Sermons
April 18th, 2022 by Pastor Solley041722AM The After Life
Sub. Jesus
Theme: Life after the resurrection
Text: John 20:1-18 ; Rom 6:4
“The After Life” John 20:1-18 ; Rom 6:4
Introduction
I want to speak to you this Easter morning about the after life. Not about heaven as one would think, but life after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. When Jesus Christ arose bodily and alive from the grave it secured salvation. Jesus conquered sin, death, and the grave when He arose alive. We can have eternal life today only because Jesus Christ is alive. There is no grave to visit of our religious leader for Jesus is alive today and is our spiritual life. Jesus Christ is not religion, Jesus is life eternal.
I. When Christ arose it was to a newness of life: John 20:1-18 Jesus Christ is eternal God. Jesus Christ is Almighty God in the flesh. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ is the unchangeable God. Jesus Christ is the Great I Am. Jesus Christ has always been and will always be the same. Eternity past, eternity future, Jesus is the same.
A. But for those who viewed Him after His resurrection there was a change: Jesus arose to newness of life.
1. Mary Magdalene from whom much was forgiven, who stood before the cross with Mary and the other woman, who came to the tomb before daylight, did not know Jesus when she first saw Him: John 20:13-14 To her there must have been a change in Jesus.
2. The same with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus as they walked and talked with Jesus and did not know it was Him: The Bible tells us in Luke 24:15-16 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. To them there must have been a change.
3. Even for those gathered in the upper room there was a change in Jesus: Again the Bible tells us in Luke 24:36-37 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. To them there was a change in Jesus after the resurrection.
B. Jesus Christ arose to a newness of life: There was a change. Never again would Jesus be subject unto man. There was a change.
II. We also, a born again believers in Christ, are to walk in newness of life: Rom 6:4 Here we are linked with the resurrected Christ and a newness of life.
A. Notice the Bible says that “We also should walk in newness of life.” Rom 6:4 The word also indicates that there was a walk of newness of life in Christ. – Rom 6:4
1. So as a born again believer in Christ I should have a walk of newness, something different: Rom 6:4
2. There should be a life that is different than before what is pictured in Romans six took place in my life: Rom 6:3-6
B. That tells me there is to be an after life: After I leave this world for sure, I long for that after life today. But there is also to be an after life, a life after I have been born again. There is to be a newness, there is to be an after life. – Rom 6:4
III. I want to look this morning at this after life, at a life that has been changed: In doing so I want to use the Lord Jesus Christ as our example of this after life on this Easter morning.
PROP: We can clearly see an after life in Christ, a change after His resurrection from the grave. TS. That tells us we also should have an after life, a life after salvation.
Body
I. The after life is a changed life: John 20:14-16 We have already noted that the two disciples who walked and talked with the resurrected Christ on the road to Emmaus did not know it to be Jesus. When Jesus appeared in the upper room the first time those closest to Him thought it to be a spirit. Clearly there must have been a change.
A. But we must point out that it was, He was still the same Jesus: My Bible tells me that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That means from eternity past through eternity future Jesus never changes. It was and is still the same Jesus.
1. His attributes did not change: Not His power, not His authority, not His omnipresence, none of His attributes changed.
2. His character did not change: Not His holiness, not His righteousness, not His love, not His grace, not His mercy, not one part of His character changed.
3. None of those things changed because none were ever given up and none were ever lacking: There was no need for a change in those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. But He did appear different: That fact is very clear in the Bible. – John 20:14
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5. Could it be that because of the last time they saw Jesus, that the brutalities of the cross made it so they did not now know Him? The Bible tells us this in Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: That because of the beatings, because of the scourging, because of the cross that He was unrecognizable.
a. Is that then how they expected to see Him?
b. But there was a change after he conquered sin, death and the grave.
6. It was still the same Jesus but now there was a change after the resurrection:
B. So should there be a change in the born again believer in Christ after salvation, after we become linked with the resurrected Christ because of the new birth: The Bible says we become new creatures. -2 Cor 5:17 – This points to a change.
1. We remain who we are in many ways after we are born again: Our names remain the same, our personalities remain the same, our families remain the same, are looks for the most part remain the same. We like Jesus are the same.
2. But also like Jesus because sin had been dealt with in our lives on the cross there are great changes that take place: At least they will if we are truly born again.
3. And people will notice the change: 1 Peter 4:1-4 Why do they think us strange? – 1 Peter 4:4 – Because they see changes in us.
a. They see changes in the way the Christian talks.
b. They see changes in the way the Christian dresses.
c. They see changes in the places the Christian goes.
d. They see changes in the way the Christian chooses friends.
e. They see changes.
4. The world sees the after life in the Christian, the life after salvation:
C. The after life is a changed life: John 20:14-16
II. The after life is a better life: John 20:17 Sometime between verses seventeen and nineteen here in John 20 Jesus ascended into heaven and returned to this earth. – John 20:17-20 – All that took place in heaven at that time between the Father and the Son we are not told. But the after life was a better life and we see that in Christ.
