The resurrection of the dead. (Part 2)

Resurrection Day is the Coming Again of Jesus

The resurrection of Christians is going to take place the day that Jesus returns. As certain as his first coming to Bethlehem is the fact that he is coming a second time. This truth, like the truth of the resurrection of the dead, is a wonderful hope for the Christian. Jesus is coming again. We have his word for it. He told his disciples, “I will come again.”

It was confirmed to the disciples after they had watched Jesus ascend to Heaven:

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven’. (Acts 1:10-11)

Many Christians will be alive when Jesus comes and they will be changed immediately. No-one knows when the Lord Jesus will return, although Jesus taught his disciples about certain conditions which would be in the world at his coming. He taught that his coming would be sudden, it would be unexpected, that he would come, ‘as a thief in the night’. When he comes there will be a shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. It is going to be gloriously noisy!

When Jesus was teaching this truth, he said, be watchful and be ready. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…so you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt 24:42-4). The best thing to do is to live and work as if Jesus was coming today. John wrote, “Everyone who has this hope purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

The best thing to do is to live and work as if Jesus was coming today.

I read of a missionary who went away for a weekend's meetings. He told his wife he would return on Monday on the one train that came each day. On Monday she spruced up her two little boys and went to the station to meet Dad. The train came, but no Dad. They came back again on Tuesday and again the boys were all cleaned up. The train came, but again, no Dad. Back they came on Wednesday, and this time Dad came. One of the little fellows said, “Dad, we’ve been waiting for you for three days.” Looking down at them, he said, “Yes, I see it’s kept you clean!” Let's be ready! Let's be clean!

Resurrection Day is Reward Day

There is a very important truth linked with the doctrine of resurrection of the dead, and that is that we are accountable. One day Jesus was teaching in the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. He was encouraging his listeners that, when they had a feast, they should not invite people who would return their hospitality, but invite those who could not invite them back. Then he said: “And you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14).

At the resurrection we are going to be asked by the Lord to give an account of how we lived as Christians. This is an incentive to live holy lives. We are going to appear at what Paul called, ‘the judgment seat of Christ’. There are applications for this teaching, which should affect our lives in various ways:

• We should live in the fear of God: Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10-11).
  
• We should stop judging others: We will never be asked to give an account of how other people lived, but how we lived. “’As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom 14:11-13).
  
• We should live and work sincerely and with the right motive: “Whatever You do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col 3:23-24). This reminds us of the importance of avoiding dead works, and to live with faith toward God by the power of his Spirit, with the purpose of glorifying God.

At the resurrection we are going to be asked by the Lord to give an account of how we lived as Christians. This is an incentive to live holy lives.

The Rewards

Rewards are going to be given in that day. Paul wrote, “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward” (1 Cor 3:14). Some of these rewards are described as ‘crowns’:

• An incorruptible crown. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Cor 9:24-25).
  
• A crown of righteousness: Towards the end of his life Paul wrote to Timothy. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim 4:7-8).
  
• A crown of life. There will be reward for those who have overcome temptations. James writes, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (Jam 1:12). What an encouragement to endure the trials and testings and persecutions. Resurrection day will be reward day.
  
• A crown of glory. Reward is promised to pastors and elders who properly care for his flock. “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pet 5:4).

We do not serve the Lord merely for a reward. The greatest privilege on earth is to live and work for him, but it is just like his loving heart to bless in that coming day. So let us live with resurrection day before us. Not only will there be rewards but there will also be loss of reward. “If [anyone’s work] is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor 3:15).

The teaching on the judgment seat of Christ is clearly summarised in the words of an unknown poet:

When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ, and he shows me his plan for me,

the plan of my life as it might have been, had he had his way, and I see

how I blocked him here and checked Him there, and would not yield my will,

will there be grief in my Saviour’s eyes, grief, though he loves me still?

He would have me rich, but I stand there poor, stripped of all but his grace,

as memory runs like a haunted thing through the years I cannot retrace.

Then my desolate heart will well nigh break, with the tears that I cannot shed;

I will cover my face with my empty hands, and bow my uncrowned head.

Lord, of the years that are left to me, I yield them to thy hand,

Take me, melt me, mould me, to the pattern thou hast planned.

