son of God and that He died for sinners, but they have never trusted Him for the forgiveness of “Their Sins”. They believe who Jesus was but it has no effect on their lives or in their heart. This shallowness is a one-way ticket to eternal hell. Oh, that these souls would see they are without hope apart from complete humble surrender, belief, trust, and reliance in and on Jesus Christ. There are a good number of people who live good lives, do good things, and say kind words but have never felt the need to completely trust in Jesus Christ. They have looked at their lives and concluded they are good enough to inherit eternal life by the way they have conducted their lives. Nothing could be further from the truth. The goodness of one’s life will never equal eternal life. It is only when any and all self-centered reliance is recognized and discarded as a filthy rag that a person will see the fullness of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, salvation, and redemption. There is not a single person who does enough good or is good enough to stand before God in their good works that are done apart from first being fully committed to believing, trusting, relying, obeying, and following Jesus Christ. Now is the time of salvation. Now is the time to repent. Now is the time to believe in the salvation and redemption found in and through Jesus Christ alone. Turn away from any and all thoughts of being good enough and cast all your hope and trust in the work Jesus Christ did on the cross for YOUR sin.

17.c. “Even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

John 11:17  Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

 Romans 8:11    If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 2 Corinthians 4:14    knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

 Philippians 3:20-21     But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

 1 Thessalonians 4:14     For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

 Revelation 20:10-15    and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

“Those that believe in Jesus Christ appear to die, but yet they live. They are not in the grave, they are forever with the Lord. They are not unconscious they are with their Lord in Paradise. Death cannot kill a believer, it can only usher him into a freer form of life.” “Death comes to the ungodly man as a penal infliction, but to the righteous as a summons to his Father’s palace: to the sinner it is an execution, to the saint an undressing. Death to the wicked is the King of terrors: death to the saint is the end of terrors, the commencement of glory.” (Spurgeon)

At death, there is rejoicing for those who believe and regret for those who reject and deny Jesus Christ.  Scripture is clear and yet so many reject the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ. Denying Jesus Christ has earthly effects, but the most important is it has eternal consequences.  We never truly know when death will knock on our door.  We can be ready for that knock and rejoice to know our home is in heaven and we will be with Jesus forever more.

Blessed Assurance

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”

John 11:23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”   She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John 5:28    Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Isaiah 26:19    Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Psalms 17:15    As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Ezekiel 37:1    The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.  And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.  And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.”

Daniel 12:2    And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Hosea 13:14     I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.

Blessed assurance that death will not be our final state.  Everlasting life awaits those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ.  We get so got up in things this side of eternity we lose sight of that which is beyond what we see here.  This life is but a vapor when compared to eternity.  Yet is seems so long at times.  When trials, issues, troubles come we have the assurance that the same person who will raise us from the dead is also able to wrap His loving arms around us and give comfort, refuge, hope, love, courage, and peace.  Rejoice and praise Him for He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  We are redeemed and will be alive forever with Him.