"The Resurrection is the Key" Sermon: Acts 24:1-27

“The Resurrection is the Key”
[Acts 24:1-27]
May 8, 2011 Second Reformed Church

What is the absolutely essential, most important, non-negotiable teaching or doctrine of Christianity? No fair looking at the sermon title.

Would it surprise you that there are people – people who claim to be Christians, people who teach in our seminaries, people who preach in pulpits around the country and around the world, who say that the Physical Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is irrelevant to the Truth of Christianity? Would it surprise you to have someone who claims to be a Christian say to you, “It makes absolutely no difference whether Jesus physically rose from the dead or not as far as what Christianity teaches and means”?

In today’s text, we will see that the Physical Resurrection of Jesus is key to Christianity – there is no Christianity – and no salvation – if Jesus did not physically rise from the dead.

So, we will remember from last week that Paul had been transported by armed guard for his protection from the barracks of Claudius Lysias to the governor’s palace in Caesarea. Paul was now under the protection of Governor Felix of Caesarea, and Paul was under house arrest in Herod’s palace. However, as a Roman citizen, he has been granted the right to move about and receive guests – at least until Paul’s accusers came to bring their case against him.

According to the laws of the day, this would likely mean that Paul would have one arm chained to a centurion by a long chain, but, otherwise, he would be free and allowed to move about and do whatever he wanted, including visiting his friends and preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And we will remember that Felix had been friends with Emperor Caligula, and Felix was known by the historians to have “served with all cruelty and lust.” Felix was known for inciting riots, engaging in corrupt deals, and perverting justice to gain pleasure and power for himself. At this time, Felix served under the current reigning emperor, Nero.

After five days, the high priest, Ananias arrived with some of the elders and a lawyer they had hired by the name of Tertullus. And, in accordance with Roman law, the accusers were allowed to speak first:

Tertullus began by buttering Felix up, “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. But to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.” Whatever you choose to call this, it was baloney to try to get Felix on the side of the Jews.

Then Tertullus presented their case, such as it was:

First, he accused Paul of starting riots among the Jews all over the world.

Second, he accused Paul of being the leader of the Nazarenes.

Third, he accused Paul of attempting to profane the Temple.

And the Jews all agreed, “Yes, you tell him, Tertullus, hoo hoo hoo ”

Then Paul was given a chance to respond, and Paul acknowledged that God had given Felix the position of judge, so, for the sake of God’s appointment to that position, Paul cheerfully made his defense:

First, Paul explained that it was only twelve days now since he had returned to Jerusalem from his missionary journey, and when he returned home to Jerusalem, he went up to the Temple to worship. What the Jews found when they hauled him away, was that he was in the Temple, giving alms to the poor and taking part in the ceremonial purification rites. He hadn’t taught or preached anything to anyone since he returned, and he certainly wasn’t causing riots. He was doing what every Jew was expected to do in the Temple, and there was no one who could witness otherwise against him.

As to the second point, yes, Paul admitted he was a member of the Way – (which was the original name for Christians). What that means, Paul explained, is that he worships the God of his fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. He believes everything that was written in the Law and the Prophets, and he has his hope in God – just as every one of his accusers before him – and every Jew – that there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. That is what Jews have always believed and taught and that is what he believed and taught. Paul said he believed everything that his accusers – and every Jew – says that he believes.

And thirdly, Paul said again, that he had returned after a long time – several years – to Jerusalem, bringing alms for the poor and offerings to the Temple. When he was hauled away, he was in the Temple purifying himself according to the Law of Moses. There was no crowd, no tumult, no riot. He was taken from the Temple while he was doing everything that is instructed for a Jew to do – while he was doing his duty. But there were some Jews from Turkey – but none of them came to Caesarea to accuse him....

In fact, he explained that he was brought before Claudius Lysias and the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin, and no one could produce a charge against him. The only thing that he did that caused a problem was that he cried out, “It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.”

“The only thing I have said this whole time that has gotten these people upset is that there is a resurrection of the dead. But the resurrection of the dead is taught by the Law, and the Prophets, and in the Temple, and by the Pharisees....”

We can imagine that Ananias’ face was beet red. How could he answer this? Everything Paul said was true. The problem they had with Paul was that he said that Jesus physically rose from the dead, and the Romans wouldn’t care. They had to push the idea that Paul was causing riots – that the Romans would address – but they had no witnesses to put forth the claim.

Nothing has changed, has it?

Just about everyone is ok with Jesus, so long as you don’t go too far with Him, right?

“Jesus was a great moral teacher.” “He was an example of how we should all live.” “He showed one of many ways back to God.” “Jesus taught us to love everyone.”

But, is Jesus God?