Resurrection day will be reward day – but there will also be loss.

Application

• Praise God for his grace that saved us.
  
• Thank God for the glorious prospect of spending eternity with him, with changed bodies, sinless bodies, healthy bodies, never-get-old bodies, a body like his glorious body.
  
• Let us realise that it is here on earth that ‘we lay up treasure in heaven’.

Questions

1. What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus?
2. What would your answer be to a person who said that death ended everything?
3. In view of the judgment seat of Christ, would you like to finish as you are now?
4. If not, what adjustments do you think you should make? When is the best time to make these adjustments?

This article is part of a series. Click here for previous instalments.

Resurrection of the dead (Part 1).

Christians do not live merely for time but also for eternity. They have a hope for the future which is certain by receiving eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The next foundational truth assures us that there is going to be a resurrection day. Jesus said, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28-29).

Paul boldly asserts, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless…For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:13-16, 20).

Resurrection of the Dead in the Old Testament

God’s power and ability to raise people from the dead was manifested in the Old Testament. Elijah was used of God to raise the widow of Zarephath’s son from the dead (1 Kings 17:20-22) and Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4:8-37).

There was that amazing funeral recorded in 2 Kings 13, when a party of men went to bury a friend. While they were doing this they saw a party of raiders coming towards them. With no time to dig the grave, they threw the body into a nearby grave where Elisha was buried. As soon as the corpse made contact with the Prophet’s bones, he was revived, and ran and joined the burying party!!

God’s power and ability to raise people from the dead is manifested throughout Scripture.

One of the oldest books in the Bible is Job. Through all his troubles he also had the great hope of the resurrection day. He said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25-26).

Resurrection in the New Testament

It is recorded that Jesus raised three people from the dead: Jairus’ daughter; the widow of Nain’s son and Lazarus (Matt 9:23-25; Luke 7:12-15; John 11). There is a remarkable story related in very few words of what happened when Jesus died and rose again:

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:50-53)

What a story! What surprises in Jerusalem! What power in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus! We also read of Peter being God’s instrument to raise Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-4). A young man called Eutychus fell asleep while Paul was preaching. He fell from an upstairs window and was killed. Paul prayed for the young man and he was restored to life (Acts 20:7-12). This story is a warning not to fall asleep during the preaching! There may not be a Paul present!

I have met two people who witnessed God’s power in raising the dead, and there are accounts of this happening in times of revival.

The Future Resurrection

The Bible teaches about the certainty of future resurrections: the resurrection of the just, and the resurrection of the unjust. The terminology used is, ‘the resurrection of the just’; ‘the resurrection of life’; ‘the resurrection of the last day’; ‘the resurrection of the dead’ (Luke 14:14; John 5:29; John 11:24; Acts 23:6). Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, assured them:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

The Bible teaches about the certainty of future resurrections: the resurrection of the just, and the resurrection of the unjust.

Believers Shall Rise Again

• First: “Blessed and holy are those who have part in this first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ” (Rev 20:6).
  
• To eternal life: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan 12:2).
  
• To be glorified with Christ: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:4).
  
• With incorruptible bodies: “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:42-44).
  
• With a body like Christ’s body: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:20-21).

What a glorious hope for the Christian! What comfort when Christian loved ones die knowing we will meet again! There is a resurrection day!

Resurrection - A Glorious Hope

Yes, this teaching gives wonderful hope to the child of God. Before a person becomes a Christian, they are “without hope and without God in the world”. But once we believe the situation is changed “you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:12-13).

Hope is the confident looking forward to something which is certain, with absolute assurance. When Paul was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin he said, “I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 23:6).

Don’t miss one of the important reasons for this teaching. Life is punctuated by difficult circumstances and problems but there are better things to come. Peter used this truth to encourage and to comfort persecuted saints. They were being hunted, living in caves and suffering deprivation, and to use Peter’s words, “suffering grief in all kinds of trials”. This was one of his opening statements in his letter to them:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Life is punctuated by difficult circumstances and problems but there are better things to come.

The truth of the resurrection of the dead has been the hope of millions who have been martyred down through the centuries. Jesus told his disciples, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).

