Let's see what the Book of Romans has to say about the resurrection of Jesus. Is that a good way of blending the two? Okay, let's copy for the Book of Romans. Father, we come to you this morning, our hearts are already so full. The celebration service this morning, delicious breakfast, and then the worship service we just had. Father, thank you so much for the songs that remind us and express so eloquently the truths of the gospel, that Christ came into this world, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Father, thank you for those who have so eloquently put that message to music. We might be reminded of it as we sing these great songs. But Father, thank you even more for your word that declares the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you that we have an infallible source of information about him, what he did, and why he did it, and what it means for us. But Father, I just pray that you'll work in our hearts this morning, speak to each one of us according to your perfect knowledge of our need. And I pray, Father, that you'll draw us closer to yourself through our time together. We will leave here rejoicing. that we would leave here excited to share with others the truth of what Jesus has done for us. We come to you this morning and we thank you. In Jesus' precious name, amen. Going through the Book of Romans, what does the Book of Romans have to say about the resurrection of Christ? Where would you find anything about the resurrection of Christ? Outside of the Gospels? Or 1 Corinthians 15? Do Romans have anything to say about that? Well, actually, it does. You probably figured that if we wouldn't be here, right? The Resurrection of Jesus. Take the Bible and turn to New Romans, Chapter 1. According to the Apostle Paul, the Resurrection of Jesus proclaims the deity of Christ. Paul starts out, Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, Paul was an apostle set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets and the holy scriptures concerning his son. Now did you catch that? Because he skipped the gospel in verse 1 and he's concerning his son in verse 3. who, that's the Son, was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead according to the spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul is going to be giving in the Book of Romans a thorough theological discussion of the doctrine of justification. And he's going to make sure from the very first few verses that we understand that justification is intimately related to the work and person of Jesus Christ. Jesus had to be who he said he was, or his work doesn't count. Jesus had to do what he said he came to do, or it wouldn't make any difference. So Paul is going to make sure that we understand from the very opening verses of this letter that justification was secured by the Lord Jesus Christ, and to make sure that we know who He is. Make sure that we know who He is. Paul says, verse 3, that He was born a descendant of David, according to the flesh. When you look at Matthew chapter 1 and you look at Luke chapter 3, the genealogies of Mary and Joseph, both of them derive their genealogy through King David. And Paul is relating to that, because he's going to be relating this to the promises of the Davidic covenant, that God promised David that one of his offspring would sit on his throne forever. And Jesus is going to be that offspring, who will indeed sit on that throne. So he's establishing the humanity of Jesus, and that's important. We'll come back to that. First Corp. was declared the Son of God with power through the resurrection from the dead. Declared the Son of God with power through the resurrection. Somehow or another, Paul says the resurrection communicates something to us. The resurrection communicates to us that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Now, don't be troubled by that title, son of. In Greek thought, the title son of means that whenever that description is used, that that person bears those qualities. Remember the guy named Joseph? Acts chapter 4 and 5? No, you don't. Because nobody ever calls him Joseph. Everybody calls him Barnabas. Well, Betty, his mom, called him Joseph. But the disciples called him Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement. Why was he called that? Does it say something about his father? No, it says something about his character. Barnabas was called the Son of Encouragement because he was an encourager. Jesus is called the Son of God because he bears the absolute attributes of God in human flesh. And He was declared the Son of God with power through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How does the resurrection declare the deity of Christ? Well, I suggest to you, nobody else ever has raised from the dead. That alone makes Him unique. But if you go into John chapter 2, you'll find out Jesus promised that He would raise Himself from the dead. That's an outstanding, that's an amazing, that's an audacious promise to make. And unfortunately for some, that promise is very testable. Either he's going to raise from the dead and verify what he said about himself, or he's not, and he's a liar. So what happens? Jesus rose. Jesus raised Himself from the dead. Actually, we'll find out God the Father was involved with that, too. But Jesus was involved in raising Himself. Nobody but God could do that. Nobody but God could do that. That declares His deity. That declares that He was the