Romans 4:25 states Jesus was “raised for our justification.”  It was a verse that got under my skin when I was studying to write my book Raised With Christ (which from this week is now also available in Logos Bible Format!) In an abridged section from a whole chapter in my book which deals with this verse, here is what I said about this pivotal verse:

WHAT DOES “RAISED FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION” MEAN?

In Romans 4:25 the Greek behind our English word “for” could mean either “because of” or “in order to produce.” The ESV here, as it often does, deliberately maintains the ambiguity of the original. Some have argued that both “fors” must mean the same thing. However, Jesus’ death did not produce sin in us, and surely Jesus’ resurrection was not as a result of our justification. It is almost certainly the case that Paul intended to say that Jesus died to deal with our sin and was raised to produce our justification. There are several aspects of that link between Jesus’ resurrection and our justification, which I explain further in the book:

1. Raised to Give Us a Future Resurrection 

Some believe that “justification” here includes the future result of our justification, our resurrection. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, one day our physical bodies will also return to life. There are more straightforward ways of saying this, however, which means that it is unlikely that this first suggestion is what Paul intended here.

2. Raised to Prompt Faith in Us 

It is the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, following his sin-defeating death, that will inspire us to believe in, trust, obey, and worship him. It seems impossible to imagine having faith in a dead Savior. How could we convince ourselves that Jesus’ death achieved anything for us if he was not alive?

The resurrection causes in us the faith that saves, and it is faith in the resurrection itself that saves. According to Romans, the substance of a saving response to God consists of a declaration of the lordship of Jesus, which presumably includes both his divinity and his right to rule over our lives, and faith in the fact of the resurrection. Thus Jesus’ resurrection is in this sense the source of the faith that is the grounds of our justification: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

3. Raised for His Own Justification 

It may sound strange to talk about Jesus’ need for justification. But justification is a declaration, a vindication. The resurrection of Jesus has evidencing power.  Jesus’ vindication convinces us that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Prince of Life, that he had fulfilled Scripture, that God was pleased with him, that the work of the cross was now complete, and that he had no need to remain dead.

The resurrection proves Christ’s divinity because not only is the event described as an act of God (see Acts 13:30) and of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:11), it was also an act of Jesus himself. The resurrection, as the beginning of the new creation, was an act of the whole Trinity. Jesus has the divine power to raise himself from the dead.

The credit of Jesus’ righteousness is much larger than the debt of our sin. His account had more positive approval than the negative disapproval that was due to all of us. The debt was paid, and as a result, as a righteous man and the beloved Son of God, the Father was entirely just to raise him. Jesus had turned away God’s wrath, he had destroyed sin, our guilt could now be taken away, and we could be counted righteous. If the cross was Jesus’ payment for our sins, then the resurrection marked God’s acceptance of that payment.

4. Justified So We Can Be Justified 

The resurrection of Jesus has justifying power. Despite our usual understanding that the cross alone is responsible for our forgiveness, Paul is elsewhere very clear. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). We share in the justification of Jesus. Because of his right standing with God, his people are made righteous too.

The resurrection shows the positive delight of God in his Son, which is now shared by us. Many people think of salvation as the removal of our sin and its punishment. If Jesus had only wiped the slate clean, forgiven our wrongdoing, and taken the wrath God had for us, we would be left in a neutral position. We would no longer be under God’s displeasure, but he would not be pleased with us either. Many Christians, even if they do not articulate their theology like that, certainly live as though it was true. Many live as though they must still work to please God.

Our justification consists not merely of a canceling of our debt, but also of an imputing to us of the righteousness of Christ. It is not only “just as if I’d never sinned,” but also “just as if I’d already completed a perfect life.” Jesus doesn’t merely give us a clean slate and then sit back and watch whether we will mess it up again.

If you think of sin as producing an overdraft, Jesus takes over our bank account and pays off our debt. He then gives us access to his own account which holds so much money that no matter how much sin we commit we could never exhaust the supply.

The righteousness of Jesus was credited to us, not only our sin to him. God declares his positive favor toward us, and as a result we will ultimately never die. Life is the judicial reward for righteousness. Jesus was made to be sin, and so he died, but once sin was dealt with, he remained righteous.

