The Resurrection Promise

00:00 - Speaker 1
Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture.

00:09 - Speaker 2
Hey, what about resurrection? Is that a New Testament doctrine or is it an Old Testament promise that's been recorded in the New Testament? Well, let's find out. Let's find out where it comes from. Let's find out where the doctrine of resurrection takes us.

00:22 - Speaker 1
Stay tuned find out where the doctrine of resurrection takes us. Stay tuned, leave us one of those five-star ratings To us. That's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now open your hearts to what God's Word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs.

00:55 - Speaker 2
Well, hey, everybody, I want to be able to say to you right now, more accurately than ever before, happy, holy resurrection weekend to you. I know that we normally say Happy Easter. I don't like saying Easter, it's connected to Ishtar and the bunnies and all that stuff. Just being a little bit picky here, we ought to be walking around shouting or announcing or greeting Happy Resurrection Day, happy Resurrection Week, happy, happy resurrection life. I hope that's the goal anyway.

01:28
A couple of things I want you to consider regarding this resurrection season is there are those who believe that they can or are to live a religious life, a life of faith they'll call it, and then, when that life of faith, that life of morality or that life of their religion is over, that they either die and it's done. I mean, not only are you dead physically, but there are many who teach that you die spiritually, you go into what is known as annihilation. There are some cults that teach this, that when you die it's over, which is absolutely hilarious If you think about their doctrine. They want you to join their so-called church or team. They want you to give money to them so they can advance their message. They want you to be a good disciple of the messaging, and yet there's zero hope in the message. Isn't that strange? You ever think about that? Oh, join our team, commit yourself to what we're preaching and doing, and oh, by the way, when you're dead it's all over, nothing matters anyway. Very strange. Let's move those guys off the scene. There's the fact that every culture in the world that's been studied thus far in anthropology, in archaeology, they were a people group, no matter how advanced or how rural we'll say rural meaning such as those who live in the Amazon rainforest, for example, in the jungles, which we call them rural or ignorant or what. At least they can survive there. You and I wouldn't last 10 minutes there, so it depends, I guess, on where you're at. There are those who believe and practice some form of religion that has an afterlife here in the United States, the American Indian and the various tribes Iroquois, the Cherokee, the Navajo, the Blackfoot they all had their understanding of the great spirit and that when they passed, they believed that you went into the realm of the spirit. And so, again, this is native within the human heart. But what about this? Resurrection season Comes every year, comes every springtime, and yet it has nothing to do with Easter. So let's just forget about Easter. So the Bible teaches us resurrection.

04:09
Somebody might say if they're of the Old Testament, maybe you're Jewish today and you're saying I'm just not too sure about resurrection. We believe in God, we believe in morality, we believe in the Ten Commandments, we believe in our Old Testament scriptures, but life after death, eternity with God, resurrection of the body? I know, as Jews, we say we believe that. But why do we? And, of course, as Christians, we absolutely do and we have the reason why. But I want you to think a few thoughts that you ought to get answered. Just for fun, let's just take this moment to be curious. How about that? So the Bible speaks about everlasting life. The Bible speaks about eternal life. The Bible speaks about God's kingdom being established forever. God talks about his rule and reign from Jerusalem forever, and that, my friend, is just out of the Old Testament. Okay, this is important Because we've got things that we need to have answered and I'm going to start out with maybe four or five of them right now.

05:26
Regarding the prophecies that are in the Bible, Old Testament, why are the prophecies prophesying a kingdom that will be forever God will be upon his throne that there's a separation between those who believe in him and those who do not. Why does the Bible prophesy that there's going to be a day of judgment for the wicked and a day of reward for the believing righteous? It all starts in Genesis, chapter three, verse 15, where there God is speaking to Adam and Eve and the serpent, satan, and the promise is given of salvation that would come through the woman, the female in Genesis 3.15, that in fact, the Messiah would eventually come out of the life of Eve herself, that someday the descendant, a descendant of Eve, would have to be a female and that female would have to be one who gives birth to the Messiah. All that is in Genesis 3.15, one verse, and I'm going to argue with you today that Genesis 3.15 demands resurrection, demands it. Of course there's other scriptures of the Old Testament, but there's a lot of assumptions made in the Old Testament where, for example, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Verse two is not an argument. Verse two doesn't say you want to think about that for a little while. Genesis 1.1, god drops the bomb. Of fact, in the beginning. That is the physical beginning, that which is created. In the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth. That's a statement of fact. God doesn't leave it open for debate. God doesn't struggle with Darwinianism. It's a fact. Well, here's some other facts that I want to argue with you on this resurrection weekend.