Resurrection day is going to usher God’s people into a new era. Then it is going to be ‘forever with the Lord’. It is going to be the entry into an imperishable inheritance, kept, or reserved, in Heaven for you. We are going to see what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples, “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

What is it going to be like? In one way it is indescribable. Paul said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). We do not have a lot of information about Heaven, but we have enough. The Bible tells us something of what is there, and something of what is not there. The greatest thing is that HE is there. We shall see him and we shall be like him. Anne Cousin, anticipating this in the last century, wrote these words:

The Bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on the King of Grace.
Not at the crown He giveth
But on His pierced hand.
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land.

Next week: The return of our Lord Jesus and the judgment seat of Christ.

Two meditations for Holy Week.

Reading the Gospel accounts of the last week in the earthly life of Jesus, there are two points that I want to offer for meditation. The first concerns what is known euphemistically as Jesus’ ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem and the second focuses upon his last meal with his disciples.

Riding on a Colt

Matthew records the instruction Jesus gave to his disciples to go to the village ahead where they would find a donkey with her colt. They were to bring them to him for his entry into Jerusalem. Matthew quotes a verse from Zechariah, “See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech 9:9 and Matt 21:15).

I often wondered why Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I could understand his choice of a donkey as a sign of his humility; but why choose the foal of a donkey. It was one of my colleagues in the Issachar Ministries team who pointed to a verse in Exodus that I had not previously noticed. It says, “Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck” (Ex 34:20).

A little research reveals that the donkey was the only animal in God’s creation whose firstborn foal had to be redeemed by offering the sacrifice of a lamb. Donkeys were very important for transport. They carried heavy loads and were usually willing workers. They were certainly very important in an agricultural community: in fact, so important that the owner had to give thanks to God for the firstborn foal before it could be used. The strength of this command was enforced by the instruction in Exodus 34:20.

Of course, Jesus knew this command! But this was the very reason why he chose to ride on the foal rather than the donkey. Here we see Jesus, having deliberately set his face to go up to Jerusalem, with the full knowledge of the murderous intent of the religious authorities to end his life, he now chooses to ride on the foal of a donkey. The foal had not yet been redeemed, hence it was still with its mother. But in this action, Jesus himself was redeeming the foal.

Here was Jesus, the Lamb of God, offering himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world, symbolically redeeming the foal on his way to the cross.

For the One I Love

The incredible humility and determination to go through with the terrible events that he foresaw show something of the amazing character of Jesus. But, added to this, his incredible love is shown a little later in the week when he met with his disciples to share a last meal with them. This is the second point in this meditation.

One of my lasting memories of the late Lance Lambert whom I was proud to call my friend, was on one occasion when my wife and I shared a meal in his Jerusalem home with him and his sister. It was a Friday evening, a Shabbat meal. At one point in the meal Lance took a piece of bread, dipped it in the cup and gave it to me, and similarly to Monica, saying to each of us a little expression of love. He explained that in many Jewish families it was the custom for either the father of the family or the mother of the family to do this, particularly if they had guests as an expression of love.

Lance said it was a particularly poignant practice for the mother to do this for one of her children who had been away and was now back at the family table, or one who had been sick and now was recovered. She would say “This is for the one I love”. Her love was being expressed particularly for the one who had a special need, or to show joy at the reuniting of the family around their table.

At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and broke it and gave a piece to each of his disciples – a symbolic act through which he was giving himself to them and showing his indescribable love. Judas, the man who would betray him was also there and it is surely one of the most poignant acts of Jesus to give bread to the man who was going to be responsible for his betrayal into the hands of his enemies (John 13:26).
The act of giving the bread dipped in the cup symbolising his blood, was highly significant for each of his disciples.

But the most amazing act of Jesus at the Last Supper was surely to dip the bread in the cup and give it to Judas, who was to betray him, conveying the message (whether spoken or unspoken): “This is for the one I love”.

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The three saddest words in Scripture?

Perhaps the three saddest words in Scripture, reflecting the thoughts of two downcast and despondent disciples about the one they believed was going to redeem Israel, are “we had hoped” (Luke 24:21).

But these disciples were not alone in their gloom and despair. All who had known Jesus and believed in him had been gripped by hope that this “prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19) would indeed bring about the restoration of Israel at this time. It had been a mighty hope - the biggest of all. But now it was gone, in the past. “We had hoped”.