5. Raised So He Can Apply Justification to Us 

It is Jesus himself who saves the Christian. The two phases of Jesus’ saving work for us are described in complementary ways. It is the blood or death of Jesus that saves us, but we are “much more” saved by his life, since he himself continues to save us from the wrath of God. Would the teaching of the gospel in an average evangelical church today leave you with the idea that it is “much more” the resurrection that saves us than the cross?

(Abridged from Raised With Christ published by Crossway)

Did you have a great time at your church on Easter Sunday? Was there a sense of celebration in the air? Was there excitement? Joy? Maybe even a conscious awareness of the Spirit being poured out? Do you want to capture that vitality week after week? Then preach the resurrection every week. For the good news of Jesus’ resurrection IS the Gospel proclamation. In the gospel is the power of God for salvation. And salvation is not just an intellectual response, it is a rebirth. In that rebirth, resurrection power is released in us. Should we not expect that power to be felt, and its results to be seen every week?

In fact, surely the only reason we meet as churches on a Sunday at all was because the early disciples wanted to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus each week.  In that sense every Sunday is resurrection Sunday.

If you want Jesus’ resurrection to become as foundational in your life and your church as the cross is already, hopefully my book Raised With Christ will help a bit.

Many people bought Raised With Christ in the week before Easter. That the book is needed is shown by the fact that many people think of it as an Easter book.  The resurrection, like the cross, is something we must celebrate, and contemplate all year round. It is also shown by the fact that many who bought it will not even start to read it.

Ask yourself this, have you ever read a book about the resurrection? If you intended to remedy this before Easter but the business of life crowded out the time you needed to read, then please do not wait till next Easter to read at least one book about the best news the world has ever heard.  As I said before Easter, I really won’t be offended if you decide to choose one of the few other books on the resurrection that are out there and not mine.  But please, for the sake of your own Christian life, and the life of those who you love, get ahold of a book on this vital subject and read it.  If you prefer you can get mine and probably some of the others as an audio book.  Ideal if you commute to work.

I almost wish that someone would invent a heresy about the meaning of the resurrection.  Then I am sure that more people would devote the time needed to read on this life-changing subject.  You will do your faith much more good if you read one of these books on the resurrection than reading the latest controversial best-seller.

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UPDATE
Further to the point about the switch to Sunday meetings, this from N.T. Wright:

This is especially noticeable in the remarkable transfer of the special day of the week from the last day to the first day. ‘The Lord’s Day’, John the seer called it; and there is very early evidence of the Christians meeting on the first day of the week. This is hardly to be explained simply on the grounds that they wanted to distinguish themselves from their Jewish neighbours, or that they believed the new creation had begun; or at least, if either of those explanations is offered, they press us quickly back to the question of why they wanted to do the former, or why they believed the latter. The early writers face these questions, and give the obvious answers: Ignatius draws attention to the resurrection as the rationale of the new practice, and Justin connects it with the first day of the new creation. Nor should we minimize the significance of the change. The seventh-day sabbath was so firmly rooted in Judaism as a major social, cultural, religious and political landmark that to make any adjustment in it was not like a modern western person deciding to play tennis on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays, but like persuading the most devout medieval Roman Catholic to fast on Thursdays instead of Fridays, or the most devout member of the Free Church of Scotland to organize worship on Mondays instead of Sundays. It takes a conscious, deliberate and sustained effort to change or adapt one of the most powerful elements of symbolic praxis within a worldview—not least when the sabbath was one of the three things, along with circumcision and the food laws, that marked out Jews from their pagan neighbours. By far the easiest explanation for all this is that all the early Christians believed that something had happened on that first Sunday morning.

N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2003), 579-80.

As you are reading this I am with my family at the Bible By the Beach Conference where I am one of the speakers. A whole event focused on the resurrection. Worship. Teaching. Seminars. All near the beach! I should be in heaven! If you are there do come and say hi to me. I think the audio will be available online at some point.