A. Before His resurrection from the grave Jesus made Himself subject to men: The Bible says that He was made a little lower than the angels in Hebrews chapter two. Angels have power over men but Jesus was made a little lower than the angels so that He might suffer and die for our sins.
1. In being made lower than the angels Jesus became subject to man: That is why they could mock Him, reject Him, spit upon Him, beat Him, taunt Him and so many other things.
a. That is why Jesus could suffer at the hands of man, religion, and government the way He did.
b. Jesus was made a little lower than the angels and made Himself subject to man.
2. That changed after His resurrection: Jesus was and is no longer subject to man.
a. Find the place in the Bible where men treat Jesus after His resurrection as they did before.
b. Jesus is no longer subject to man.
3. The next time man see Jesus this is the one they will see: Rev 19:11-16
4. The next time men stand before Jesus this is what they will do: Phil 2:9-11
5. Jesus Christ is no longer subject to man: The after life is a better life.
B. The after life, that changed life, is also a better life for the believer in Christ: Rom 6:1-7 We have been as believers in Christ made free from sin. Sin no longer needs to have a hold on the child of God. – Rom 6:8-12 – Sin no longer has power over us.
1. This is not saying we will never sin: As long as we have this flesh we will be able to sin and we will sin. If Paul had that battle and we see that he did in Romans 7, then I am going to have that battle.
2. But sin no longer has that hold on me, does not need dominate me as it does those who are still in darkness: Rom 6:9
3. People, all people, are ruled by one of two, by Satan or by Christ Jesus: It is one or the other.
a. All Satan wants to do is destroy.
b. All Jesus wants to do is give life and life more abundant.
4. Which one would you choose to obey today? If you are born again it doesn’t need to be sin and Satan.
5. You can reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God: Rom 6:11
6. The child of God does not have to live in sin: Rom 6:12-14
7. This leads to a much better life:
C. The after life is a better life: John 20:17
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III. The after life is a rewarded life: John 20:17 ; Acts 1:9 That was and remains the last time Jesus Christ was seen in this world. Where is Jesus at this time? When Jesus was in this world there was very little reward for Him. He was born into poverty, lived in poverty, worked hard as a young man to support a widowed mother, served others, Jesus had in this world a hard life.
A. Jesus is now in a place of reward: Heb 1:1-4 ; Heb 10:12-13 ; 1 Peter 3:22 ; Rev 1:12-17 Jesus is now in a place of reward.
1. Right now there are angels surrounding Jesus and all they do all day is cry holy, holy, holy: That according to Isa 6:3
2. There is another group of angels standing by to carry out His orders: That according to Heb 1:13
3. The prayers of all believers the world over are rising up to Him: A sweet incense the Bible calls them.
4. Jesus is in a place of reward: And Jesus always will be. – Rev 4:10-11
B. The after life will be a rewarded life for the child of God as well: Before we get to the reward this life is very hard at times. This life was hard for Jesus and it will be at times very hard for us. Jesus said in John 16:33 …In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
1. This life can be very difficult at times: We deal with heartache all the time. We have times of sickness, times when we are falsely accused, betrayed by friends, attacked by enemies, we deal with the loss of loved ones, work troubles, financial troubles. This world and this life can be very difficult at times. Praise God this world is not my home.
2. Jesus promised a reward: John 14:1-3 There is a better place waiting for you and me as believers in Christ.
3. What when we hear these words? Matt 25:21
4. What when we receive our crowns and then can lay them at Jesus feet? We saw that in Rev 4:10-11.
5. What when we live in that New Jerusalem with Jesus? Rev 21:1-10
6. What when all of the things that trouble us now are passed away? Rev 22:1-6
C. The after life is a rewarded life: John 20:17 ; Acts 1:9
IV. I have just one question for you this morning; Do you want the after life? If that answer is yes you need Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
I. The after life is a changed life: John 20:14-16 We have already noted that the two disciples who walked and talked with the resurrected Christ on the road to Emmaus did not know it to be Jesus. When Jesus appeared in the upper room the first time those closest to Him thought it to be a spirit. Clearly there must have been a change.
II. The after life is a better life: John 20:17 Sometime between verses seventeen and nineteen here in John 20 Jesus ascended into heaven and returned to this earth. – John 20:17-20 – All that took place in heaven at that time between the Father and the Son we are not told. But the after life was a better life and we see that in Christ.
III. The after life is a rewarded life: John 20:17 ; Acts 1:9 That was and remains the last time Jesus Christ was seen in this world. Where is Jesus at this time? When Jesus was in this world there was very little reward for Him. He was born into poverty, lived in poverty, worked hard as a young man to support a widowed mother, served others, Jesus had in this wold a hard life.
IV. I have just one question for you this morning; Do you want the after life? If that answer is yes you need Jesus Christ.