One reason why Jesus HAD to rise from the dead...

Which is easier - to forgive someone's sins or to simply speak words that physically heal a man who is paralyzed?

It would seem that telling someone that their sins are forgiven is easier since the act cannot be measured by the naked eye. Telling someone who is paralyzed to get up and walk ... well, when they don't get up and walk, it just shows how difficult (impossible!) it is to heal someone with just a word.

Some of the religious leaders in Jesus' day heard Jesus tell a paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven and they were shocked and appalled. They cried out that He was blaspheming because only God could forgive sins.

So, Jesus asked the question: "Is it easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'?" (Matthew 9:5).

Honestly, as difficult (impossible!) as it is to heal a man with just a word, it is even more impossible to forgive sins. So, Jesus essentially told those religious leaders, "Since you think that physical healing is more difficult than forgiving sins, I'll do the "difficult" thing and heal this guy. In doing so, I'll show you that I can also do the "easier" thing - forgive sins.

Matthew 9:6-7 "'So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.' Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!' And the man jumped up and went home!"

Jesus performed a physical miracle to show that He could easily do the spiritual miracle.

...which takes my thoughts to the cross...

What did Jesus do on the cross? He died to pay the sin debt of all who would believe. How do we know that He had the power to forgive the sins of everyone who looked to Him for salvation? He did the "difficult" thing and rose from the dead. In doing so, He showed that He had the power to do the "easier" thing and forgive our sins.

#StillCelebratingTheResurrection

Will Jesus be the only 'imperfect' one in Heaven?

By 'imperfect,' I am not speaking of Jesus' moral qualities. I am also not speaking of His Deity. As God the Son, He is morally perfect and perfectly God in every way.
 
I am using the word 'imperfect' in it's loosest sense by speaking of Jesus' appearance. When something is broken or showing signs of wear, someone could easily describe it as 'imperfect.' It evidences qualities that veer from the beholder's ideal standard and so it is called 'imperfect.'
 
So, at present (and possibly for eternity), does Jesus veer from what we would consider 'perfect' in His appearance? Believe it or not, answering 'yes' to that question isn't necessarily a wrong answer. Let me show you why...
 
Three days after Jesus' crucifixion, He rose from the dead. Acts 1:3 tells us that Jesus mingled with His disciples for 40 days before ascending to the Father. During that time, He had a resurrection body but it was body that was very similar to our own physical bodies (Mary Magdalene initially thought He was just a gardener [John 20:15]; the disciples on the road to Emmaus initially saw nothing unusual about Him [Luke 24:13-35]; etc.)
 
In fact, Luke 24:36-43 provides a conversation that Jesus had with His disciples in which He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that His resurrection body was a physical body similar to the ones they had:
 
"As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, 'Peace to you!' But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.' And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, 'Have you anything here to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them."
 
Jesus made sure that His disciples recognized that He had a physical body very similar to theirs. This is a very important point for many, many reasons. Yet, I want to focus upon the fact that it was in this physical, immortal, incorruptible body that Jesus was taken into Heaven (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11). The body He had post-resurrection was the body that went to Heaven.
 
Well, did the body that Jesus took to Heaven have something that, in appearance, would seem to be 'imperfect?' Apparently, Thomas (one of Jesus' disciples) believed so. As Thomas showed up to a gathering, some of the disciples tried to convince him that Jesus had risen from the dead and that they had seen Him. Thomas made it clear to everyone present that only one thing would enable him to believe that Jesus had truly risen from the dead. Listen to what he said:
 
John 20:25 "So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.'"
 
Jesus showed up a week later and didn't disappoint Thomas.
 
John 20:26-28 - "Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'"
 
What was it about Jesus' hands and side that would have caused Thomas to recognize beyond any doubt whatsoever that it was Jesus who stood before him? The nail scars and the scar where the spear pierced his side (John 19:34). In His glorified, resurrection body, Jesus still had the scars from His crucifixion.

The question remains, "As He resides in Heaven now, does He still have the scars?"

All we need do to answer that question is go the book of Revelation. In chapter 5, John was permitted to see Heaven's throne as the Tribulation Period was about to begin. A call goes out to have someone who is worthy to open the scroll and release the judgments upon planet earth. No one approaches and John begins to weep. But, one of the elders told John to stop crying. Jesus was about to approach the throne and take the scroll. But listen to how Jesus is described in that Heavenly, future scene ...

Revelation 5:6-10 - "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'" [emphasis mine].

 

Jesus is described in this Heavenly scene as a Lamb that looked like it had been slain (the original Greek word could be translated 'slaughtered'). Jesus, in this scene, still wears the scars from His crucifixion.

 

Could it be that Jesus will have those scars for all of eternity? Maybe.

 

Could it be that if He does, they will be a constant reminder of the love that God had for us? Maybe.

 

Could those scars be a constant reminder that we were not worthy of such a high price and so we are moved to unimaginable gratitude and unparalleled worship for eternity? Maybe, just maybe.

(Video): "Arise My Love" by Newsong @ Winter Jam 2013

Newsong performing at the Tampa Bay Times Forum
during Winter Jam 2013

I went with our church's Youth Director, my sons and some youth from our church to the Tampa Bay Times Forum last night. We got to enjoy a lot of LOUD music from musical artists like Sidewalk Prophets, Matthew West, Jamie Grace, TobyMac and Newsong to name a few.

Personally, I would have enjoyed it much more: 1) if Matthew West had been given more time, 2) if the rock band named "Red" had not been invited, and 3) if the music had been turned down a few hundred decibels. (Does that mean I'm getting old?)

One of the highlights of the evening (in my personal estimation) was when Newsong took the stage and sang "Arise My Love." It's a song they began singing in 1987 but will be a favorite among many for years to come. It lit last night's crowd up!

"Arise My Love" is a song that speaks of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. With it's picturesque words, it's beautiful melody and the powerful vocals of Newsong's lead singers, it was my favorite song of the night, hands down!

To view a video I took of the second part of the song from last night (I didn't get the first verse), just click here.

Sermon (video): Is Your Heart Completely His? (2 Chronicles 16:9)

This wasn't a typical Easter sermon.

Instead of preaching on the resurrection, I preached on what the truth of the resurrection demands of us. We live in an age when the Gospel has been diminished to a prayer to "receive Christ" with little to no expectation of a change in thinking, attitudes or behaviors as a result. This is not the Gospel that Jesus died and then rose again to provide for us.

View this sermon to learn what it means to be saved ... really saved. Simply click here.