07:30
Why the atonement? If there is no resurrection of life, then why? Throughout the Bible, old and New Testament is there necessity of atonement, meaning we have to find innocent blood to mitigate our sins, remove our sins, cover our sins, or else we're in trouble. If there's no resurrection from the dead, then who cares about atonement? If you're going to say, well, we need atonement because every year we'd have to do this to keep and maintain our relationship with God, who cares? If you're going to die and go into an eternity, that doesn't matter. So why would atonement matter if there's no resurrection? In fact, if there's no resurrection, atonement would only be a small factor. But if there is a resurrection, the atonement is the factor, because the atonement made in its preciousness of course I as a Christ follower I'm referring to Christ, I'm referring to Messiah that his atonement only works if there's life after death Makes sense, right.

08:43
What about the promise in the old testament about restoration? God says I'm going to restore all things. God says I'm going to restore the earth, I'm going to restore the heavens, I'm going to restore all that has been broken and I'm going to make all that which is, uh, now tainted by sin, right and good. If, if there's no resurrection, then what is God talking about when he even says I'm even going to resurrect the earth, I'm even going to resurrect the heavens? How about this? If there's no resurrection, then why did Job, the oldest book in the Bible, then why did Job, the oldest book in the Bible, why did Job say listen. Job said when I die, my flesh is going to turn to dust, but there's a day coming when I will stand before my maker. In that day, I know that I will see God in my flesh. That's the book of Job, the oldest book in the Bible. If there's no resurrection, then what on earth was Job talking about? You see, how about this?

10:03
When we talk about the promises that God gives now, this is Old and New Testament alike the promises that God gives regarding resurrection, life. Jesus said if somebody dies believing in me, yet, shall he live? The Bible says that Jesus Christ will call forth the believers at the time of the rapture, those that have died in Christ. Their bodies will be resurrected. That's extremely consistent with Old Testament scripture. Isaiah, chapter 26, verses 19 to 21, speaks about resurrection. So resurrection is not a New Testament concoction. The resurrection is a New Testament eyewitness account to an Old Testament promise.

10:43
I would say without the resurrection, all is futile. If there's no resurrection, if Christ is not risen from the dead, if Christ couldn't raise Lazarus from the dead listen, listen, my Jewish friends, don't tune off, don't tune out. If Elijah couldn't raise the dead kid who had perished from the dead, if Elijah couldn't do that, and if Elijah couldn't raise also, a young child from the dead, then everything's futile. If Christ has not risen from the dead, not only is Christianity false, but it has no power. Think about that for a moment.

11:32
If Jesus Christ has not risen from the dead, all of us have been deceived, our transformed lives. We were once murderers, liars, cheats, thieves, adulterers, fornicators, pagans, mean ugly, terrible people, addicts. And we've been transformed without our effort. We didn't go to a self-improvement course. How do you explain that? How do you explain that? No, the fact is, listen, the fact is Christ is risen from the dead and the evidence of that is overwhelming if you'll look at it. And I could go into a lot of other really tangible things. Some of you could say why don't you talk about Rome's investigation of the post-resurrection Christ during Israel and the interrogation that Herod had to go through and the other government officials? Others have talked about that at length. Lee Strobel, get his book Case for the Resurrection Awesome Jack, you should talk about this, about that at length. Lee Strobel, get his book Case for the Resurrection Awesome Jack, you should talk about this, about that. Listen, those are obvious things that you well know about, but I just wanted to point a few things out.

