Colossians 3:1-7
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
What an amazing contrast there is between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. On Friday we focused on the crucifixion of our Lord and now we focus on the resurrection of our Savior. He was crucified for our transgression and raised to life for our justification. Previously, we emphasized the humiliation of the Christ by sinful humanity and now we emphasize the exaltation of the Christ by the Father. We have journeyed from death to life. Jesus was put to rest in the tomb and now He stands at God’s right hand. As the first man Adam came from the dust and was brought to life, the Second Adam Jesus gave up His life to be brought to the dust. Yet, once again, from the dust of the earth comes life as Jesus is the first fruits of the Resurrection.
On this day, we learn about the power of the Resurrection of Jesus and what it means for us. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Faith teaches us how we appropriate the blessing of Easter in our own bodies and lives. These blessings are conferred through the preaching of the gospel and received with faith.
Our Gospel text from St. Matthew was written for us so that we too may believe that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing we too may have life. To begin with, we are given an account of those who saw the empty tomb. Matthew tells us that the women went to the tomb where the body of Christ had been placed. The angel declared to them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” (St. Matt. 28:5-6, ESV) The words of Jesus had been fulfilled. He was handed over to the religious leaders, He suffered, He died, He was buried, and on the third day He rose again. These women saw the empty tomb with their own eyes confirming what their ears had heard. They couldn’t keep this wonderful news a secret. Thus, they went and told the eleven. As the last chapter continues to unfold, we learn that Jesus appeared to the eleven and instituted the office of holy ministry through which the gospel is preached and disciples of all nations are made by teaching and baptizing.
In Acts chapter ten, we are told how the Apostle Peter was sent to the house of Cornelius to make disciples of the Gentiles by teaching and baptizing. Peter states, “Jesus commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:42-43, ESV) Here we have an account of the apostles preaching the empty tomb in the preaching office that Jesus had placed them into. The apostolic message is rooted in the teaching of the prophets who all preached the person and work of Christ.
Christ is the appointed mediator between man and God reconciling sinners to the Father by taking upon our sin. Thus, Jesus was judged on Good Friday and cursed upon the cross becoming a curse for us in order to free us from the curse of the law. In His body, He was put to death. Yet, in His body He overcame death and the grave. In His body, He has conquered sin and death and turned away God’s wrath that was upon us. As He opened the grave to show that His body cannot be held there. He has opened heaven to show that because of Him our bodies shall dwell with Him there.
In His victory over death, He has procured life for us. In His defeat of the devil, He has won salvation for us. In His triumph over sin, He has secured forgiveness for us. Christ has been appointed judge of the living and the dead. He was judged guilty so that we would be judged innocent. He was crucified for our transgressions and raised for our justification.
To be justified in God’s sight is to be declared righteous on account of Christ’s righteousness. Here we have the chief article of the Apostolic Faith. Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name and where there is forgiveness there is life and salvation. We have been justified, that is, counted without sin, because of the person and work of Christ alone. We have the remission of all of our sins for Christ’s sake. Only in the name of Jesus is there forgiveness. He has won God’s favor for us. There is nothing that we can do to gain God’s favor in our person or work. This credited righteousness is freely given by grace alone and received through faith alone.
Now as soon as we talk about Jesus earning credit for us, there are those who get confused and mistakenly think that we can earn extra credit points with God. It doesn’t help that our school kids are taught that when they take a test they can get all the questions correct and on top of that score can earn extra credit points. In this way, they boast of test grades that are over 100% such as a 102% or a 104%. That’s not how things work with the gospel. In Jesus, we are credited with His perfection. We can’t earn extra credit points with God by becoming holier than Jesus or more righteous than Christ. The gospel rejects any boasting of those who aspire to their own holiness based upon their own works. We cannot make God any happier with us. In Christ, the Father is well pleased with us. God’s favor cannot be achieved through the works of the law or human achievement. God’s favor is given to us freely for the sake of Christ alone.