This Easter Sunday let’s remind ourselves that we truly have been raised with Christ! What joy will be ours on that great day when he returns! This short video is well worth watching, and features Ravi Zacharias:

Here in the UK, it has just turned past midnight, meaning it is now Easter Sunday. What better way to begin to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus than to watch this fantastic video of more than 2000 people dancing for Jesus:

Now that Rob Bell’s controversial book Love Wins is on sale on both sides of the Atlantic and many other comments have been made, I am feeling like I cannot avoid engaging in the controversy, or at least should read some more material to understand it better. I did not seek out such involvement, as you can see from my post which ironically listed Five Reasons I hadn’t previously blogged about Rob Bell. Since then I have posted a couple of highly relevant articles without directly addressing Bell’s work.  These are:

• Why a belief in hell is so practically important (John Piper)
• The folly of imagining hell is not real and sin is not deadly (Charles Spurgeon)
• Mark Driscoll’s sermon on hell taken from the Rich Man and Lazarus.
• Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the folly of thinking God is only love.

I have now found a very helpful round up post on Gary David Stratton’s blog that lists some of the major posts on each side of this vociferous debate. He says that over 400,000 responses are now available online, so reading every post is clearly not an option! I have been following some of the posts he lists, and have finally succumbed and am in the process of reading the book. If you have been following things more closely, and there are critical posts you think I should read that are not on Stratton’s list, please let me know. There is one additional page that I have found to be interesting, a transcript of an interview by Lisa Miller with Rob Bell.

Finally, also in Stratton’s blog is a suggestion that we should use the Apostle Paul’s blogging checklist. I have adapted this somewhat from his version, which he took from 1 Corinthians 13.  I commend this list as we consider blogging about this issue or others. For not every blog post on either side of this debate has kept within these wise boundaries. So, before you hit send, grade yourself on this list:

Is this blog post I am about to publish

1. Demonstrating patience towards those who disagree with me?
2. Kind in its tone and content? Would my “enemies” agree?
3. Free from envy in it’s motivation? Rather than secretly wishing I was as popular as the person I am condemning?
4. Full of humility and not boasting? Rather than implying I have all the answers and the monopoly on the truth?
5. Wanting others to do well and highlighting good comments elsewhere rather than arrogantly seeking more hits for my blog?
6. Polite and not rude?
7. Not insisting on my own way? Have I acknowledged that there is a chance, however small, that I might be wrong about this?
8. Calm and not irritable?
9. Avoiding even the hint of sounding resentful?
10. Rejoicing with the truth, rather than taking joy from pointing out others error? Have I struck back at those who have been hurtful to me or brushed over and endured any perceived wrongs from them, have I thought the best of others?

If you cannot honestly answer yes to all of these bold questions, it is time to save the draft, pray, go and make yourself a cup of tea, and come back to re-edit the post later. There is a time for boldly speaking the truth.  But we must always do so in love. The above checklist is demanding.  It requires careful examination of our hearts.  We will all no doubt fail at times to follow it fully.  I know I have.

Fortunately there is grace for us, as well as opportunities for public repentance when needed!  I believe that none of us can have the insight into our own sinful hearts to fully achieve such high standards on our own. I do thank God that I have people who watch over both my soul and this blog and are not afraid to point out when they feel I have erred.  I trust that you also have those who can help you to follow Jesus online.  May God help me, and each of you to blog as Christ would want us to, and to treat others online as we would want to be treated.  Those of us that love grace must be sure to demonstrate it to others.

Ultimately, the persistence and growth throughout history of the largest movement the world has ever seen is the strongest evidence for the resurrection. Many millions of people have claimed that their lives have been transformed by Jesus and that they had a relationship with Jesus. Even today, testimonies of lives that have been changed continue to flabbergast the skeptic and give more faith to the believer.

According to Robert Stein:

[Another] witness to the resurrection is the existential experience of the risen Christ in the heart of the believer. As one familiar hymn states it, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” To those who would minimize this argument and reject it as unscientific and subjective, the evangelical would point out that millions of Christians have for nearly two thousand years made this very claim. It is a simple fact that throughout the history of the church, the single most important witness to the resurrection of Jesus has been the witness of the risen Christ within the heart of the believer!

(From Raised With Christ, if you have a Kindle, Read more at location 990)

In a sermon from the series  The Christian’s Duty in a Hostile World, John MacArthur connects two glorious truths: the centrality of Jesus’ resurrection and that “faith cannot be removed or detached from the realm of real life.”

It is no great surprise to me that I enjoyed Bob’s book so much,  or that he seems to be enjoying mine.  For while their subjects may seem disconnected at first glance, in reality they have everything to do with each other!

