23 min
Your New Life // My Redeemer Lives, Part 3 Christianityworks Official Podcast
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- Christianity
I guess when we think of Easter we think of it way, way, way in the past and I guess of its consequences way, way, way in the future. The past act of Jesus dying for you and me and the future blessing of a resurrection for us to live eternity with Him. In the past and in the future but what if I told you that Jesus wants to give you a ‘here and now‘ kind of resurrection today, would you believe me?
HERE AND NOW RESURRECTION As we chatted last week on the program – Easter is a time for hope. Not a wishy–washy, uncertain hope like: I hope I lose some weight on this diet or I hope the weather fines up tomorrow. No, not that. When the Bible talks about hope, it means a certain hope.
The sort of hope that throws a ray of sunshine into your day, because you realise that you have something amazing to look forward to. The hope of the resurrection of the dead. That when you and I die, we will go to be with Jesus in paradise, based only on our faith in Him, not on what we do or don’t do.
That’s exactly what Jesus said to the criminal that was strung up on that Cross next to Him on that very first Easter, although of course, it wasn’t called Easter back then. It was the Passover celebration. Have a listen:
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Jesus. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, then save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him that read, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals who was hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other one rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ (Luke 23:32-43)
Now although that was obviously a terrible, terrible circumstance in which to receive the promise of eternal life with Jesus, I think you’ll agree, there was a sense of immediacy to that promise. That criminal knew that he was about to die – he could feel it, the agonising, the excruciating, long–suffering death by suffocation, which is how you die when you’re nailed to a cross.
By the way this was the very first man recorded in Scripture to receive the gift of eternal life based on faith in Jesus. And it happened on the same day within just a few hours of the promise that Jesus made to him.
Most of us don’t know how long we have left on this earth. Some who’ve had maybe a bad medical prognosis might have some idea, but most of us don’t. I could live another fifty years, or I could be gone tomorrow. I don’t know and I don’t want to know. But what we do know, what we do see, is the long path ahead. The trials that we’re going through and the trials, which are so much a part of life, that lie ahead.
But this resurrection, this new life, doesn’t just begin when we die and go to heaven. It’s meant to begin the very moment we believe in Jesus. In fact, it has begun the very moment you believed in Jesus. It’s as though we’ve died and risen again here and now.
Have a listen to this amazing scripture that says exactly that. Romans chapter 6, verses 1 to 4:
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in ord
I guess when we think of Easter we think of it way, way, way in the past and I guess of its consequences way, way, way in the future. The past act of Jesus dying for you and me and the future blessing of a resurrection for us to live eternity with Him. In the past and in the future but what if I told you that Jesus wants to give you a ‘here and now‘ kind of resurrection today, would you believe me?
HERE AND NOW RESURRECTION As we chatted last week on the program – Easter is a time for hope. Not a wishy–washy, uncertain hope like: I hope I lose some weight on this diet or I hope the weather fines up tomorrow. No, not that. When the Bible talks about hope, it means a certain hope.
The sort of hope that throws a ray of sunshine into your day, because you realise that you have something amazing to look forward to. The hope of the resurrection of the dead. That when you and I die, we will go to be with Jesus in paradise, based only on our faith in Him, not on what we do or don’t do.
That’s exactly what Jesus said to the criminal that was strung up on that Cross next to Him on that very first Easter, although of course, it wasn’t called Easter back then. It was the Passover celebration. Have a listen:
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Jesus. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, then save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him that read, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals who was hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other one rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ (Luke 23:32-43)
Now although that was obviously a terrible, terrible circumstance in which to receive the promise of eternal life with Jesus, I think you’ll agree, there was a sense of immediacy to that promise. That criminal knew that he was about to die – he could feel it, the agonising, the excruciating, long–suffering death by suffocation, which is how you die when you’re nailed to a cross.
By the way this was the very first man recorded in Scripture to receive the gift of eternal life based on faith in Jesus. And it happened on the same day within just a few hours of the promise that Jesus made to him.
Most of us don’t know how long we have left on this earth. Some who’ve had maybe a bad medical prognosis might have some idea, but most of us don’t. I could live another fifty years, or I could be gone tomorrow. I don’t know and I don’t want to know. But what we do know, what we do see, is the long path ahead. The trials that we’re going through and the trials, which are so much a part of life, that lie ahead.
But this resurrection, this new life, doesn’t just begin when we die and go to heaven. It’s meant to begin the very moment we believe in Jesus. In fact, it has begun the very moment you believed in Jesus. It’s as though we’ve died and risen again here and now.
Have a listen to this amazing scripture that says exactly that. Romans chapter 6, verses 1 to 4:
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in ord
23 min