Son of God. When we think about this, we realize that Paul is dealing with the two essential natures of Christ. Jesus had to be a man. If he is going to come and pay for the redemption of mankind, he has to be a man. He has to be one of us. He didn't die to redeem angels. He didn't become an angel. He became man so that he might redeem mankind. But not just any man could die for the sins of the world, because every other man has sinned of his own to die for. So Jesus not only would have to be man, but he would have to be God. He would have to be God so that his death could have infinite value, so that his death could provide for the redemption and reconciliation of all of mankind, not just himself. Paul said in 1 Timothy 2, verse 5, that there's one God and there's one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus had to be that mediator. In order to be the mediator, he had to have parts of both. He had to be God to be the mediator to God, and he had to be man to be a mediator on behalf of man. And Paul establishes in these opening three verses, four verses of Romans, that God, that Jesus was in fact both of those. He was God and man. But furthermore, he had to be both God and man to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. If you're familiar with the Old Testament, follow with me, otherwise just leave a marker here and make a notice if you are. Go over to Isaiah chapter 9. Isaiah chapter 9, we're going to look at verse 6 and you're going to probably wonder if I'm receiving a Christmas message. Isaiah 9, verse 6. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. There's that humanity of the promised Messiah. And the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. There's the humanity and the deity of Jesus both prophesied in one verse. If Jesus is going to be the promised Messiah, he's going to have to be both God and man. Gordon, stop on your way back to Rome. Stop at Maitreya, chapter 5. Micah chapter 5, verse 2. Again, a verse that you will probably hear Christmas carols when I read it. Micah 5, 2. But as for you, Bethlehem, Ephratah, too little among you to be of the hands and plans of Judah. From you one will go forth for me to be a ruler in Israel. There's a king. He's going to be born. He's going to be born in Bethlehem. He's going to be a ruler in Israel. There's the humanity of Jesus prophesied. But before he finishes the verse, it goes on, "...his goings forth are from long ago, in the days of eternity." So this one who is going to be the prophesied Messiah, the prophesied King, is not only going to be man, he's going to be God, the eternal God. So in order to fulfill these Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah, Jesus had to be both God and man in order to fulfill those prophecies that he had to be both. And Paul wants to make it clear in the very opening chapters of the book of Romans, in the very opening verses, that Jesus is that Messiah, is that promised one, who is both God and man, the man or Christ Jesus. So the resurrection of Jesus proclaims a deity of Christ. That's pretty powerful already. Go with me to chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. Turn with me in verse 19. Picking up in the middle of a passage here. Talking about Abraham, Romans 4, 19. Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead, since he was about 100 years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb. Yet with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, he was able also to perform. I think that's a great working definition and description of what saving faith is. believing that what God had promised he was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness, now not for his sake only was it written, it was clearly written, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited as those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Here, Paul is emphasizing that we believe in God the Father. We believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus promised that He would raise Himself, but God the Father was also involved, and Paul's citing that in this verse. And what's our response to it? We believe. We haven't underlined that word yet. That would be a good time to do that. We believe in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead. Because you see, the resurrection of Jesus is part of the Gospel that we believe. Paul had talked about that already when he had written earlier in chapter 4 about believing in Jesus. But I want you to see some of the references back in the Gospel of John. Go over to John 3.16. You know that verse. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Eternal life. When it says believes in Him, who's Him? Could be Jesus. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. Could be God the Father. Because God the Father sent His Son. I suggest to you, there's no difference between the two. Believing in Jesus is believing in God the Father. Believing in God the Father is believing in Jesus, because they are a team in this whole redemption plan. God the Father sent the Son. The Son, in obedience and love to the Father, came. Look at chapter 5. What does 5.24 mean? Truly, I truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and is not coming to judgment, but is passed out of death into life." Jesus Himself said, you have to believe God the Father. You have to believe God the Father sent Me. Chapter 6, verse 29. Verse 28, therefore they said to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God? Notice that plural, works of God. Jesus answered and said to him, this is the work, notice, singular. He doesn't answer their question, he answers a different question. This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent. So you believe in the one that God the Father sent. How is that different from believing in God the Father having sent him? You can't separate the two. God the Father sent the Son, the Son came in obedience, the Son came to do the Father's will. To believe in Jesus is to believe in the Father. He who denies Jesus is denied the Father as well. Jesus said so Himself. Go to chapter 10, John chapter 10, verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Well, they're not one person. But they are one in unity, they are one in plan and program, they are one in vision and involvement. The father sent the son, they're not the same person, and yet they are so cooperative with each other that Jesus could say, I am the father of one. One more verse, stop in chapter 14. After Jesus has said, do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Philip says, Lord, show us the Father, who are saved, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Now, be clear about this. Jesus is not saying that he's the Father. But Jesus is saying, he who has seen me has seen everything that the Father is, because the Father and I are one. You want to know what God the Father is like? Look at Jesus. No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father. He has revealed Him, John 1. So this sending of Christ, resurrection of Jesus, is part of the Gospel to be believed. Part of the Gospel to be believed. Go to 1 Corinthians 15 with me. 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel, good news, which I preach to you, which also you receive, and which also you stand by, which also you are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preach to you, unless you believe in me. Paul said, I preach the gospel to you, and you believe it. What is that gospel? Verse 3, For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and he appeared to Cephas then in the twelve. Paul gives four points, Christ died, was buried, raised, and appeared. But two of those points he emphasizes by saying according to the scriptures. Christ died on the cross for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and He was buried. That wasn't necessary for our salvation, but it proved that He really did die. He didn't bury somebody who isn't dead. Christ rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. That was necessary for our salvation, that He rise. And then He appeared. It wasn't necessary that He appeared, but He got the Word that paid for our salvation, which sure makes it easier to believe He really did rise. I came to you and said, you have to believe Jesus rose from the dead, but nobody ever saw Him. You're gonna go, yeah, right. The appearances of Jesus prove His resurrection. The burial of Jesus proves His death on the cross. So you've got two points to the Gospel. Christ died for our sins and He rose again. And both points have double proof. According to the Scriptures, He was buried. He raised, according to the Scriptures, and He appeared. Christ died for our sins and He rose again the third day. That's part of the Gospel that we believe. Stop off at Romans 10 on your way back to chapter 4. Now, we're going to come back and address Romans 10, 9, and 10 later because there's a lot to be said about this. And there's some confusion about this, and I'm going to just pass over the confusion and say you have to come back to get straightened out of that. But listen to what he does say about the resurrection. Romans 10, 9. And if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Now look at verse 10. With a heart, a person believes, resulting in righteousness. What is it he said in verse 9, you believe in your heart? God raised him from the dead. And if you believe that from your heart, obviously he had to die or he wouldn't have been raised. If you believe that, you're justified. If you believe that, you're justified. That saved part, that's what you have to come back for. Okay? I don't have time to deal with all of these issues this morning. The Resurrection of Jesus is part of the Gospel that we believe. Furthermore, the Resurrection of Jesus proves our justification. Go back to chapter 4 with me. And here I have to deal with a translation issue. Romans 4.25, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. That's the way the New American Standard reads, and a lot of modern translations read that way. The problem is, For many years, the King James translation was considered the standard translation, but there weren't really very many other translations available. And the King James in verse 25 says, he was delivered over for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification. Raised for our justification. That seems to suggest that we weren't fully justified until Jesus rose. The New American Standard and many other more modern translations correctly translate it. I could talk to you about the Greek construction, but I'll spare you that. The New American Standard correctly translates it. It was raised because of our justification. Paul is already established. Go back to chapter 3 with me. Remember the breakdown of the book so far? Remember the cycles? We haven't