Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.11 – March 2008

 

The Authority of Jesus Over Life and Death

An EASTER Sermon by Rev John De Hoog

on John 10:17-18

Scripture Readings:  John 10:17-18; Matthew 28

Suggested Singing:  BoW 360; 386

 

Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

Who raised Jesus?

It is Easter Sunday, the day we particularly celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ from the dead.

So, who raised Jesus?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our faith. Without it, we are lost. Paul writes these staggering words in 1 Corinthians 15: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (vs 14). “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (vs 17). “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (vs 19). Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Here is a fundamental plank of the gospel.

It is also what makes Jesus unique. Buddha was very important to Buddhism, but he constantly taught his followers not to worship him. He knew he was going to die, and he told his followers not to believe in him but to believe in his dharma, his teaching. Buddhism continues today, even though Buddha is dead.

Mohammed was very important to Islam, but he also taught his followers not to worship him but to worship Allah. He knew he was going to die, and he told his followers not to believe in him but to believe in the Qur’an. Islam continues today, even though Mohammed is dead.

But Jesus is unique. Buddha told his followers not to worship him, Mohammed told his followers not to worship him, but Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” Jesus does not have a message apart from himself. His message is about himself. Christianity could not continue if Christ were dead.

That leads us then to a question that’s pretty central to Christianity. Who raised Jesus? The answer that first springs to mind is: God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Think of Galatians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle – sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. The same thing is taught in Romans 8:11. “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” We could look at several other passages. There can be no question about it. God the Father raised up his Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. The Father is the active one, and Jesus is the one raised by the powerful work of the Father.

But now, it is also plain that the Holy Spirit was involved in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So we read in 1 Peter 3:18 the following words: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” And then we read in Romans 1:4 about Jesus, “who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.”

So who raised Jesus? Certainly God the Father was active in raising Jesus, and certainly God the Holy Spirit was active in raising Jesus. But now, it is plain from our text that Jesus was himself also active in his own resurrection. He says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Think about this, brothers and sisters. The command that Jesus received from his Father was that he should lay down his life, and that he should take it up again. With the command from the Father came the authority to carry out that command – “I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” Here is the command the Son of God came to this earth with, along with all the authority necessary to carry out that command – the commission and the authority to lay down his life and then take it up again.

We usually think of Jesus being obedient to his Father unto death. We think of the words of Philippians 2:8, for example. “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” And we wonder and marvel that Jesus was so obedient to his Father that he even went all the way to death, even to death on a cross. And we should wonder, and we should marvel at this.

But Jesus’ obedience didn’t end there, at the cross. For there was still one more act of obedience that Jesus had to fulfil, one more act of obedience that Jesus had authority to perform, and that was to rise from the dead! The command that he came to earth with was this: To lay down his life, and then to take it up again.

Jesus Christ truly died. He was laid in the tomb. He was dead. But as part of his obedience to his Father, on the third day he rose from the dead! He strode from the tomb, bursting the bands of death, defeating death forever. The Father was active in this resurrection; he raised Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was active in this resurrection; he raised Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ himself was active in his resurrection; he rose from the dead!

As part of his commission and his authority as the Saviour of all his people, he took up again the life that he had laid down! The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit worked together and they rejoiced together and won the victory together over sin and death and judgment when Jesus Christ rose physically from the dead! “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? … Thanks be to God! He has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) It’s a glorious message, isn’t it!

[Pause]

With all this in our minds, let’s now pay a little more attention to Jesus’ words in John 10. Jesus is talking about himself as the good shepherd.

John 10:11 reads: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Five times in this passage Jesus talks about laying down his life. Why does he have to lay down his life? In order to save his sheep. As the good shepherd, he lays down his life to save his sheep from the ferocious wolves that would tear his sheep apart. Jesus loves the sheep more than he loves his own life.

If we are the sheep that he loves, what are the wolves that threaten us; the wolves that threaten to destroy us?

The gospel of John mentions three wolves that will destroy us if Christ does not save us from them. These three wolves are sin, death and judgment. Jesus saves us from sin – in John 1:29 Jesus is called the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus saves us from death and judgment – in John 5:24 Jesus says (NASB), “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

When Jesus laid down his life for his sheep, he saved us from these three destroying wolves: sin, death and judgment.

Think of it like this. These wolves approach the sheep and would easily kill us if we were left to ourselves. Sin kills us. Sin is rebellion against God, it pushes God way, alienates us from God, separates us from God, and kills us.

Death kills us. When death comes there is no more opportunity to turn to God in repentance, it is too late, and there is only darkness and gnashing of teeth. And as Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Death kills us.

And judgment kills us. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Sin and death and judgment kill us. They are the wolves that desire to have us, to destroy us. But the good shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, saw these wolves circling the flock. He saw them coming. And he went out to meet them, and he drew them away from the flock, and he fought against them, and he gave up his life to defeat them.

His death defeats sin, because he died in our place, taking the punishment for our sin, so that there is no punishment left for us.

His death defeats death, because death loses its hold on the sheep once it has taken hold of the shepherd instead.

And his death defeats judgment, because God’s judgment of us is only positive once Jesus has been punished in our place.

Jesus has defeated the three wolves, sin, death and judgment; he gave his life to defeat them, and they cannot destroy the flock.

But now, there’s something missing here, isn’t there! We have a flock saved from the wolves. But we have a dead shepherd! The sheep are shepherdless! They will be scattered now, won’t they? Sheep without a shepherd! Has it come to this?

No, of course not! “Verse 17 – “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

When Jesus came into the world to save his people from sin and death and judgment, he came with a particular command, and with authority to carry out that command. He came to lay down his life, and to take it up again. He came to die for sinners, and to rise again for sinners. He came to be our shepherd forever. The good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep. The victorious, risen shepherd, who is the Lamb of God, and who is mentioned in Revelation 7:17 – “For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Brothers and sisters, look at our good shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing! The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit worked together and they rejoiced together and won the victory together over sin and death and judgment when Jesus Christ rose physically from the dead!

He rose physically from the dead as the living, victorious shepherd who has defeated sin and death and judgment.

Jesus says in verse 14, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Do you know the good shepherd?

Jesus says in verse 16 “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” Have you joined that one flock?

Jesus Christ is not in the grave today. He is alive today, and he is calling his sheep to become members of the one flock. Listen to his voice. He is calling you. Hear him, and follow him.

Amen.