The truth that lies behind Bob’s view of both the individual’s need for transformation and the need for the church to impact society is well expressed by MacArthur:

Salvation is not just forgiveness for sins. Salvation is a new order of life . . . when we understand salvation in a biblical way, we must understand that salvation effects a whole transformation of life. It is not just the forgiveness of sins, it is the transformation of life.

MacArthur goes on to explain that our woeful neglect of the resurrection has led to a terrible misunderstanding:

You might be interested to know that as central as the cross is in Christianity, it was not really the central focus of the early church. The early church saw much more in salvation than just the moment at which Christ atoned for sins, the moment in which He died on the cross. The early church saw salvation in much broader terms than that. The early church saw salvation as something that only began with the forgiveness of sins and led to a life transformed into obedience and consummated in the glory with Jesus Christ. It is interesting that even history sort of reflects this. In his book, Civilization, author Kenneth Clark shows that the cross as such was a very late symbol in Christian art and Christian culture. When we think about Christianity, we think immediately about the cross as the symbol of our faith. You might be interested to know that as far as that book, Civilization, determined the first appearance of the cross in Christian art or culture occurred in A.D. 430, all the way into the fifth century, on the doors of the church at Santa Sobina(?) and that that cross was a very small little cross inset into some piece of Christian art.

The early church did not focus on the cross. The early church focused on what great event? The resurrection. It focused its attention on the resurrection. And consequently its preoccupation was not with the point at which sin is forgiven, but the point at which new life begins. And the resurrection is that point. We, of course, died in Christ spiritually and in that death the penalty of sin was paid. But we also arose in Christ, says Paul, to walk in newness of life. To be saved then to the early church, and surely to us as well, was not just to have your sin forgiven. It was not just some transaction which dealt with your guilt. But rather to be saved was to be delivered from the power of darkness and to be translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. In other words, it was to enter in to an entirely new kind of life, to enter into a new sphere of existence. Salvation is not just atonement. Salvation is not just forgiveness. Salvation is regeneration. It is transformation. It is the imparting of a new kind of life, the life of God in the soul of man.

Why do so few Christian preachers today grasp this fully?

But MacArthur doesn’t leave us there.  He goes on to explain that if life transformation has happened in you, then good works are the inevitable result.  As Bob Roberts likes to put it “We serve not to convert but because we are converted.”

MacArthur then explains that every single Christian has a unique contribution to make to the Kingdom effort.  I can almost hear Bob talking about using your job to connect to the nations:

So you have a special gift. It’s a combination of the colors, as it were, on the palette of giftedness that come together to make you unique and there’s nobody like you, absolutely no one like you . . . So you take that unique gift in a unique ministry with a unique effect with a measured amount of grace and a measured amount of faith and then you add your physical capabilities, your training, your background, your opportunities, your environment and all your influences and you function like nobody else…nobody else. That’s why there’s nobody to replace you if you don’t function. That’s the extent of spiritual gifts.

So there you have it: Because salvation is not only about forgiveness of sins but the start of a new life begun by the resurrection of Jesus, Christians have a duty in this world to spread that new life, not only by preaching but also by acts of kindness that stem from a transformed heart.

Someone recently shared a quote online from my book Raised With Christ. I thought I’d share it with you as a not-too-subtle reminder to consider buying someone a book about Easter this Christmas!

Salvation is not merely a case of believing in something that happened thousands of years ago.  We are not saved by a belief.  We are saved by union with a person.  We cannot separate the propitiatory work of Christ from Christ himself.  We are saved not only by believing the fact that Christ died for our sins, but by union with the crucified and risen, exalted Savior.  Only through union with a living Savior who has in him the virtue of his atoning death do justification, forgiveness, and all the blessings of redemption become ours.  “In him, we have redemption through his blood.” (Ephesians 1:7).”

via Resurrection People- Day 1 « The Grace Showcase.

Last Sunday, Jubilee Church London had the real blessing of Ian McCormack visiting us to share his testimony. It truly is a remarkable story of being declared dead, an encounter with Jesus, a dramatic resurrection, and a transformed life. A while ago I had lunch with this man, and a kinder, gentler man I have never met. Many responded to the gospel at the end of this testimony at Jubilee. Only eternity will tell the full effects of this man’s life story which he has told so many times now. Watch it here:

3. Future glory

I am deliberately going to break every rule of exegesis and take a verse wholly out of context hear because I believe the balance of scripture tells us that God always keeps the best wine till last

Its a Glory that improves with age…its like wine we can taste.