Mary and the other women who visited the tomb with spices earlier that morning – they had hoped. Peter, John and the other disciples, hiding in a home somewhere in Jerusalem – they had hoped.

The early morning news that the body was no longer in the tomb had done nothing to raise their hopes. Just more confusion, shock, amazement and tears.

But all that was about to change. One word started a chain reaction that birthed a new hope and caused it to burst into life: “Mary” (John 20:16).

Hearing her name spoken by her risen Rabboni transformed Mary from a broken mourner into an excited messenger: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18).

Hearing her name spoken by her risen Rabboni transformed Mary from a broken mourner into an excited messenger.

Similar experiences followed. Eyes were opened and hearts burned (Luke 24:31-32). Minds began to grasp the reality of what the scriptures had prophesied (Luke 24:45). Joy and worship replaced doubt, despair and fear.

But one question remained: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). After all, that had been their great hope. Surely this was now back on the agenda?

Jesus’ reply is illuminating. He does not deny this will happen, but clarifies that it is not going to be ‘at this time’; rather, at some future time known only to the Father. Meanwhile, here is a bigger hope to work towards: the salvation and restoration of all. A hope that will go to the ends of the earth.

Was this why the disciples’ hopes had been so devastatingly dashed? So they could be replaced by something even more glorious?

Have you known what it is like to have your hopes destroyed, reduced to nothing? Perhaps God has allowed this so that he can replace them with even bigger ones. Ones that will go further than those you had previously cherished.

When you are tempted to say “I had hoped”, then go to the empty tomb. Pour out your grief and despair, and maybe through your tears you will hear from the risen Lord, perhaps just one word, perhaps just your name. But that can be enough for a brighter hope to arise, for a new journey to begin.

The message of Easter/Passover is the solution to the corruption of our time.

At Easter/Passover every year, for the past four years I have looked anxiously at the bare branches of the beautiful ash tree in our garden to see if the Ash Dieback Disease has struck. Once again, this year the first signs of life are showing which confirm that it has escaped the dreaded disease.

I know it sounds silly, but I’ve actually prayed over that tree and asked the God of Creation to protect it from the corrupting disease that is borne on the wind in our region of the country. Each year I thank God for the new life that I see in this ancient tree that is part of the natural heritage of Britain. And each year I thank God for the little enactment of ‘Passover’ in my garden - that the disease has passed over my home.

In the same way as Jeremiah got a message from the almond tree that he saw near his home (Jer 1:11), I see this ash tree as representing the spiritual heritage of the nation, under attack from secular humanist forces that aim to spread corruption and to destroy its Judaeo-Christian foundations.

Jeremiah got a message of warning that the nation of Israel was facing grave danger from corruption within and from armed attack that would come from outside. Only God could save the nation from the onslaught of the mighty Babylonian army but God would not save a nation that was filled with unrighteousness and corruption – a nation that deliberately turned its back upon his word.

Corruption Within, Threats Without

In the same way, God is warning us today of the dangers we face from the growing threats of terrorism in the world and the very real dangers of World War III on the horizon. If God did not save his chosen people Israel because of the unrighteousness in the nation, what makes us think that we are safe?

If God did not save his chosen people Israel because of the unrighteousness in the nation, what makes us think that we are safe?

We too are a nation that has turned its back upon God and there is a vast amount of corruption within our borders – even the Bank of England has been (allegedly) implicated this week in the corruption in the banking industry and fixing the LIBOR interest rates.

Promise of Being Created Anew

But Easter has a message of good news and new life and hope for the worst of sinners, which includes people like you and me. We may not be guilty of fixing interest rates, but we are all in need of what only Jesus can do for us – renewing our corrupt human nature.

Paul said that if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) – our sins are forgiven and we actually become a new person. This is the message of Good Friday!

But that’s only part of the Easter message. In the world of nature, death and resurrection are built into the very DNA of Creation. Jesus said that a seed has to fall into the ground and actually die before it releases new life. This is why he died for us and then rose from the dead so that through his resurrection, the power to live a new life is actually given to us.

Message of Life, Hope and Joy!