12:46
Resurrection what was behind in Genesis 22 when Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah to offer him up as a sacrifice to God? The God of the Bible doesn't accept human sacrifice. So what's going on here? You say, what do you mean? God doesn't accept human sacrifice. His son died on the cross, didn't he? Yes, well, there you go. You just made a boo-boo. No, he didn't, because he was only dead for the weekend. His body was only dead for the weekend. God doesn't accept human sacrifice. When Jesus died on the cross, he was human, but he was also 100% God. God took upon himself flesh and died in our place. His body died, his spirit and as a human, his soul never died.

13:43
So when Isaac and Abraham go up to Mount Moriah, isaac lays down on the altar and Abraham raises his dagger to put it into the chest of his son. But God stops him and says to him now I know that you will withhold nothing from me. Of course God knew all things. Abraham technically had Isaac as an idol. Between God and Abraham there was a problem and that problem was Abraham idolized his son Isaac. God knew Abraham didn't know. Abraham found out. You're right, I do trust you, god, so much that I would give my son up. But I also know this because you promised that through my son Isaac, all the nations of the world would be blessed.

14:37
So when you read Genesis and when you read the book of Hebrews, book of Galatians and the book of Romans, you come to the clear understanding that Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead if Isaac was in fact sacrificed. But God stopped him and in a thicket, in a bush, there was a ram stuck. And what's amazing, before that happened, isaac says Father, here's the altar, here's the fire, here's the wood, but where's the sacrifice? And Abraham said to Isaac, my son, god will provide himself the sacrifice Now lay down on this altar. Can you imagine that? And lo and behold, abraham is stopped by the hand of God and sees a ram caught in the thicket. A ram is a male lamb. A ram is a male lamb. Jesus was not only a male, he was the lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

15:46
The Bible tells us Think of this for a moment Very, very important things that we consider at this time, because resurrection is everything. Daniel, chapter 12, announces that God will resurrect those of his who believed in him unto eternal life. Daniel, book of Daniel, david. 3,000 years ago, in Psalm 16, david prophesied that God's anointed. Now, that's a dual prophecy, by the way. It's spoken to David, but it's a messianic Psalm because it's regarding Messiah, who's our prototype. Jesus Christ is resurrected forever first, and it says there that you will not allow your Holy One to see corruption. In other words, my body will not stay in the grave. I will not decay but be resurrected.

16:43
Here's a fun one the Pharisees, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In the New Testament, old Testament era, meaning leading up to the advent of Christ and following Christ, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, these two Jewish sects, warred against each other because the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, but the Pharisees did, and they would battle the scriptures. My point to this is the Pharisees understood the Old Testament to teach resurrection from the dead. So you see, what I'm trying to say is that it's not a New Testament makeup, it's not a New Testament concoction. Resurrection from the dead is consistent from Genesis 3.15 all the way through to Revelation 22.

17:32
But I just want to stress to you that without resurrection, the Bible's futile. Without resurrection, the Bible's meaningless. No wonder why so many people don't read the Bible because they don't believe in resurrection, they don't think it's possible, or they don't think it's necessary, whatever, I don't know. But, my friend, without the resurrection, there is no reason to read the Bible. Without the resurrected Christ, I guess okay, I guess I would read this book on how to make good decisions. That's great. Who cares if you make good decisions or not, seeing that when you die you just cease to exist? Who cares about standing for what's right when you die? It's all over anyway. You see, resurrection from the dead is purely, beautifully consistent with the full revelation of Scripture itself. And I would say to you today that resurrection, as we celebrate this resurrection season is the linchpin, it's the key, it's the foundation to why we even read the Bible, study the Bible.

18:51
Worship God in the first place is because what we do will in fact last forever, because the things that we get to do in this physical body are eternal things. When we pray, it's a forever thing. When we worship, it's a forever thing. Listen to this worship, it's a forever thing. Listen to this. When one sinner hears the gospel and repents of their sins and gives their life to Christ, the Bible says when one sinner does that, the angels in heaven rejoice over that sinner coming to Christ. Now, I think that's fascinating because those three things I just mentioned prayer, worship and evangelism, these three earthly things have some capacity instantly to affect the eternal realm, immediately when we pray, think about it.