Jesus first miracle water to wine. That wine speaks of joy. One way tap into joy=== holys spirit peace and joy in the Spirit

George Whitefield as he preached on this miracle. “Whilst I am thinking, and only speaking of those things unto you, I am almost carried beyond myself. Methinks, I now receive some little foretastes of that new wine which I hope to drink with you in the heavenly kingdom for ever and ever.”

Why be nostalgic for the days of Whitefield? Why not drink the same spiritual wine he did and see the glory of God right here right now? BE not Drunk with wine be FILLED with the Spirit!

John 7:37-39 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Jesus glorification in John is shorthanded for his death. resurrection and ascension. Because Jesus has now been glorified, the Spirit has now been given, and will never be taken away!

If you will walk with God, he isn’t finished with you yet.

The world seems to offer young people a better ride…tho even in the short term the consequences hurt. But the older we get the bigger gap there is. Many Christian speak of a sweeter more intimate sense of Gods presence as they get older.

God wants to take you to the next level today. And take you today from one degree of glory to another there is more than you have know so far!

2 Corinthians 3:8 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”

What level are you at?
—–>Have you believed in this Jesus as the disciples did? If not you can today
——>Having believed have you tasted of his goodness experientially and Been overwhelmed by been immersed in his Spirit?

——->As we heard a few weeks back, are you ankle deep, in which case you can come in deeper to the river of Gods blessing

Have you been facing difficulties? Or feel God is distant. Maybe your joy, like the wine in this story has run out! He is here. He has now been glorified so his Spirit HAS been poured out, and we can ALL receive a fresh touch from him this morning.

But is also a future glory because at the end it is an eternal glory

This glory is always works not just in past or present. It is drawing us to our eternal home. Then there will be no more hidden glory, only revealed glory, but we will never exhaust the depths of Jesus glory!

We must always have the future in mind. The end goal is not in this earth its to be with the Father the Son and the Spirit. The mystery is we will experience a Glorification. This world is not everything. There is a Better place. No matter what you go thru Jesus saves the best to last. Therefore don’t give up. In the meantime one degree to another but it can be seasons of much pain

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but qbecause of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God

Goes on to promise that those who God has saved he also glorified! We are already and will be glorified!

Just as Jesus was glorified only thru death and then resurrection, so our glory comes through our being emptied “they have no wine” then filled through suffering then healing, through pain then deliverance, through persecution then the acceptance of Jesus, and ultimately also for us through death and resurrection.

Because of this glorious future, we can expect more of him today hope for tomorrow truth joy to explore

When we see heaven it should fill us with hope so we are able to live with joy now so we see what is ahead. this world is not heaven now. If God is going to bless us so wonderfully in the future, why shouldn’t he bless us now?

Something of Heaven’s glory and power breaking thru in the here and now!

More you connect with Spirit more you walk in and enjoy the glory of the one, and the more you experience the deposit which guarantees the glory which is to come.

John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world”

If you need Gods glory in your life this story tells us how… In reverse, we need the hope for an optimistic future, instead of looking back to a golden age, looking forward to née blessings God will bring us even in this life, We need to determine to just do what he tells us, and we must pray the glorious future into our present.

Let the powers of the age to come, break through today! may Jesus hidden kingdom be made manifest.

This is the second part of my notes from which I preached the above sermon.

2. Glory revealed / Active Glory: When the glory is present and powerful. A moment comes. A crisis in their lives. They know Jesus. And yet does something amazing. Provides wine. Takes away their shame before it really happens. Powerful thing when glory is active. Doing signs and wonders Still does them today.

How does it happen? How do we connect to glory? Lets see how it happened this time, and we will see a pattern.

… A REQUEST Glory prayed forward It is not his time now, but Mary gets the miracle she wants!
Mary simply asks him. There is a push back but she doesn’t give up. We need prayer that persists even when it seems God is not answering us. Mary didn’t give up! Not my time he says, and I am sure it is a test rather than a rebuke.

Prayer, sees the future, brings into present

Do today Lord what we know you will one day do

Healing is in the atonement, we just can’t guarantee Gods timing.

