Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a testimony to the resurrection of the dead in the time when Christ returns to bear rule over all the earth. He will return the dead in Christ to glory at His coming. The world seemed to be derailing itself as men sought war as a means of resolving their conflicts. Weapons and better weapons are the answers to broker peace in a fallen world where might is right.
The first fruits will be an indicator of the quality of the harvest to come. Because Jesus rose from the dead, He is described as the firstfruits of the bumper harvest of the souls of believers that will be raised from the dead and given a glorified body like that of Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. This will take place when Jesus Christ returns. I believe that Jesus’ coming again is soon. The church needs to be ready.
God made a coat of skin to cover their nakedness and take away their shame. This was a pre-figuring of the coming of the Christ that will take away the sin of the world and restore to man life. In the fullness of time, Christ Jesus was born and lived a perfect life and died to pay the sins of men and Jesus rose again from the dead the third day, victorious over sin and death.
The Christian faith is an objective faith in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the object of our faith. This is the substance of the Christian faith. And what is the significant truth to be conveyed? Jesus Christ died and rose again from the dead the third day. The significant truth is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He is alive. He overcame death for us. He conquered death to live forevermore. If this is not true then men indeed is miserable.
For the Christian, death is but a temporary sleep. A day is coming when he shall awake from his sleep to be clothed with a glorified body, remade anew. This is the truth that is conveyed when the Apostle Paul declared that Christ has risen from the dead. The Christian’s faith is not in vain. By the resurrection, death and sin are overcome. As such, the dead in Christ does not perish but awaits a coming awakening to everlasting physical life with a new body that God will give!
The Apostle Paul testified that the resurrected Christ was seen of many of which he was last and least yet not to to be dismissed – 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Why is the Apostle Paul speaking in a circular argument, he seemed to be going round in circles concerning the resurrection of Christ. It seemed he is till we realize that he is speaking a statement of truth, a factual declaration. Then his argument makes sense. If it is founded on the truth, there is there no dispute.
The truth of the resurrection was sorely challenged as an untruth. But the truth cannot be nullified because it is fixed upon the backbone of history. The Apostle Paul himself saw the resurrected Christ. He was an eye-witness. He cannot deny the truth of the resurrected Christ that he saw. He has to be true the heavenly vision that turned his life around.
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The miracle that came with the preaching of the gospel is that souls were saved into God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ.
It was the grace of God that enabled the Apostle Paul to labour for the Lord. He testified how God enabled him to go labour on, spend and be spent. God’s favour was with him to make a way for him to do His work. It was effectual. The Apostle Paul not only was enabled to spread the gospel to Asia Minor and Europe leading to the conversion of souls and the formation of churches but he was gifted to write the Scripture. Scroggie gave this chart highlighting the grace of God upon this man to complete the bulk of New Testament Scriptures.