Charles Gardner has written movingly in this issue of Prophecy Today UK about the death of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed by a terrorist while he was protecting our Parliament. It was right that the nation recognised the bravery of this man who died a hero. But it is even more important that as a nation we recognise the death of Jesus who died a Saviour and who is longing to bless us and our nation with new life.

Death and the hope of resurrection are built into the very DNA of Creation.

The message of Easter does not end with Good Friday. It is not a message of death, but an offer of new life. It is a message of hope and joy! Many Christians believe that Brexit offers an opportunity for Britain to be free from the morally and spiritually corrupting forces of the European Union. But in order to walk in true freedom – individually and corporately – we need the spiritual new life and power of the Risen Christ, which is the message of Easter Day. It is available to each of us – it is our joy for today and our hope for the future!

Terror attack sadness points to resurrection gladness!

“He laid down his life for each one of us.”

An appropriate comment to hear around Easter/Passover, I’m sure you’ll agree.

The words are those of Jonathan Osborne, senior chaplain to London’s Metropolitan Police, speaking about the brave officer who died confronting a terrorist trying to attack Parliament.

Khalid Masood stabbed PC Keith Palmer after mowing down pedestrians with his car on Westminster Bridge. Monday’s funeral of PC Palmer was a sad day indeed for all of us, and for me it coincided with the funeral of a much-loved pastor as well as with the anniversary of my late wife Irene’s burial 17 years earlier.

But then I realised how it was all happening around Easter when Jesus, the Jewish Messiah and Saviour of the world, also laid down his life for us all. As the innocent Passover Lamb without blemish, he was led to the slaughter for our sake. For “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6).

I don’t wish to belittle what PC Palmer did – it is true that he gave his life to preserve our freedom, as so many soldiers have done over the years. And he is worthy of being called a hero. But our nation needs to remember afresh the debt we owe to our Lord Jesus, who gave his life that we might truly live, knowing and serving God without fear because of our certain hope in the resurrection to come, for which Christ has paved the way.

Certain Hope

That’s why neither of the two personal funerals to which I have referred was without hope. There was sadness, of course, at the earthly passing of loved ones, but it was accompanied by the joy of knowing they have gone to a better place and that we who believe will one day be reunited with them in glory.

PC Palmer is worthy of being called a hero. But our nation needs to remember the self-sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, who gave his life that we might truly live.

Yes, Jesus suffered the cruellest possible execution – and could have summoned legions of angels to rescue him. But he hung there for our sake. “For he was pierced for our transgressions…” (Isa 53:5). But “after he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Isa 53:11).

The risen Jesus appeared to more than 500 witnesses (1 Cor 15:6). That he conquered death is a fact of history. But if you too want a certain hope of the resurrection, you must believe in Him (John 3:16).

The Apostle Paul writes of Christians: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:19f).

That fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah 25:8 – that “he will swallow up death forever” – and of Hosea 13:14: “Where, O grave, is your destruction?” And Paul answers the rhetorical question with a resounding: “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor 15:54-57).

I am so encouraged that the words of Jesus will be displayed on many London buses this Easter, thanks to the vision of Revelation TV founder Howard Conder. How appropriate too, coming in the wake of the London terror attack, that the iconic red buses should be reminding us all of how Jesus died for us.

Lighting a Flame for the Gospel

As we continue to celebrate 500 years since the start of the Reformation, we would do well to remember one of England’s greatest heroes, William Tyndale, who gave his life so that the entire English-speaking world would be able to know the resurrection power of Christ. He defied the leaders of Church and state by translating the Bible (then only available in Latin) into English so that “even a ploughboy” could understand it.

He was burnt at the stake for his troubles. But in doing so he lit a flame for the Gospel, and for freedom, that has since fired the hearts of millions to know, love and serve the Saviour who died on a cross in Jerusalem that first ‘Good Friday’.

How appropriate, in the wake of the Westminster terror attack, that London’s iconic red buses should be reminding us all of how Jesus died for us.

The Roman authorities, religious Jews and our own sin all played a part in the crucifixion of Christ. But ultimately it was God’s doing for, as Isaiah foretold, it had to happen – because “the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6) and “it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer…” (Isa 53:10).

When Irene died all those years ago, I remember so well how, at the funeral, I looked at the coffin and wondered how I was going to bear up, especially in giving the eulogy, when God spoke clearly into my spirit: “She is not here; she is risen!”