So if good works do not gain us any extra credit points with God, then where do good works come into play in the life of the justified believer? Good works do not earn favor with God or gain a better standing with Him. Instead, they are the fruits manifesting the reality of the blessings of the Resurrection in our own bodies. They show forth the newness of life that God is working in us.
Notice that our epistle lesson is written for those who are already disciples, that is, those who have been baptized and continue to be taught. Here the Apostle Paul teaches us about the power of the resurrection in our lives as baptized believers. On the day of our baptism, we were united with Christ on the day of Good Friday and on the day of Easter Sunday. Each day we are to die to sin and live to the glory of God the Father.
In chapter two of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we are taught that we were buried with Christ in our baptism and also raised with Christ through faith. He begins chapter three with this assumption saying, “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:1-3, ESV) Take note that it is God who has buried us and raised us with Christ. This is not something that we have done or can achieve. We now stand in Christ as a gift from God.
As those who have been buried and raised with Christ, we are learning to seek the things above and to set our minds on the things above. We are not to seek the things of the earth which lead to death and the grave. We are not to set our minds on the things of the earth which lead to sin and unbelief. Instead, we are to set our eyes on Jesus. To seek is to look for a clear goal. In a race, a runner seeks the finish line. To set our minds is to be determined that we desire to reach that destination. In Christ, we have made up our minds. Heaven is our goal.
For the believer to say that Christ is risen from the dead is to say that he or she lives in Christ and Christ lives in him or her. To those with ears to hear, the resurrection of Christ should be at work in you bringing to death all that is not in harmony with God’s will and bringing to life new desires by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is the supreme blessing of the resurrection in our lives making us alive, giving us new life, bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. You see, we are spiritually alive now through faith. Then on the Last Day, we shall be alive in our bodies see our Redeemer with our own eyes. As we seek the things that are above and set our minds on the things that are above God is at work in us bringing about His will in our lives on earth as it is done in heaven where Christ is seated.
The way of the world is to deny Christ and to live in sin. The way of the flesh is to be alive in sexual immorality, impurity, evil desires, and covetousness. The way of the gospel is to confess Christ and to die to sin. The way of the Spirit is to live in Christ. We are being taught by the Holy Spirit to guard against sin. We are to crucify our sinful desires, receive the forgiveness of Christ declared in the resurrection and to live in newness of life beginning on earth and completed in heaven.
These last few weeks of Lent, I have had quite a bit of trouble with my computer. It has gone kaput. I ordered a new computer and now I have it in hand. Over this weekend I have begun to use the new computer. My new computer is faster, sleeker, and much more powerful. Now it would be silly for me to cast the new computer to the side and return to the old computer. Why would I subject myself to that kind of frustration? That old computer is dead to me. If we realize how silly it would be to prefer an old broken worthless computer to a new working computer, how much more should we realize that we should seek the things above, set our mind on the things above, and live as those who are with Christ above?
The Holy Spirit teaches us to take sin seriously and not to be deceived into living in the old ways of the world that is in rebellion to God. We are warned so that we are not cast out of the kingdom. Rather, we should examine our hearts, guard, and refrain from sin. We are to cast out sin from our lives. By nature we are dogs who return to our own vomit. The enticement of sin is strong.
As those who have been resurrected with Christ, we are called to struggle against sin, we are to contend against the way of the world, and subject ourselves to affliction and hardship by the aid of the Holy Spirit. We are learning to pray not my will be done but Thy will be done in my life on earth as it is in heaven. We live in great weakness and continue to need strength. Thus, we pray for help. We ask that the kingdom of God would come to us. We ask that God’s will would be done in our lives. We ask that our trespasses would be forgiven for the sake of Christ.
In Christ we are sheep who hear the voice of our Risen Shepherd who assures us that He has overcome our sin. Through His resurrection we are certain that “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43, ESV) Because He lives we live. Christ is our life. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3, ESV) We have gathered this day to continue to learn to believe that our Redeemer lives. He lives in us while we dwell in this dust and on the last day He shall stand on the earth and we will see Him with our own eyes. Amen.
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