But it seems in some mysterious purpose of God, our requests can appear to us to reach into the time to come and bring it into the here and now.

We are both waiting for and “hastening the coming of the day of the Lord” 2 Peter 3:12

I have faith Lord that one day I will be made whole never to experience pain, now please heal me today Lord!

For us, time is precious, everything is urgent.

To God a day is like a thousand years

What promises of God are you holding onto? If you are sure they are truly promises of God don’t despair! Keep telling him about it! If you need help discerning whether they are truly of God speak to one of the leaders.

Notice how simple Mary’s request to Jesus is. It is good to pray for prolonged periods sometimes. But it is also good to pray simple prayers that are full of faith and expectancy. Mary just spoke to him about her concern for the embarrassment of her friends

There is something else that happens and leads up to the glory being revealed:

….A COMMAND

Spurgeon said “when he is about to give a blessing, as a general rule he first gives a command”

Obedience is key if you want to see the glory of Jesus revealed

No better motto for life than this: “Do whatever he tells you”! Many worry about how will they know Gods will. The far more important question is are you determined to obey. Proverbs 3:5 is inscribed in my wedding ring and a verse that has been handed down in my family since at least when on his deathbed my great grandfather told my grandfather to live by this verse. Gives us three conditions for being guided by God which basically amount to the same thing

“trust in the lord with all your heart”. Our love for him makes us Want to follow him as passionately and wholeheartedly as these first disciples do. It’s not a ritualistic obedience Jesus is after but a heartfelt confidence that his way is best. Following him is no sacrifice as the things that we give up he gives far more in return. Jesus is no ones debtor!
“lean not on your own understanding” when human wisdom seems to conflict with What Jesus tells us to do, we need to realize we are not as smart as we think we are!
“in all your ways acknowledge him” realise that he. Is interested even in the mundane matters of life. Christian maturity is the product of many hundreds of small decisions made on a daily basis. We will get some of them wrong. But we will not mature unless we then repent even of the so called small sins, go back to him, and resolve to follow him with the very next step.
There is a reason the christian life is described as a walk– it is because we must do it one step at a time.

These conditions lead to a promise: and he will DIRECT your paths.

How does he do this today? Well first notice that the promise is not dependent on how well we can hear him…if we desire to obey him he is committed to guide us!
1. The Scripture. Don’t go asking him to tell you what to do if the answer is already in this book!

2. Wise counsellors / leaders

3. Circumstances

4. Prophetic impulses: but be wise and careful here!

If we will resolve to Obey even when it seems silly, or when others tell us we are foolish, great glory can be unlocked as it was here. Imagine if they had said “no way” they would have missed their miracle.

If want to see the glory of Jesus then you have to follow him… will you resolve today to follow Mary’s advice? “whatever he says to you do it” there is no substitute for obedience in the christian life…there is none.

But there is another ingredient in the mix before the glory comes. There is a prayer, there is a command but there is also a third element we will see tomorrow.

Terry Virgo is continuing to share his series of video interviews with his son. Today I share here another video which addresses Terry’s view of the Bible. Here is an extract from his words about things we must preach boldly and clearly:

Present God in his person and character. Present Jesus without any disguise. We need the authentic Jesus. The fact that he is God and man. Be very clear about the trinity and these unchanging realities about God. People say he didn’t actually rise from the dead, we so no, he actually,physically rose from the dead. Once we have nailed things like the resurrection, other things fall into place. It is vital for us to hold onto big issues like how you become a Christian, who God is, there are huge themes that there is no room for any kind of debate about. Certainly there will be some things that are more open to question, and tentative attitudes are appropriate. It is for us to humble ourselves we don’t want to come across in an authoritarian way over things that are less clear. But the major issue is that we stand by the Bible, and most Christian issues really are very clear indeed and we are not going to be tentative with them.

Terry then goes on to explain why, for him, the outpouring of the Spirit to empower believers is not a peripheral or marginal issue, but is a main thing, and that he is a charismatic because of what he reads in the Bible. The interview concludes, “If it could be demonstrated to me that that is not biblical, I would have to rethink and review, because to me the Bible is the final word”

During my blogging break I appeared on Premier Christian Radio’s Unbelievable?. I joined in a conversation with a church leader about whether the physical resurrection of Jesus really matters. It was refreshing to meet someone who did not believe in Jesus bodily resurrection , who unlike many neoliberals today, was at least willing to call himself a liberal. I encourage you to  Listen here and look at some of the other programs.

