On Sunday evenings we've been dealing with a subject of fulfillment scenes. And last Lord's day evening, having examined a series on the purpose of God, I mentioned that the two ages, the present age and the age to come, are the two things that are brought to our attention in the New Testament. And as such, our Lord ushered in. through his mighty work at the cross, the age to come. And while this present age that we live in is an evil age, we have a bright hope, and the hope of the child of God grows brighter every day. Now tonight we want to go at stepfather, and I want to look at the great subject of the resurrection. And we want to look at the doctrine of the resurrection by noticing that it was a grand hope of the Old Testament saints. And I want to turn to three passages in our reading, three passages in the Old Testament. The first in the book of Job, Job chapter nineteen. We really want verse twenty-six of Job chapter nineteen, but we're going to have to begin reading at verse twenty-three. Job nineteen, verse twenty-three, where the patriarch says, or that my words were now written, or that they were printed in a book, that they were graven with an iron pen and red in the rock forever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. though my reins be consumed within me. And that verse is twenty-six and twenty-seven speak of death and genuine resurrection. And that is the hope of the child of God in the Old Testament. Now turn with me to the little apocalypse of the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter twenty-six. Isaiah chapter twenty-three through chapter twenty-six. is the superstructure for the prophetic scriptures concerning eschatology. And eschatology is simply the doctrine of anything. And when you talk about the coming of the Lord, the superstructure is Isaiah chapter twenty-three, and you can go all the way to chapter twenty-eight, if you will. But basically, chapter twenty-three through twenty-six. And we're in chapter twenty-six, and we're reading verse nineteen. where we read thy dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust, for thy dew is as a dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast off the dead. Now one more passage from the prophecy of Daniel chapter twelve. Daniel chapter twelve. And we're going to read beginning at verse two. and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the star for ever and ever. May the Lord bless the reading of his words. Let's pray together. Our Father, we thank you for this glorious hope. And we thank you for the now and the not yet of your word that declares unto us that we are now the sons of God. But it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And we as our people are waiting for the adoption to with the redemption of our bodies. And the redemption of our bodies is the glorious resurrection that ushers usher us into the age to come. But we thank you that the power of the age to come into us now and available to the children of God because we are new creation in Christ Jesus. May this word settle upon our hearts and give us joy and peace in believing as we contemplate what has been accomplished through our blessed Lord in his resurrection from the dead in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Resurrection is a great theme of the Old Testament, and the verses read together tonight teach us that this hope is basic to the saints from the time of Job, for Job is probably the oldest book of the Old Testament, from the time of Job, who in all probability lived during the days of Abraham or Abraham Isaac. and Jacob in that period of time. So we find that their hope and the hope of the patriarch was in the resurrection. Now the age to come, the age of the Messiah, is to be a time of resurrection according to the Old Testament scriptures. So that brings us to the question that we must ask tonight, a question that should be very familiar to us in the answer to it. What is the significance of Christ's resurrection? What is its real significance? First, the first thing we have to say is it was real. He truly arose from the dead. The second thing that we must say, it was bodily. the same body that was placed in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb was raised again from the dead. Now I stress that because there are multitudes today who are not quite sure that it was bodily. I remember one Saturday morning I was cleaning the car in the driveway and two black women were coming down the road. My wife informed me that they were Jehovah's Witnesses. One was an older lady. And the other one was younger. And I paid no attention to them until they were just about on me. As I was working on the car, and I turned around, and I said, well, good morning. And what can I do for you? And the one looked at the other, and she said, boy, that man is happy. I said, I sure am. And do you want to know why? And, you know, she said, Yes, I would like to know why. I said, I tell you why. There's a man in the glory today who once was on a cross of shame for my sin. But God raised him bodily from the dead. And he's not in the glory there as my great high priest. She just looked at me and her mouth dropped open. The thing is this. That's truth. There's a man in the glory. His resurrection is real. And he was raised from the dead by the dead. It was not a mere resuscitation to life, as was Lazarus, who was raised from the dead in John chapter eleven. He was raised from the dead too. And the widow of Nain's son was raised from the dead. And the daughter of Jairus. And Dorcas in the tenth chapter of Acts. ninth chapter of Acts, was raised