19:45
When we pray in this physical world, it immediately enters into eternity. I can't even begin to explain that enters into eternity. I can't even begin to explain that. When we worship the Lord right, think about that. Oh, worship service begins at 9 am. Whatever, when you start worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth, right, that means you mean it and it's biblically, doctrinally accurate worship. It affects God, who dwells in eternity in that moment I don't understand it. And when one sinner comes to faith, in that moment heaven rejoices. Wow, I don't get it. I want to get it because it's too big for my brain. It's just incredible, it's awesome. So I just want to encourage you. It's just incredible, it's awesome. So I just want to encourage you, I want to encourage you with the gospel.

20:36
Jesus Christ came born as a baby in Bethlehem, lived a perfect life, fulfilling scriptures like Isaiah 35, zechariah 9, isaiah 7, isaiah 9, micah 5, it just goes on and on that. He then offers up his life as an atonement and even said oh, by the way, nobody takes my life from me. I just want you guys to all know that. You know you're carting me around to Rome to this I mean not Rome to this Roman leader, to that Roman leader, to this leader of Jerusalem. We're doing all this kangaroo court business. I just want all of you to know no one's going to murder me. I can't be murdered. Isn't that awesome? Can't be murdered, technically. Listen, jesus. This cannot be said of any of us, but Jesus could not have been murdered and Jesus could not have been killed. According to Jesus's words himself. He said nobody takes my life from me. I give it up, I lay it down and I will pick it back up again. Is that awesome? I love that.

21:54
Jesus laid himself down, so to speak, at the cross in the tomb for our sins. He paid the debt and then he rose again from the dead. Justifying listen, providing for us justification that the one that died for us now lives to make sure that you'll get to heaven if you put your trust in him and what he's done. Simple as that, but yet it's as difficult as that, because those of you who are proud you won't pray this prayer. You refuse. You're going to dig your heels in and you're going to say, nope, not going to do it, I'm just going to stiffen my neck. But there's going to be some of you that are going to say that makes some sense. That does make some sense.

22:39
You know, when I lay down at night, in a way I look like I'm dead, but I'm dreaming, or my mind is this way or that. I understand that when my body dies, I'm very, very, very much going to live in the spirit, but I want to live in heaven and when the resurrection comes, I want my body resurrected unto eternal life. Well, if you want to do that, let's pray right now, together. Let's pray, father, we come to you in Jesus name and we ask you that you would receive from us, right now, our profession of faith in the crucified Savior, son of God, jesus Christ, to be our atonement, our salvation, and that we confess that he rose again, according to the Bible that says three days later he had risen from the dead. And to all those who put their trust in him, your Bible says you'll save us, you'll call us children, you'll wash away our sins, you'll make us your own and your Holy Spirit will come within us to seal us, to reside within us, to abide within us until the day we enter eternity. Friend, tell them now that's what you want. You would say Lord, do that in my life, forgive me of my sins, as I receive your gospel truth and I give you my life and I receive your eternal life given to me and I thank you, lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.

24:20
Friend, from that moment on, you may or may not have goosebumps right now. You may or may not feel anything right now. It's irrelevant, it doesn't matter. What you just said. If you believe it, god heard you just said. If you believe it. God heard you and from this moment on, god will go to work in you.

24:44
Now, yes, yes, there are things that you must do. Oh, I knew there was a catch. Yeah, yeah, here's the catch. Peter said that when a baby is born, a baby has to have milk, and a baby grows up drinking milk until the baby gets done with milk and then gets into the meat of things. The Bible says of the same you and I need to now drink the milk of the word and grow up and eat the meat of the word. So, yes, there is something you must do now that you've given your life to Christ. That was your first step in taking a walk. It's a journey with Jesus forever. It just started a moment ago.

25:23
And the more you read this book and we want to help you, we want to send you material, we want to help you on where to get started in the immediate. Start reading John's gospel, chapter one. Start reading there, get to know God in his book and you'll grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. It's absolutely awesome. It's listen him changing lives. He's been doing it ever since he rose from the grave and he's doing it right now and I trust that's you, wherever you're at, making that decision. That's why we always say it's time for us to live out what it is that we believe in. It's time for us to live a real life. That's what you've just made your first step in doing. You're saved. Now You're going to heaven. From this time forward, walk with Jesus. You'll forever be blessed.

26:22
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27:15 - Speaker 1
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