mentioned the cycles today. Can we get away with that? Cycle 1, the universal need of justification. Cycle number 2 starts with chapter 3, verse 21, and Paul demonstrates the only means of justification, and that is faith. Look at Romans 3.24, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Notice that our justification came as a result of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, not the resurrection. The redemption. When did Jesus provide for our redemption? When He died on the cross to pay for our sins. That's when we were justified. The King James translation makes it sound like we weren't justified until Jesus rose. I'm suggesting to you we were justified through Jesus' death on the cross. We were justified through the death on the cross, not through the resurrection. So Romans 3.24 makes it clear that our justification was accomplished through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, which was accomplished when He died on the cross. However, what the resurrection does prove is that God the Father had accepted His payment as submission. He was raised because of our justification. God the Father accepted the payment that Jesus made on the cross, and when you believed in that by faith in Christ, that redemption was applied to your life. God the Father accepted that. God the Father accepted that. Is that important? Absolutely. God the Father, by raising Christ from the dead, said, it's done. The work is done. There's nothing more that needs to be done. If God the Father is satisfied with the finished work of Christ on the cross, and He says there's nothing more that needs to be done, so He raised Jesus from the dead to prove that, we're raised because of the justification. If God the Father is satisfied with that, shouldn't we be? There are people who will tell you, oh, yes, you have to believe on Jesus, but you also have to repent from your sins. Trevor mentioned earlier, singing victory in Jesus. You also have to make Jesus Lord of your life. You also have to do the seven sacraments. You also have to, beloved, anybody who adds anything to simple faith in Christ is adding something that's wrong. God the Father accepted the payment of Christ as being sufficient. We don't have to add anything to it. When Jesus died on the cross, he said, it's finished! Because the work was done. God the Father accepted it. So, so far, according to Romans 1-4, we have a sufficient Savior. What a blessing that is. According to Romans 4-25, we have a sufficient salvation. What a blessing that is. And both of those are because of the resurrection. Because of the resurrection of Christ, we know that we have a sufficient Savior and we have a sufficient salvation. The resurrection of Christ proves the deity of Christ. It's part of the gospel that we believe. It proves our justification. Furthermore, it's part of the salvation we receive. Romans chapter 6, start with me in verse 3. Paul says, if you do not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death, don't put water in here, okay? Many times when we read the Bible, we add a meaning into a word that's not necessarily part of it. The word baptized doesn't necessarily have anything to do with water. It has to do with identification. It has to do with immersing one thing into another. When you have a baptism, you have a baptizer, a baptizee, and a medium. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, John was the baptizer, Jesus was the baptizee, and the medium was the Jordan River. This baptism, the Holy Spirit is not mentioned, but He is the baptizer. We are the baptizees, and the medium is Jesus Christ. For all of those who have been baptized into Christ Jesus, That's part of our salvation these days. That's part of our salvation. Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, verse 4, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in the newness of life. where translated newness is from a Greek word, there are two different ways of saying something is new in the Greek. One word means that it's new as opposed to something that's old. Okay, so you buy a new car, it's a new car, it's not an old car, but it's still just a car. It's not really much different from the old car, it's just a new car. The second word for new means new in kind, new in quality. So if you bought, for instance, an electric car, that would be a new car, but it's a new kind of car as well, not just new in time, but a new kind of car. That's the word that Tal uses here, the word that means new in kind, new in quality. All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been buried with Him through baptism into death so that when Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Resurrection of Christ is part of the salvation we receive. We receive resurrection life. Look where Paul talks about this in other passages. Go to Ephesians chapter 2 with me. Ephesians chapter 2. Let me start in verse 1. Ephesians 2 verses 1-3 is the bad news. Ephesians 2 verses 4-10 is the good news. The bad news, listen to it, Ephesians 2, 1. And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working, the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived, in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. We were justly under God's condemnation because we were by nature children of wrath, just like everybody else. And if Paul had stopped there, we would be most depressed. Notice the next two words. But God. When we were in that hopeless, helpless state, God undertook on our behalf. But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, for by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That's part of our salvation, beloved. We have resurrection life, the resurrection life of Jesus Christ Himself. That's why Paul wrote in Galatians 2.20, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I lay by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Go to Colossians chapter three. Colossians chapter three, verse one. