resurrection guarantees
Hebrews 6:18-7:7
Resurrection Guarantees
The Netflix documentary called Aaron Rodgers – Enigma portrays his spiritual journey from vibrant Christian faith to committed skeptic. Led astray by ex-pastor Rob Bell, Aaron shares his infatuation with psychedelic plants like ayahuasca and spiritual retreats led by a shaman while seeking for his true identity. Rodgers seems oblivious to the objective, historical reality that Jesus resurrected on April 5, 33 AD and appeared to over 500 people in a 40-day timespan.
The Resurrection Guarantees Three Essential Needs Common to Man:
1. Security – to Overcome Your Fear of Death
a. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrew 6:19-20. The anchor of our souls is a high priest who lives forever.
b. Melchizedek was the king of Salem (Jerusalem) and a priest that Abraham honored with a tenth of his plunder. Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus were chosen because of their ancestry. Jesus was not from the priestly tribe of Levi, but from Judah. Melchizedek wasn’t even Jewish. Rather Jesus was chosen “on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” Hebrews 7:16.
c. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” I Corinthians 15:14,19. Jesus came to break the power of death (I Corinthians 15:50-58) and crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15).
d. We live in a death-denying culture, but God “has set eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11. By trusting in Jesus, you can break the power of Satan and overcome the fear of death!
2. Salvation – to Overcome Your Burden of Guilt
a. “Because of this oath, Jesus has become a guarantor of a new covenant.” Hebrews 7:22. Jesus guarantees our salvation if we place our trust in Him. The cross, like the resurrection, is an objective historical event, when 1) darkness fell; 2) the temple curtain was torn; 3) an earthquake shook the area; and 4) several believers rose from the dead (Matthew 27:45-52).
b. We are also a guilt-denying culture, which has contributed to an epidemic of mental illness, as documented by Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation. But God has written his law on our hearts and our consciences accuse us (Romans 2:15). By confessing your sin instead of hiding it, you can find forgiveness because of the blood of Jesus shed for you!
3. Significance – to Overcome the Boredom of Meaninglessness
a. “And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.” Hebrews 7:7. Abraham was the lesser who gave a tenth of his plunder to honor the king and high priest Melchizedek. Melchizedek had authority to temporarily atone for sin and bless Abraham. A blessed life, abounding with God’s favor, is the best life you can possibly live.
b. We are also a Jesus-denying culture. We have fallen for the lie that Jesus is boring, but the magnificence of his creation tells us otherwise. “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
c. You can’t make sense of life without Jesus. By erasing God, you also erase any sense of purpose and meaning in life. That’s why Psalm 14:1 says, “Only a fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
At the same time Aaron Rodgers was losing his faith, his quarterback predecessor at Green Bay, Brett Favre, was finding his faith. In his rebellious youth, Favre survived alcoholism, car wrecks, and Vicodin addiction without changing his spiritual direction.
But after his dad died and his wife’s cancer diagnosis followed by other seasons of suffering, Brett turned to Jesus. “In a way, those are the best times I’ve ever had, because that’s when I found out who I am and what I want to be.” Brett pointed to the repentant thief (Luke 23). “One was forgiven despite all the things he’d done. If he can be forgiven, we all can.” Are you hanging tightly to Jesus both in good times and bad times?
The Netflix documentary called Aaron Rodgers – Enigma portrays his spiritual journey from vibrant Christian faith to committed skeptic. Led astray by ex-pastor Rob Bell, Aaron shares his infatuation with psychedelic plants like ayahuasca and spiritual retreats led by a shaman while seeking for his true identity. Rodgers seems oblivious to the objective, historical reality that Jesus resurrected on April 5, 33 AD and appeared to over 500 people in a 40-day timespan.
The Resurrection Guarantees Three Essential Needs Common to Man:
1. Security – to Overcome Your Fear of Death
a. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrew 6:19-20. The anchor of our souls is a high priest who lives forever.
b. Melchizedek was the king of Salem (Jerusalem) and a priest that Abraham honored with a tenth of his plunder. Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus were chosen because of their ancestry. Jesus was not from the priestly tribe of Levi, but from Judah. Melchizedek wasn’t even Jewish. Rather Jesus was chosen “on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” Hebrews 7:16.
c. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” I Corinthians 15:14,19. Jesus came to break the power of death (I Corinthians 15:50-58) and crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15).
d. We live in a death-denying culture, but God “has set eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11. By trusting in Jesus, you can break the power of Satan and overcome the fear of death!
2. Salvation – to Overcome Your Burden of Guilt
a. “Because of this oath, Jesus has become a guarantor of a new covenant.” Hebrews 7:22. Jesus guarantees our salvation if we place our trust in Him. The cross, like the resurrection, is an objective historical event, when 1) darkness fell; 2) the temple curtain was torn; 3) an earthquake shook the area; and 4) several believers rose from the dead (Matthew 27:45-52).
b. We are also a guilt-denying culture, which has contributed to an epidemic of mental illness, as documented by Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation. But God has written his law on our hearts and our consciences accuse us (Romans 2:15). By confessing your sin instead of hiding it, you can find forgiveness because of the blood of Jesus shed for you!
3. Significance – to Overcome the Boredom of Meaninglessness
a. “And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.” Hebrews 7:7. Abraham was the lesser who gave a tenth of his plunder to honor the king and high priest Melchizedek. Melchizedek had authority to temporarily atone for sin and bless Abraham. A blessed life, abounding with God’s favor, is the best life you can possibly live.
b. We are also a Jesus-denying culture. We have fallen for the lie that Jesus is boring, but the magnificence of his creation tells us otherwise. “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
c. You can’t make sense of life without Jesus. By erasing God, you also erase any sense of purpose and meaning in life. That’s why Psalm 14:1 says, “Only a fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
At the same time Aaron Rodgers was losing his faith, his quarterback predecessor at Green Bay, Brett Favre, was finding his faith. In his rebellious youth, Favre survived alcoholism, car wrecks, and Vicodin addiction without changing his spiritual direction.
But after his dad died and his wife’s cancer diagnosis followed by other seasons of suffering, Brett turned to Jesus. “In a way, those are the best times I’ve ever had, because that’s when I found out who I am and what I want to be.” Brett pointed to the repentant thief (Luke 23). “One was forgiven despite all the things he’d done. If he can be forgiven, we all can.” Are you hanging tightly to Jesus both in good times and bad times?