May that be your hope too this Easter and Passover tide!

Schools are queuing to hear the message of Easter creatively told in an interactive, child-friendly way.

Some 10,000 primary pupils in the South Yorkshire town of Doncaster – statistically at the bottom of the church attendance league table at just 2% – have been discovering the amazing story of the death and resurrection of Jesus over the past seven years.

Christians around the country have been taken by surprise at the openness to the Gospel now found in the teaching establishments of this northern metropolitan borough – geographically the largest outside London but with a population of only 300,000.

Eye-Catching Atmosphere

For the eighth successive year a project known as the ‘Easter Journey’ is being offered to Key Stage 2 pupils of the town, with Tuxford in north Nottinghamshire also now benefitting.

A total of 1,300 pupils from eight schools will experience the unique journey this year, taking them through five stages of the Easter story – Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Cross and the Resurrection – each told by volunteers (some in costume) in different classrooms specially set up with appropriate props and backdrops, creating a peaceful, eye-catching atmosphere in which the children are encouraged to interact with the story and think about what they are hearing.

Over the last seven years, some 10,000 primary pupils in Doncaster have been discovering the amazing story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

At the Last Supper, for example, the children are asked to gather round a long table laden with jars of water and ‘wine’ along with bowls of grapes and pitta bread, candles and serviettes – and even a money-bag (for Judas). We explain something of the significance of the feast of Passover and, with the help of a bowl and towel, enact the servant nature of Jesus in washing the disciples’ feet, though due to practicalities and time constraints we usually invite just one pupil to have his or her hands washed instead!

Wide-Eyed and Excited Pupils, Enthusiastic Staff

Often spell-bound by what they see and hear as they are transported to the Holy Land at the time of Jesus, the pupils leave the 75-minute experience wide-eyed and excited while matching enthusiasm from staff means there is always a waiting list of schools wanting to host the event.

Because there are simply not enough volunteers to meet the need – “the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few” – a rota ensures that those missing out get priority the following year or instead have the chance of hosting a ‘Christmas Journey’, which is restricted to Key Stage 1 pupils.

Backed by the Doncaster Schools Worker Trust, supported by a number of local churches and in associating with Scripture Union, the project is headed up by Linda Gardner, who has been teaching Christianity in the town’s primary schools for over 20 years through RE lessons, Bible classes and assemblies. With the addition of a secondary school worker, Dan Budhi, and a host of teams taking assemblies using the Open the Book (Lion’s Storyteller Bible) method, the Trust is currently supporting over 50 of the town’s schools.

The pupils leave the 75-minute experience wide-eyed and excited and there is always a waiting list of schools wanting to host the event.

Spreading the Gospel

The Easter and Christmas journeys follow the success of a project celebrating the Pilgrim Fathers when coach-loads of pupils enjoyed a day of discovery in the nearby village of Scrooby, where the founding fathers of the United States first gathered 400 years ago before being hounded out of the country for their passionate faith.

Along with all the other regular school visits throughout the year, the journeys allow the Trust not only to help schools meet their curriculum requirements on religious education and outside visitors, but also to carry out the Great Commission in spreading the Gospel.

Art Katz looks at the Prophet Ezekiel and the significance of his vision of the valley of dry bones.

The 'dry bones' of Ezekiel 37 represent not only a spiritually dead Israel but a similarly lifeless Church. But in this prophetic scenario, Art Katz, a Messianic believer with a love and burden for Israel, argues that each will be the agent of the other's resurrection.

Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, set out in chapter 37 of his book, symbolises the Jewish community of exiles in Babylon. The NIV footnote expands the phrase 'very dry' in verse 2 to mean 'long dead, far beyond the reach of resuscitation'. As with the prophetic 'son of man' who figures so prominently in this chapter, so are we, the prophetic people of God, also set down in a valley full of dry bones - the Church in our day.

In such a desperate situation we must be realists, avoid wishful thinking, and consider circumstances as they are, i.e. as God sees them. If we are unable to see this reality, then we cannot expect to prophesy in order that the 'bones' might be brought to life again. Any prophecy over the situation requires an identification with the mind of God that overcomes any reluctance to face the awesome fact of Israel's death.

