Sunday's Sermon - Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? (The Resurrection Was Physical)

Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and significance of this pivotal event in human history. For that reason, for five Sundays in the months of April and May, we’ll consider this question: Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? During this series, we’ll consider the following topic: 

• April 7 - The Resurrection Provides Validation
• April 21 - The Resurrection Was Physical
• April 28 - The Resurrection Offers Hope
• May 5 - The Resurrection Is Good News
• May 12 - The Resurrection Anticipated the Holy Spirit

We continued this series on Sunday when we considered how the resurrection of Jesus Christ was physical. A recording and the text of the sermon are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDST)

I’ve got to tell you, although taking last week off was all well and good, I’m glad to be back in the pulpit this morning. I mean, Saturdays just seem weird without a sermon to write. And to be completely honest, preaching to Debbie and Coco just isn’t the same. And when we collected the offering, man, it was pitiful. Let’s just say, I think we’re all pleased that this vacation business is over.

Which, of course, means that we can continue the sermon series we started a couple weeks ago entitled Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? You see, during the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost, we’re going to look at five important truths related to the resurrection. And as y’all might remember, we started by talking about how the resurrection provided validation. In other words, it was sort of like God giving his stamp of approval, you know, validating the life Jesus lived and the work he came to do and the mission he has given us to accomplish. You see, we can be confident that all this stuff is reliable, because God caused Jesus to rise from the dead. Now that’s what we looked at a couple of weeks ago.

And this morning, we’re going to focus on something else that we believe is true, namely that the resurrection of Jesus was physical. In other words, when Jesus left the tomb, he wasn’t some kind of ghost or disembodied spirit. Instead, he was flesh and bone. And I’ll tell you, if there’s any doubt about whether or not it’s accurate, this was something the gospel writers went out of their way to reinforce. For example, just listen to how Luke described Jesus’s first appearance to his disciples after his death:

While Jesus' disciples were talking about what had happened, Jesus appeared and greeted them. They were frightened and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost.

But Jesus said, “Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt? Look at my hands and my feet and see who I am! Touch me and find out for yourselves. Ghosts don't have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. Jesus then asked them, “Do you have something to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish. He took it and ate it as they watched. [Luke 24:36-43, CEV]

Now that’s what Luke wrote; therefore, unless ghosts are made of flesh and bones and disembodied spirits eat fish, the resurrected Christ was physical. And since that was the way the Father chose to raise the Son from death, this must mean the physical, and I’m talking about the concrete and the real, in other words, the reality in which we’re living right now, this physical world must be important to God and should be important to us.

And I’ll tell you, that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. You see, we’re going to consider how the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ shows just how important the world God created is and should be. And to do that, we’ll focus on two reasons why it was and is important, which just might give us a new perspective on both the one we worship and the life we live. And like I said, I think we can get there when we consider what God might be showing us by causing Jesus to rise physically from the dead.

I mean, first, I believe the physical resurrection of Jesus is important, because it's in the physical world where we can see God's nature. In other words, we can witness and begin to understand who God is and what he’s done by looking at the physical world that he created. For example, on one hand, God’s creation reveals his authority, and I’m talking about his power and his control and his freedom from all the stuff that limits who we are and what we’re able to do. You see, we can know his authority by looking at what he made. And I’ll tell you, I believe that’s exactly what King David was getting at when this happened. 

Then, in front of everyone, David sang praises to the Lord:

I praise you forever, Lord! You are the God our ancestor Jacob worshiped. Your power is great, and your glory is seen everywhere in heaven and on earth. You are king of the entire world, and you rule with strength and power. You make people rich and powerful and famous. We thank you, our God, and praise you. [1 Chronicles 29:10-13, CEV]

You see, for David, we can begin to understand God’s power and his glory and his strength by taking the time and making the effort to gaze into the heavens and to look at the earth. And I’ll tell you something, I think the Apostle Paul believed it too, and that’s why he wrote this to the Romans:

From heaven God shows how angry he is with all the wicked and evil things that sinful people do to crush the truth. They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don’t have any excuse. They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark. They claim to be wise, but they are fools. [Romans 1:18-22, CEV]

Now that’s what he wrote, and just think about what it means. Not only is God’s power and glory and strength shown by everything he made, this revelation is so clear and obvious and undeniable it would take an intentional effort or maybe downright stupidity not to see something greater than ourselves standing behind it. I mean, even though it wasn’t all that impressive here in Sligo, if the eclipse didn’t cause you to feel some awe and wonder, then maybe you’ve either become a little jaded or you’re the kind of person who would stare at the sun without protective glasses. You see, on one hand, God’s creation reveals his authority.

On the other hand, though, I believe it also reveals his love, a love that’s perfect and profound and pure, I’m talking about one that, when you get right down to it, is really hard for us to understand. In other words, when we look at what he made and why he made it, I think we’re going reach a new and deeper appreciation for the generosity and concern reflected in everything that he made. As a matter of fact, we might actually reach the kind of awareness that the Psalmist must have experienced when he wrote this about the world that God called into being:

Our Lord, by your wisdom

    you made so many things;

the whole earth is covered

    with your living creatures.

But what about the ocean

    so big and wide?

It is alive with creatures,

    large and small.