from the dead. But they died again. But not our blessed Lord. His resurrection was a resurrection into the age to come. And what we want to do tonight, as we think of fulfillment themes, that which was prophesied in the Old Testament by Joel, by Isaiah, by Daniel, has been brought into reality in and through the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is a genuine theme of fulfillment. The first thing I want you to notice is the physical evidence of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The physical evidence is plentiful. Will you consider it? There's a grave close. And the New Testament talks about the grave close. When Lazarus is raised from the dead... He was bound hand and foot with grave clothes, you remember. And the Lord said, loose him and let him go. But when our word arose from the dead, the napkin that was wrapped about his head and all the other grave clothes that were wrapped around him, he left them in the very form in which they were wrapped around him. As evidence to the disciples, he was like a cocoon from which a butterfly has taken to the air. And that's what the great clothes of our Blessed Lord look like, are different from Lazarus. But there's a second physical evidence that stone was moved. And the stone was moved not to let the Lord Jesus out, but to let the disciples in. That stone did not need to be moved for him, you see. And it was to show the disciples that he had truly entered into the age to come. He had arisen from the dead. And then, of course, there were the sudden appearances and disappearances of our Lord. He didn't need to open the door. John chapter twenty, the disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews, and the doors were shut, and our Lord appeared to them. In Luke chapter twenty-four, the two on the road to a man. He appeared to them. He joined himself to them. And he disappeared in the same way after he expounded the scriptures to them. You see, physical barriers were no obstacle to him. Our Lord's resurrection stands in contrast to any previous resurrection. Remember, there was one in the Old Testament that's quite significant. Remember, there was a war, and they were in a hurry to bury a man, and they buried him in the grave of another, and the grave of the other was Elisha the prophet. And when he touched Elisha's bone, the man saved a life. I wonder what happened to the men who were burying him. You know, there's a lot of humor to the scriptures. If you only think it over, and it reminds me of the story, you know, of the man who had a little too much to drink. And he was going home to the cemetery. And he fell into a grave. And he was trying hard to get out. He was trying hard to get out. And he was just exhausted. And he sat down in the corner. And behold, another man fell. And that father was trying to get out. And this man got up. And he tapped him. And when he did, the father jumped out and left him there. So I don't know what happened. at the grave of Elisha, but they were very young man, and when you read it in the Word of God. But a Lord's resurrection stands in contrast to the previous ones. We assume that the people who were raised to life died again. I was asked a question one day at Western Electric at a Bible class. After the class, a man said to me, you know, in Matthew chapter twenty-seven where you have the accounts of the death of Christ. One of the miracles surrounding Calvary is that when our Lord arose, the bodies of the saints, some of the saints, which they came out of their, they opened at Calvary, but they came out of their graves after his resurrection. They were opened for three days, and they came out of the graves after his resurrection, and he appeared to many in Jerusalem. Someone said to me at Western, they asked the question. And they said to me, what happened to those people who were raised and appeared to many after the resurrection of Christ? That's what was there. And my answer was very simple. I said, well, the Bible leaves them in Jerusalem, and I can't take them anywhere else. That's where the account leaves them. I don't know. We assume that Lazarus and the widow of Nain's son lived to a certain age, and like everybody else, they died in due time. But looking at all this, when we consider the resurrection of Christ, it becomes clear that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is something unique in history. This physical resurrection is a resurrection into the age to come. And this is exactly it. what the New Testament writers declare. And if you've never thought about this, I want you to follow me tonight through the New Testament in a brief study of resurrection as a glorious fulfillment. First of all, we want to turn to the Book of Acts, Acts chapter four, verse one. verses one and two and as they spake under the people the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead so the question remains why was their doctrine so opposed by the Sadducees you remember the Sadducees were the skeptics of the dead, the liberals, they didn't believe in the resurrection, they didn't believe in angels, they didn't believe in spirits. The real problem was they were so opposed because they taught Jesus and the resurrection from the dead. And the resurrection from the dead proved that his resurrection was unique in mankind. In other words, the future resurrection. was for the apostles no mere theoretical speculation. It was that of a current event. God had entered into history, and he, in a unique fashion, raised Jesus of Nazareth, whom men crucified, and laid in the grave he raised him from the dead. What evidence? But