We, the prophetic people of God, are set down in a valley full of dry bones – the Church in our day.

Israel and the Church Related

From the first verses of chapter 37 one suspects that the object of God's intention is not Israel alone, however glorious her restoration will be (Rom 11:15), but also that of the 'son of man'. Could this person be a figure of the remnant, the end times Church come to its full prophetic shape and stature? Could it be that the Church is to be brought alive again through its response to Israel in a time of urgent crisis affecting that country?

Such a situation, involving a reciprocal relationship between Israel and the Church, by which the one is made complete through the action of the other, is surely the heart of Paul's discourse in Romans 11. Is it not such a relationship that explains the ecstatic paean of praise with which the chapter concludes (Rom 11:33-36)? For the mystery of which Paul speaks is not only Israel's restoration, but is also the transfiguration of a last-days Church that has been appointed by God to be the very agent of Israel's restoration!

If this interpretation is correct, the Church will surely need to change from its present fragmented and divisive state to become a people of God speaking with a single voice. Such authentic unity does not come through any contrived ecumenical arrangement but through apostolic authenticity.

Israel a Means of Bringing God Glory

In the present-day Church we find a variety of extremes of attitude towards Israel - from indifference (if not outright hostility), to a celebration that borders on idolatry. If the Church is to be the agent of Israel's resurrection, drastic changes will be needed. Much of the Church does have an intuitive knowledge of Israel's 'death', and a desire that she should rise again. Has our perception of Israel not been the projection of our own self-satisfaction and acceptance as 'the Church'?

Could it be that the Church is to be brought alive again through its response to Israel in a time of urgent crisis affecting that country?

Have we not missed the significance of Israel as a means of bringing glory to God? Is there not an issue greater than Israel's success as a nation? Indeed, can Israel fulfil its covenant destiny to 'bless all the families of the earth', except as a nation transformed through resurrection? What we may be celebrating prematurely as the final prophetic fulfilment may only be a necessary preliminary. In other words, 'what is raised in glory' must first be 'sown in dishonour' (1 Cor 15).

We do not need to defend or justify Israel's increasingly desperate situation, if we can only see her travails as the means by which God is bringing the nation to an end of its false hope in itself. Unless we are able to do so, what alternative is there but to reject Israel, or to join in with those who censure her for the very moral failings which she must experience in order that she might be brought to the end of a reliance upon her own ability and moral authority?

If Israel does not perceive God to be the One by whose word the dead are raised, then how can she know God as he really is? And, if she does not, then how can she reveal him to the nations?

Apostasy and Undeservedness

Surely, the sad national acknowledgment of Ezekiel 37:11 is yet to come. For us Jews, our bones are indeed dry and our hope is lost, a situation contrary to the historic optimism and indomitable self-sufficiency which we have so often demonstrated to the world.

Is it on that basis that we are to fulfil our Abrahamic calling that "in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 12:3)? Israel's increasing failure to establish herself as a righteous example to the Gentile nations is an eloquent testimony to this fact.

How wrong it is to condemn her for the very thing she is prophetically required to demonstrate! That even the Holocaust did not suffice to elicit the cry of Ezekiel 37:11, her present defiant condition testifies.

Israel's travails are the means by which God is bringing the nation to an end of its false hope in itself.

On the contrary, the oft-reiterated boast 'never again', itself suggests an attitude derived from military self-confidence, thus inviting a continuation of Israel's sorry situation.
Ironically, Israel, in her apostasy and undeservedness, is a greater testimony to God's love than if she were walking in righteousness. It is as a God of power, faithfulness and mercy, that a redeemed Israel must make him known, her ultimate restoration coming about through the word spoken by the very Church with which Israel has been so long in enmity!

The issue then, is not the glorification of Israel, but of God. His own goodness prompts him to act as he does. It is as a recipient of his undeserved grace and mercy that Israel must bear him witness, as a nation brought to such depths of repentance and change as never before witnessed by the world (Ezek 36:31; Zech 12:10-14; Zeph 3:11-13; Isa 60:15). It is through this that Jerusalem will be made 'a praise in the earth'.

The Painful Truth

Such a perception of Israel's future is painful. How much greater, though, would be the disappointment in an Israel that fails our every expectation and even brings into question the veracity of Scripture (as some have perhaps naively understood it).