“No, no, no. Well, in the same way that we all have the spark of divinity in us. He showed us how we can fulfill our potential.”

Did Jesus physically rise from the dead?

“No.”

Why not?

“Only monsters and serial killers can come back from the dead. Jesus was just a person, and people don’t come back from the dead. I mean, if you mean that Jesus is always with us in spirit – that His ideas live on – that He is an inspiration – yes. But, two thousand years ago, did He get up and walk out of the tomb, no.”

And the scholars chime in, “It doesn’t matter whether Jesus physically rose from the dead or not – it doesn’t change His message of love and social rebellion. Jesus’ being physically alive adds nothing to what he taught.”

Really?

Paul wrote, “Now, I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is within me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preached and so you believed.

“Now, if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testify about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life alone we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (I Corinthians 15:1-19, ESV).

Paul says, if you don’t believe in the Physical Resurrection of Jesus, you don’t believe the Gospel. Because if Jesus did not survive the Wrath of God against Him for our sins, then Jesus failed – He did not pay the debt for our sins and credit us with His Righteousness.

If Jesus did physically rise from the dead, then we shall physically rise from the dead. If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then we shall not physically rise from the dead.

If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain – it’s useless.

If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then we have been lying about God, because we teach what the Gospel says, that God physically raised Jesus from the dead.

If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then our sins have not been forgiven.

If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then those who have died, believing in Jesus, have gone to Hell.

If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then our faith is only about living a “good life” now, and we are still going to Hell in the end, and we above all people ought to be pitied for being such utter fools.

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:25-29, ESV).

At the moment Jesus died on the cross, we read, “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 27:51-53, ESV).

And when Jesus returns, we read, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Then another book was opened which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were throne in the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15, ESV).

And Job testified, and we will sing the hymn based on this text shortly, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth. After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me ” (Job 19:25-27, ESV).

There is a book out right now which attempts to answer the question, “What is the least I can believe and still be a Christian?” That is a foolish thing to ask; we are to believe the whole Word of God because it is the Word of God.

However, understand this, if you do not believe that Jesus the God-Man, Who was put to death in His Real, Physical Body on the Cross, and really, physically rose from the dead in that same Physical Body and is alive, you don’t believe in Christianity.

Does the Physical Resurrection of Jesus matter? Yes It is the key to Christianity. Without the Physical Resurrection of Jesus, Christianity is a lie, we are dead in our sins, bound for Hell, and we are fools.

Paul said, “It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.” Brothers and sisters, it is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that we will stand before God on that final day. Don’t slough it off as an unimportant issue – for it is the key to Christianity.

Governor Felix knew about the Way and their teachings, so he told them that he was going to put his decision off until Lysias arrived to give his account of what happened. According to Roman Law, Paul should have been set free – there was absolutely no precedent for holding him, but he was put back under house arrest.

Some days later, Felix and his wife, Drusilla, who was a Jew, sent for Paul and asked him to preach to them about Jesus. Amazing, isn’t it? And Paul preached to them about Jesus and righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, and Felix became alarmed and said, “Go away ”

Why? Because Felix was being convicted. Felix not only loved power and pleasure – at any cost, but he had been married three times, as had his historically, fabulously beautiful wife – and their marriages had been unions of pleasure and power, not legal unions in the sight of God.

When Paul explained that God holds us to His Standard of Right and Wrong and the Only Hope for anyone is faith in Jesus Christ, Felix became terrified. This wasn’t fun anymore Felix was feeling guilty, and that didn’t give him pleasure. So – for now – “Go away ”

Yet we see in verse twenty-six, that Felix called him back to speak many times – not because he wanted to hear Paul preach, but because he was hoping after awhile that Paul would get tired of even house arrest and offer him a bride to let him go – to slip him the key – to forget to post the centurion. But Paul wouldn’t bribe him.

After two years, Nero recalled Felix back to Rome and made Porcius Festus governor of Caesarea. You see, there had been an uprising among the Jews about the cruelty of Felix towards them, and word had gotten back to Nero, so Nero was calling Felix back for trial. In the hopes of kinder testimony from the Jews, Felix didn’t release Paul; he just left him in chains. “It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.”

Do you believe in the Physical Resurrection of Jesus? It makes all the difference in this life and in the life to come.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You that You are Sovereign and that You kept Your promise to Paul and used him to spread Your Gospel through the Roman Empire. We thank You for the testimony we have in Your Word that Jesus did physically rise from the dead, and You have physically raised others from the dead in times past, and You will physically raise all people from the dead on the last day. Help us not to be confused by the pop dismissal of the Resurrection by modern people, but help us to examine the evidence and understand why the Resurrection matters and why it is the key to Christianity. For, as Job prophesied, we shall all see You in our flesh. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.