Remember, the resurrection is not just for Easter. We should have Jesus’ resurrection on our lips all year round as much as the cross. The first of these two newly released videos is the first in the online study guide that we are working on right now. It would be great if you could consider getting a copy of the book and join a group of us each week as we discuss it. These weekly discussions (which are conducted via Twitter) will help refine the study guide for future readers and groups of readers.

Watch on Vimeo.

The second video comes from the Q and A. In it I answer the question: “Why did you decide to write about the resurrection?” Other video questions include:

• But don’t all Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus?
• Do we need to mention the resurrection when we preach?
• Are you saying that the cross is overemphasized?
• Why do Christians neglect the resurrection?
• Do you want us to emphasize the resurrection rather than arguing about theories of atonement?
• What are the implications of neglecting the resurrection?
• Why is the resurrection so important for understanding our justification?
• How does the resurrection transform our lives today?

Watch on Vimeo.

This is from the Raised With Christ website:

Adrian invites you to join in a “virtual study group” being held online via Twitter. If you don’t already have a Twitter account you can join very easily for free. Just like in any offline discussion group, please also interact with other people’s replies.  To make it easier to follow we will use a series of “hash tags”. Please use #rwc1 for general discussion and add a specific letter as below to discuss one of the questions below. Please also feel free to suggest other study questions, or ask the author anything you want.

You can watch the conversation evolve by following any of the specific links below.

This study group is open and deliberately carried out in public, but we hope that some of you will commit to join us as we post a new section each Monday for the next 9 weeks or so (there may have to be a couple of breaks for Adrian’s annual leave, etc). Responding to Twitter conversations in near real time will make this feel more like a “real” group. We pray that this experiment will benefit each of us.

Or, it is possible to join in on Facebook, please answer each question under the relevant section.

As we begin, We appreciate some of you may not have got your copy of the book yet, so this first session covers all the introductory material, chapter 1 and chapter 4 which is available free online. If you have only got time today to read one chapter, read chapter 4.  It is not essential for you to have read the relevant chapters to benefit from considering together the following questions, though obviously it will help.  If you haven’t yet read them, thinking through these questions will help you as you then approach reading the book.  Why not join us online or form your own group to help you work through the book . . .

Please begin by reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-22

QUESTION ONE. Do you agree that we neglect the resurrection? If so why? Paul here outlines the very core of the gospel.  In the opening verses he clearly states that the cross and resurrection of Jesus are the twin foundations of our faith.  Would you agree that some of the gospel presentations you have heard over the years have not emphasised the resurrection equally with the cross? Do Christian preachers under-emphasize the cross? Do we neglect the resurrection:

• In our conversations with other Christians?
• In our reading?
• In our thinking?
• In our preaching?
• In our evangelism?

Do you think we neglect the resurrection? If so share some examples and also discuss why you think this is. (For ideas see chapter 4). Please tweet your thoughts (you are welcome to post more than once!) and remember to include the code #RWC1a. Or discuss on Facebook HERE.

MORE QUESTIONS AT  SESSION ONE: Do we neglect the resurrection?.

The following quote from Theology for Women inspired me this week as I have been thinking about the events of the Easter Sunday and beyond:

The image of Jesus coming to Peter after the resurrection means much to me. As someone who has denied Jesus in my own heart enough to know the turmoil Peter must have felt in that moment, I love the thought of Peter’s eyes meeting Jesus’ for the first time after the resurrection. And I praise God that Jesus doesn’t condemn Peter. He is SO GRACIOUS with Peter. Before all of this, Jesus had told Peter He was going to build His church on Peter the rock. And after Peter’s denial, Jesus comes to him in affirmation that His plans for Peter have not changed. I weep as I write this. Nothing had changed. God’s purposes for Peter were still on track! And then Jesus spends precious time before His ascension reaffirming His plans for Peter. Do you love me? Yes. Then feed my sheep.