Will there be those who will lose faith in a God who appeared unable to secure his people from calamity - and will this be a factor in that great end times apostasy of which Paul warned?

It is better for believers to be "brought out by the Spirit of the Lord" (Ezek 37:1) and put "down in the midst of the valley" (i.e. in a place of depressing truth) than to find themselves in opposition to, or exempted from, God's purposes for Israel, however well-meaning their intentions.

How much of our own 20^th Century 'Christianity' is a desperate 'keeping alive' of what God would make desolate? Are there not many who present Israel as a projection of their own vain hopes?

To pray for the removal of the situations that vex and threaten Israel, however much one may desire it, could well be against God's plans, for it is surely his intention to bring to an end those Zionist or charismatic false hopes which need to perish in order that God's eternal and prophetic purposes might come about.

To pray for the removal of the situations that vex and threaten Israel, however much one may desire it, could well be against God's plans.

Truth at the Right Time

Such was the obedience of Jesus that, despite his own human desire, he "stayed two more days where he was" (John 11:6), after hearing about the sickness of his friend Lazarus. Had he acted prematurely out of human compassion and hastened to the bedside of his friend, he would have nullified the purposes of the Father, for the sickness was not to end in death, but was to reveal God's glory.

The prophetic mouth disqualifies itself when it speaks a false word of comfort, however well-meaning. The same is true when it speaks a true word prematurely. May we keep ourselves in prophetic obedience, despite being censured and misunderstood by others for our apparent 'lovelessness'. Otherwise, when the Father calls us, the agent of Israel's resurrection, to proclaim to her, 'Come forth', our word may fail.

However much our non-intervening silence will be misconstrued, only a faith that works by love will suffice in that critical moment.

The love I am referring to is not a 'love' which is no more than a mere sentiment or fascination for Israel's mystique, but is one which represents the unconditional love of God; a love manifested in the same hour in which Israel will be hated by the nations.

If Jesus, as an utterly devastated Son, cut off from the land of the living, was able as the resurrected and glorified Son to enlist God's power in order to bring his Church to birth, how should we expect less for Israel, whose glorious restoration is the theocratic key to the nations?

The prophetic mouth disqualifies itself when it speaks a false word of comfort – and also when it speaks a true word prematurely.

Total Obedience Required

But how is this to be effected? The prophet is no mere spectator, but an agent. It is his fidelity alone that releases the power which brings about new life. His vision is critical to the redemption of Israel, the more so because he is able to see the situation as it is. Total obedience is required, an obedience that represents death to those inveterate prejudices, envies and insecurities that would just as soon leave Israel in its grave than bring the prodigal back from the dead to bask in the Father's favour!

Only through such obedience to the prophetic calling can the 'sticks' be joined together so that "one king shall be king over them all and David, their prince forever" (Ezek 37:22, 28).

It is the issue of Israel alone - though she does not realise it - that compels the Church to that ultimate faith, obedience and stature by which it is itself fitted for eternity! Is not this the heart of that mystery whose understanding alone saves us from the deadly 'conceit' referred to in Romans 11:25? For there are many who have a misconception of the Church, viewing her as being apart from, or a substitute for, Israel.

What shall be found more to redound to the eternal honour of God, than this triumph over sin and death in both Israel and the Church?

Only a faith that works by love will suffice – the unconditional love of God, manifested in the same hour in which Israel will be hated by the nations.

God's Sovereign Purposes Will Triumph

The same powers of hell and darkness that rushed in their characteristic fury to bring about the death of Jesus will, at the end of the age, seek to destroy the nation whose restoration is bound up with the coming of its King and with the triumphant establishment over the nations of his theocratic rule!

At present the principalities and powers which control the various nations are doing all they can to stir up hatred towards Israel. In doing so they are, ironically, fulfilling the purposes of him who is sovereign over all - the One whose certain triumph will be made plain to all the nations, including the chosen nation itself, Israel (Ezek 36).

It is in this way that Israel will fulfil the role which it has spurned or so sorely misunderstood. Such a fulfilment will, paradoxically, be brought about more by Israel's vices than its virtues, and by her failings rather than her successes. It is in this way that God, and God alone, will be glorified.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 10 No 1, January 1994.