I have been bringing you a series of messages
on the Great Christian Pledge, or perhaps it
is better known as the Apostles' Creed, and this
is the fifth in the series of messages that I
have been bringing you. Every cardinal doctrine
of historical and evangelical Christianity is
emphasized. in this great Christian pledge. The
third day he rose again from the dead. Everything
hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His
resurrection proves beyond a shadow of doubt
his deity, and his divinity. The makers of the
creed followed an orderly arrangement in associating
the triumph of Christ over the tomb with his
visit to Sheol. Departure from this life to early
Christians was not a plunge into darkness. No,
believe me. They understood conditions on the
other side, and they sought to prepare accordingly
because they had the word of the master. He had
promised them. They believed every word that
he spoke. Death was a portal through which they
stepped into a better world. The resurrection
of the master was fresh in the thinking of everyone,
and this provided hope. This provided assurance
of victory over death. He was the great example.
He was their example. He the first fruits of
them that slept. Life after death is a certainty.
A certainty for the very reason that Jesus Christ
came back from the grave. Because he recognized
his friends during the period between the resurrection
and his ascension, we know that we too shall
recognize our loved ones. There is no doubt about
it. The answer is here, to the question in the
heart of anyone listening to me as to whether
or not we will know our loved ones after death.
Remember something. Jesus recognized his friends.
He recognized his loved ones during the period
between the resurrection and the time that he
ascended into heaven. Therefore, we know that
we too shall recognize our loved ones. Mary knelt
beside the tomb weeping. She heard a voice. Thinking
it to be the gardener, she turned to inquire
about the body. Instead of the gardener, the
Christ himself spoke and he said, Mary. And she
replied, Master. This was recognition after the
resurrection. Thomas was an honest doubter. I
believe that just as surely. Thomas was absolutely
a sincere and honest doubter. He refused to believe
that Christ had risen until opportunity should
be provided to examine the nail prints in the
hands of the Lord and a sword thrust in the side.
Jesus appeared unto him, saying, Behold my hands
and my side. Immediately Thomas answered, My
Lord and my God. This was recognition after the
resurrection. Our Lord had prophesied his tomb
experience several months earlier and said, And
he began to teach them that the Son of Man must
suffer many things and be rejected and be killed
and after three days rise again. The fulfillment
of this prophecy transformed the little band
of timid followers into flaming evangelists.
It filled them with boldness. They went out to
face persecution and opposition the like of which
human beings never before or since encountered.
Anna made it with a knowledge that even death
assured them of entrance into the presence of
the one whom they loved. Nothing was able to
stop this group in the grand march of proclaiming
gospel truth. Oh, sure. Up from the grave he
arose with a mighty triumph o 'er his foes. He
arose, a victor from the dark domain, and he
lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose.
Beloved, he arose. Hallelujah. Christ. arose.
The third day he rose again from the dead. I
repeat, everything, absolutely everything depends
on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead. Now pause just a few minutes. And you and
I are going to continue this little heart -to
-heart talk about something that to me is very
precious. Because Jesus said on the day when
Peter confessed, Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. Verily, I say unto you, there
be some standing here. which shall not taste
of death till they see the Son of Man coming
in his kingdom. That there are those who contend
that the fulfillment of those words required
the return of Jesus and the setting up of the
kingdom during the lifetime of the disciples.
And that therefore, because no literal kingdom
was set up during the lifetime of the disciples,
that Jesus must have meant a... spiritual kingdom,
which they claim was inaugurated on the day of
Pentecost and that Jesus now reigns through the
church. Is this true? If not, what is the explanation
of Jesus' words? Here we see the misleading character
of the chapter divisions in the King James Version
of the Scriptures. There should be no chapter
division between Matthew 16 and 17th chapter.
The passage should read, Verily I say unto you,
there be some standing here, standing there in
his presence, which shall not taste of death
till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
Continue now. And after six days Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth
them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured
before them. And his face did shine as the sun,
and his raiment was white as the light. And behold,
there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking
with him. In this transfiguration scene, we have
a fulfillment of Jesus' words that there were
some, only three, Peter, James, and John, of
his disciples, who should not taste death until
they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
For remember something, the transfiguration scene
was a rehearsal, a grand and glorious rehearsal
of the second coming. Oh, to me, that's marvelous.
It was a revelation of Christ's second coming,
that they should have no doubt whatsoever as
to that which he said was truth. Like as John,
and had revealed to him in the book of the Revelation
the things which are to come to pass in the latter
days, so Peter, James, and John had a foreview.
on the Mount of Transfiguration, of the coming
of Christ in his glory. In that scene, the Transfiguration
scene, Moses was a type of the first resurrection
saints. Elijah of those who should be caught
up without dying. and their glory on the holy
mount is a sample of the glory of the saints
at the rapture. Oh, to me, that's very marvelous.
But let's go on a little further. Jesus has left
no doubt in the heart and mind of anyone that
the things he spoke book were truth as surely
as he left a rehearsal of his own second coming
which is yet future he also left a rehearsal
of the resurrection of the saints and this took
place after after his own resurrection. Turn,
if you will, please, to the 27th chapter of Matthew.
We have here the crucifixion. Jesus, when he
had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up
the ghost. Continue. And behold, the veil of
the temple was rent in twain from the top to
the bottom. and the earth did quake, and the
rocks rent. Now, and the graves were opened,
and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
and came out of the graves after his resurrection,
and went into the holy city, and appeared unto
many. Many are laboring under the false illusion
that immediately after Jesus dismissed his own
spirit, immediately after the veil of the temple
was rent in twain, some talked about him, that
many who had died and were buried arose from
the dead and appeared to their loved ones in
the city. No. The graves were not opened. These
bodies of the saints did not rise from the dead
until after the resurrection of Christ's own
body from the grave. And why were the graves
opened? And why did many of the bodies of the
saints, and remember it said, bodies of the saints
which slept. In nowhere do we have a scripture
telling us that those who died without hope in
the Lord arose. No. Many bodies of the saints
which slept arose and came out of the graves.
After his resurrection, what was it? A glorious
rehearsal of the resurrection of the saints.
The bodies of the saints. He gave us an actual
example. after his own resurrection, a literal
example of four of you, of bodies being resurrected
from the grave. And again, they appeared unto
their loved ones and were recognized. Because...
He lives. We too shall live. Because he arose
from the dead in bodily form. One day, this which
is corruption will become incorruption. This
which is mortal will become immortality. I thank
God for our glorious hope in Christ Jesus. Amen.