Christ’s interaction with Peter before, during, and after the crucifixion epitomizes gospel grace to me. I know the theological language for all Christ accomplished for me on the cross. But watching it play out between Jesus and Peter in the gospels (and then reading on into Acts and the epistles to see what Peter became and taught in consequence) puts a face on it for me. Peter earned nothing and nearly squandered everything. But though Jesus knew Peter would betray Him, He loved him anyway, pursued him with His grace, and affirmed to him His purposes for him. And this same Jesus loves, pursues, and affirms you and I. To the praise of His glorious grace.

Read more at Practical Theology for Women: Reflections on Easter Week.

I share the following extract from Raised With Christ today because I am certain that no disciple could ever have thought about the death of Jesus without his or her sorrow being tinged with the wonderful joy of the resurrection. This quote shows how, in these pivotal events, Jesus chose to honor women:

Matthew tells us that Jesus died more quickly than many victims of crucifixion, and his death was associated with some miraculous signs. “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:50–53). These remarkable events demonstrate that even as he died, Jesus remained in control of nature. The Lord of all was continuing to sustain the universe “by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). Even as he died, he still had life-giving power that could empty tombs.

Although his divine nature shared in the experience of the agony of death and separation from the Father, only his body was placed in the tomb. His spirit returned to God, and he promised the repentant thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus effectively experienced hell on the cross, since hell means being separated from God . . .

Watching that day were some women who later played an extraordinary role in the events of the resurrection. We must spend a few moments understanding why this is so surprising. For Jesus to have a group of women traveling with him as disciples was very unusual in those days and revealed that he was no mere conservative follower of the culture of his day.13 Jesus gave great dignity to women. He treated them as friends and was willing to sit with them and teach them, defying all traditions of the day.

As an example of his amazing attitude toward women, we see the way he gently showed a Samaritan woman the way of salvation. Here was a teacher who did not despise women. He did not see them merely as servants to wait on the men. On one occasion he honored Mary, Lazarus’ sister, for choosing to sit with him and learn like the men rather than bustling about preparing the food. As a result of Jesus’ radical acceptance, many women followed him as part of his group. Unlike the male disciples who all “fell away”  and deserted Jesus, the women remained faithful, even when Jesus was being crucified.

It was in the events of the resurrection that Jesus gave the highest honor to women. In the world of first-century Israel, the testimony of women did not count for much, and they could not testify in court. It is astonishing that Jesus made his first post-resurrection appearance to women including Mary Magdalene, who had been demonized and is believed by many to have had a dubious moral past. To then appoint them as the first messengers of the good news that he was risen from the dead shows the total absence of prejudice in Jesus. This astonishing aspect of the resurrection story is very strong evidence for the genuineness of the account. No one would have invented an account so dependent on women as witnesses.

As the disciples scattered and were apparently nowhere to be seen, the women followed Joseph of Arimathea to see where Jesus would be buried. Their love for him was such that they wanted to care for his body. Only the arrival of the Sabbath could delay their tender care. As soon as it was practical, just before sunrise on Sunday morning, they rushed to the tomb. Approaching the tomb together were Mary Magdalene, another Mary, Salome, Joanna, and probably several other women. Their discussions on the way about how to move the stone were interrupted by an earthquake and an angel who appeared and dragged the stone away from the tomb. The soldiers who were guarding the tomb fainted, then fled back to the city. The women looked down, turning their heads from the frightening sight. It is possible that all of this occurred simultaneously with the actual resurrection of Jesus, although it is just as likely that his body had already vanished from the tomb, passing through the graveclothes and the rocks with equal ease . . .

The risen Lord of glory made his first appearance not on television or on YouTube, not before kings, not even before the future leaders of his church. Rather, he tenderly greeted a woman who, no doubt, felt that the meaning he had given to her life had been snatched away when he died. Jesus appointed her as a messenger to his disciples and then told her that he would soon ascend to be with God. READ MORE

“As a born again believer, the Bible teaches that you were there at the Cross positionally and spiritually (just as you were in Adam prior to salvation). As the apostle Paul declared, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death… For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him….” (Rom. 6:4-6). “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above… For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:1-3). “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-7). Amen!”

Read more at Simon’s Reflections

Matthew tells us that Jesus died more quickly than many victims of crucifixion, and his death was associated with some miraculous signs:

“Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:50–53).

These remarkable events demonstrate that even as he died, Jesus remained in control of nature. The Lord of all was continuing to sustain the universe “by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). Even as he died, he still had life-giving power that could empty tombs. (Raised With Christ, page 33)