this is teaching evidence. Now turn to Acts chapter twenty-three. Acts chapter twenty-three. And Paul in Acts chapter twenty-three is confronted by the high priest and those who came from the prison to accuse Paul. And in verse six of chapter twenty-three, Paul says this. But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, of the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am called in question. In other words, Israel's hope of resurrection hinges on something. It hinges on the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And all hope of resurrection centers upon him. because he has already experienced this. And Paul was thinking about something that was known, something that had taken place, and he emphasizes the fact that the hope of the Old Testament saints is realized in the person of Christ. So follow me now in Romans chapter one and verses three and four. Where we read. concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Here are two great verses concerning Christ. Now this verse, these verses that we read, verses three and four, they speak or they speak of two stages. in the existence of the incarnate Son of God. Stage one is a stage of weakness. He was made as the seed of David according to the flesh. And the Word of God teaches us that when our Lord was here, he was the meek and the lowly Jesus. But it speaks of a second stage of his existence after his resurrection. He is declared to be the Son of God with power. according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Jesus' resurrection is not simply a declaration that he is a son of God. He's a declaration that he is the son of God with power. There is no more weakness. Men will never be able to take the son of God and set him not again. God has raised him into the age to come. He has been raised with power. You see, this is entirely a new state of existence. He entered into the age to come. Now we're turning over to First Corinthians. First Corinthians chapter fifteen and verse twenty. Where we read, but now is Christ risen from the dead? and become the first fruits of them that slept. And this is a great expression because of the word first fruits. First fruits are more than a pledge. They are their first installment of a later harvest. And the fact that Christ is raised from the dead is an installment of a later harvest. He's proof that there is a glorious harvest to come. Now when you look down to verse twenty-two, It says, For in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. In other words, it is in Christ that we will be raised from the dead. He entered the state of resurrection ahead of us. Romans eight, verse twenty-nine, says that he is the firstborn among many brethren. Look over at verse forty-five, chapter fifteen of first Corinthians. And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam was made a quickening spirit. And our word as the last Adam was made, the indication of a quickening spirit is that he passed into another existence as a man. The resurrection of Christ. Now I ask you to turn to Second Timothy chapter one. Second Timothy chapter one and verse ten. When we read, what is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, and especially these words, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. In resurrection, Christ enters immortality. And immortality is an existence where it is impossible to die. And first Corinthians fifteen, when you get to the end of the chapter, it says, When this mortal shall have put on immortality, and this corruptible shall have put on incorruption. Then shall be brought to pass the saying, Death is swallowed up in victory. And concerning our Lord being raised from the dead, it is written that he hath abolished death and has brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. What can we say to these things? We can say that Christ has been raised to the life of the age to come. The significance of all this, as regards us, stems from the fact that we are in Him. We are in Christ. In other words, there's a corporate solidarity between the people of God and their risen head in glory, the one who has been raised into the age to come as a firstborn. among many brethren. Furthermore, the Word of God teaches that we are one with him in his death, and that teaches that we are one with him in his resurrection. But what else does it teach us? And for me, this is significant. God's resented goal has been achieved for us, and in a great sense without us, it has been achieved by Jesus Christ. And the redemptive goal of God is that He would bring many sons to glory. That's the redemptive goal. And by Christ being raised from the dead and entering into glory, he has entered into through the resurrection the age to come. Now, let's apply these truths. Application number one. This has an application to our daily experience. And I want you to turn to Romans chapter six. Romans chapter six and verse four, where it says, Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death. that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. In other words, we are raised with Him into something. When Christ was raised from the dead, we were raised with Him into newness of life. In other words, like Him, we have entered into a new state of existence. That's what we mean when we talk about Second Corinthians five, seventeen. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are new. Now, we've not been brought into the state of immortality that awaits the coming of the Lord. But we have been brought into a state in which sin no longer has dominion over us. Because we have been raised from the dead with Christ. Romans six, verse four. Verse fourteen is true of Romans six, where it says, Sin shall not have dominion over you. Because you're not under all, but under grace. Sin has been dethroned. So look back at Romans five for a moment. Verse twenty-one, that as sin hath reigned unto death, who reigned? Kings reigned. And sin has reigned as a king ever since it entered the human family. Sin and how did it reign? It has reigned unto death. But Christ experienced death on our behalf. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. But God raised him from the dead into a new existence. And you and I have been raised with him. So the last half of this verse is true. Even so, my grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Sin has been dethroned. And what does this mean to us? Application number one. In our daily experience, sin. has been dethroned for we have been raised with Christ. Application number two. This new life to which we have been raised in him is a source for daily living. Galatians two twenty says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live Not the life I'm going to live, but the life I now live in the flesh. That's where I live it. I live by the faith of the Son of God. That's how I live it. Who loved me and gave himself for me. When do I live it? Now. Where do I live it? In shoe leather. In the flesh. How do I live it? By faith of Jesus Christ. So you see, being raised from him is a resource. Being raised in him is a resource for daily living. And you know, this is what the Apostle Paul longed for as a child of God. In Philippians chapter three, verse ten, he said, that I might know him. And the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his death. Now someone could ask the question, Paul, don't you know him? Oh, I know the Lord. That day I met him on the Damascus Road, but I'm not satisfied with being saved on the Damascus Road. I want to know his power day by day in my life, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. You see, friends, Being raised with Christ is not related to a new idea. It is being related to a person given the risen Lord who has been raised from the dead and he is our own. And that becomes a power in living for him. You see, the resurrection of Christ from the dead. is not simply for us to sing about up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes. It is a reality in our lives. It should be day by day. For we have been raised to newness of life. Now that brings us to application number three. This truth brings us tension in the Christian life. There's tension in the Christian life because of this glorious truth. You see, you and I have been raised, according to Ephesians chapter two, to sit with him in the heavenlies in Christ. We've been raised for that. In other words, being saved is to live in another world. And it becomes evident to those who know us. We're different. And that difference causes tension. It causes tension. You just don't do what everybody else does in the office. And you become marked in a hurry. You take a stand at a Christmas party for Christ. And don't be ashamed of it. And you're a marked person. Why? We live in another world. Our allegiance is not to this world, and it is not to the God of this world. And you see, we often feel this tension. The cares of this age have a downward pull on the child of God. They tend to pull us down to live on the level of this world. And the pull is stronger today than it ever was. The pull is there. Make no mistake about it. But we are warned in the Word of God as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, Second Timothy chapter two, verse four, not to become entangled in the affairs of this life. We're in the world, but we're not of the world. So how do we handle this third application? There is tension in the Christian life. with the help of Christ who indwells us, we live unto God through him. For the power of the risen Christ is available to the child of God. So what Job said in Job nineteen, the first verse that we read tonight, all that my words were now written, all that they were engraved in the rock with a pen of iron and led in the rock forever, I know. that my Redeemer liveth. How can we say, I know that my Redeemer liveth in a practical sense? We have the power in union with a risen Christ. So we're the blood of tears of this world to realize that sin has been dethroned and to walk in the power of a risen Christ. Friends, this is real, genuine Christian living. That is a fulfillment theme in the New Testament. And it is said of the early church and of the apostles in particular, these men who have turned the world upside down have come hither. Why did they say that? Why these men were in union with a risen head, with Jesus, our Lord, who had been raised from the dead. And being in union with him, they acknowledged they were not of this world, and the power of the age to come was evident in their lives. Or that it may be evident in mine day by day. That's a longing in my heart. That is what gives real joy and peace and victory. Now let's pray together. O God our Father, we thank you for these glorious truths. We thank you for the privilege of being linked to Christ in death. And the privilege of being linked to him in resurrection. We thank you that he is unique in his resurrection, different from everybody else. And he's a firstborn among many brethren. And we rejoice in this truth. And we pray that they... power of this glorious truth will be experienced and lived by us day by day as we seek to honor him. We pray in the name and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.