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, and the form of the Greek preposition, or the Greek construction that he uses here for if, plus the context establishes that this is true. So this is one of those ifs that because of context you could translate since. Therefore, since you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." That's part of our salvation. that we receive the resurrection life of Jesus Christ as part and parcel of the salvation that we receive when we simply, by faith, believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5.17. Paul says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creature. And it uses that same word for new that Paul had used back in Romans 6. New in quality. New in time. If anyone's in Christ, he's a new creature. All things have passed away. Behold, new things have come. The resurrection of Christ is our resurrection, beloved. We raised with Him. We were dead in trespasses and sins, and we became alive through Christ at great transaction when our sins were laid on Christ and His righteousness was bestowed upon us. Go back to Romans 6. The resurrection of Christ is not only part of our salvation, but it's part of the victory we live. Have you ever had us sing Victory in Jesus earlier? What a great song to think about with the resurrection of Christ. Victory in Jesus. Start with me at the end of verse 4. So that we too might walk in newness of life. And go on to verse 8. Now, if we have died with Christ, and that's the same kind of if, if we have, and we know we have, we believe we should also live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again, death no longer is master over him. But the death that he died, he died to the sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. Okay, that's all talking about the resurrection of Christ, that's talking about what Jesus did, verse 11. Even so, consider yourself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Consider yourself to be dead to sin. Why? Because you were raised with Christ. I don't know if you remember back before you were saved, you were a slave to sin. Everything you did was tainted and corrupted by the sin that indwelt you. There was nothing you could do to please God. Isaiah 64.6, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. You deserve to die. And beloved, that's exactly what you did in Christ. And instantaneously, you were raised again. And you didn't even feel it. It wasn't something that was experiential. But you were changed at the core of your being so that you're now a new creature in Christ through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So that you might now walk in the newness of life. So that you might now consider yourself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Keep going, verse... Verse 13, verse 12, look at the whole context. Therefore do not let these sin reign in your mortal bodies that you obey its lust, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of righteousness. Look at the end of verse 13. But present yourself to God as those alive from the dead. Why can you present yourself to God as those alive from the dead? Because you are. Because you are. You were dead. Now you are alive in Christ. Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under God, but under grace. Why? Because you were raised with Christ. Because you're a new creature in Him. Because the resurrection of Christ, when you trusted Christ as your Savior, that resurrection of Christ became your resurrection. And you can now walk in newness of life. Because you're alive in Christ. His resurrection becomes our resurrection when we are placed into Christ through the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. Those sins that entangled us, those sins that enslaved us, that slavery has been broken, beloved, so that we might now live lives of godliness and holiness. Because that is who we are. At the core of our being, we have been transformed into children of God. through the resurrection of Christ. So let's review. According to the Book of Romans, the resurrection of Jesus proclaims Jesus' deity. It's part of the gospel that we believe. It proves our justification as God the Father has accepted it. It's part of the salvation that we receive. It's part of the victory that we live. I want you to leave here rejoicing because the resurrection of Christ is your resurrection. It is important to you. You're alive today because of the resurrection of Christ. The Book of Romans discusses the essential truths of our salvation in Christian life, and the resurrection of Jesus is central in the Book of Romans. Because the Resurrection of Jesus is essential. It's essential for our salvation. It's essential for our daily life of walking before Him. The Resurrection of Christ. We couldn't be here. We couldn't do what we do without Him. And Paul makes that very clear throughout the Book of Laments.