And there are the ships,

    as well as Leviathan, 

the monster you created

    to splash in the sea. [Psalm 104:24-26, CEV]

Now that’s what the psalmist wrote, I mean, give me a break, in his creation, even Leviathan, the great monster of the deep, splashes in the sea like a puppy dog taking a bath. You see, not only does creation show God’s power and strength, it also points to his wisdom and his care and maybe even his sense of humor. And for me, that’s all part of us love, right along with the care he shows to everything that he made. I mean, isn’t this what Jesus had in mind when, during his Sermon on the Mount, he told his disciples to stop worrying by using these examples?

I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth much more than birds?

Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith? [Matthew 6:25-30, CEV]

Now that’s what Jesus said. And so, for him, God’s love is so pervasive and so profound that it can actually help us deal with whatever fear and doubt and worry we might be experiencing. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that there aren’t times when we might feel overwhelmed and frustrated and discouraged and when we might feel confused by good folks suffering and the wicked coming out on top and when we might even feel genuine doubt and despair because it makes no sense for a loving God to allow this to happen. No, at times these are natural, human feelings. Still, none of them is greater than who God is. I mean, as Paul wrote to the Romans, “Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” [Romans 8:39b, CEV] You see, just like it shows his authority, God’s creation also reveals his love. And I’ll tell you, that’s the first reason I believe the physical resurrection of Jesus is important; it’s in the physical world where we can see God’s nature. 

But you know, that’s not the only reason why the bodily resurrection is important. You see, second, it's also in that same physical world where we can understand our responsibilities. In other words, we can get a grip on who we are and what we’ve been called and equipped to do when we begin to appreciate the world God made and our place in it. For example, the more we appreciate God’s creation, the more we’ll understand that we have a responsibility to the natural world. As a matter of fact, according to the creation story in chapter one of Genesis, that was the reason why we were made. Just listen:

God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.”

So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. God gave them his blessing and said:

Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth. [Genesis 1:26-28, CEV]

You see, we were made to take care of this world that God created. And we carry God’s image so we can exercise his authority but also reflect his love to everything that he made. And we were given control to ensure that his will would be accomplished. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s why, after he made Eden, “the Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it.” [Genesis 2:15, CEV] Now that’s what God has told us to do, to take care of and look after his creation. But what if we don’t do it? I mean, what if we assume everything that God made is for us to exploit and to use for our own benefit without regard for anything or anyone else, you know, as though we were the creator and it all belongs to us? In other words, what’s going to happen if we pillage and plunder what we’ve been given to preserve and protect, and, as a result, we destroy the very thing God has entrusted to our care? What happens then? Well, this is how John of Patmos described the final reckoning in his Revelation:

They said,

“Lord God All-Powerful,

you are and you were,

    and we thank you.

You used your great power

    and started ruling.

When the nations got angry,

   you became angry too!

Now the time has come

for the dead

    to be judged.

It is time for you to reward

    your servants the prophets

and all your people

who honor your name,

    no matter who they are.

It is time to destroy everyone

who has destroyed

    the earth.” [ Revelation 11:17-18, CEV]

You see, whether we like it or not, to care for the natural world, man, that’s our job. 

But if we trust scripture, we’re not just responsible for caring for the planet. You see, because the physical world is important, we also have a responsibility to care for one another, you know, to care for our neighbors. You see, since everyone has been created by God, they are also part of the physical world for which we’re responsible. I guess, in this sense, we are our brothers and sisters keepers. And maybe that’s what motivated the writer of Leviticus to offer a whole bunch of commands to the people of God as they were moving into the Promised Land. Among other things, he wrote,

Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others.

Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the Lord your God.

Do not steal anything or cheat anyone, and don't fail to pay your workers at the end of each day. 

I am the Lord your God, and I command you not to make fun of the deaf or to cause a blind person to stumble.

Be fair, no matter who is on trial—don't favor either the poor or the rich.

Don't be a gossip, but never hesitate to speak up in court, especially if your testimony can save someone's life. 

Don't hold grudges. On the other hand, it's wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. Don't be angry or try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself. [Leviticus 19:11-17, CEV]

You see, we’re not here to hurt others, to take their stuff and damage their spirits. That’s not why we’re here. Instead, we’re called to follow the example of Jesus, something about which John wrote in his first letter,

If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know murderers do not have eternal life. We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. This is why we must give our lives for each other. If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it. [1 John 3:15-18, CEV]

You see, not only are we called to care for the world around us, because we’re stewards of God’s creation, we’re also expected to care for one another. And for me, that’s the second reason I believe the physical resurrection of Jesus is important, because it’s in the physical world, we can understand our responsibilities. 

Of course, none of this would be true, if the resurrection was spiritual and Christ’s soul was released from his body and as a spirit, it escaped this nasty world and returned to his Father. But that’s not what happened. Instead, when Jesus rose from the dead, he was flesh and bones. And when he appeared to his disciples, not only did he invite them to examine his hands and his feet, he asked for some fish to eat and then ate it. No, when God caused him to rise, it was as concrete and as real as it could have been, showing that the physical world must be important. And I’ll tell you why this is something we need to remember; it's in the physical world where we can see God's nature, both his authority and his love. But of course that’s not all; it’s also in this physical world where we can understand our responsibilities both to the creation itself and the people around us. And you know, this we can believe because the resurrection was physical.