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Preparing for Resurrection DayThis is a spiritual journey, a series of messages that are supported by bible studies available on this site, either for your own study time or for your small group. Also included are five suggested devotional readings from a variety of Scriptural genres for each week. I believe that taking advantage of the devotional readings and weekly bible studies to support the weekly messages will maximize the benefit you receive as you take the journey down this part of your own larger spiritual journey. Use the links on the bottom of this page to access these supporting resources. If you want to give a listen to a sermon, click on any of them that have links to listen to the mp3 file.. |
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (Matt. 16:21)
It seems clear to me that from that moment Jesus began to get focused on his mission of not just dying, but being raised again. He began to prepare for his resurrection day. It seems to me that the passage which immediately follows gives us a unique outline of topics that, if we really understand them, will help us as well prepare for our own resurrection day.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. 16:24-28)
Based on this passage, something that I consider to be a kind of “table of contents” of Jesus’ essential teachings that he wanted to make sure he got across prior to his passion, this spiritual journey will include the following topics:
Week 1- Introduction: This journey begins with an overview and introduction of the topics from the passage noted above, along with parallels from Mark and Luke.
Week 2- What is a Christian worldview? This actually comes from the previous verse, a kind of “prologue” to the table of contents:
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (v. 23)
To “have in mind the things of God rather than the things of men” is an essential first step in the spiritual journey to our resurrection day. This is what I call having a Christian worldview. It includes one key component, in particular (no, it isn’t defeating Darwinism) that I believe we must embrace to have in mind the things of God.
Week 3- Taking up our Cross. Is this really just a fatalistic ability to put up with the burdens that life brings to us, or is there something much deeper that Jesus is trying to tell us with this familiar saying? I believe that he takes us into a richer understanding of what it means to know the will of God for our lives.
Week 4- Saving Your Soul. Don’t bother to go to the arena, because this is the great American smackdown. No journey toward resurrection day is going to reach its goal without ensuring that we come out of the ring a winner on this one.
Week 5- Judgment Day. Isn’t heaven just about “getting there”? Or is there some way in which what we do here helps to craft our eternity? Jesus thinks so.
Week 6- Resurrection Living. This whole business of some people that Jesus was speaking to not tasting death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom has been one of the real posers for people. What was he talking about? I suggest that understanding this correctly leads to comprehending one of the most important and least understood teachings in all of Scripture.
Bible Studies:
Week 1: Topping if Off with God
Week 2: Pure Understanding
Week 3: A Will and a Way
Week 4: Show me the Money
Week 5: Ready or Not
Week 6: Powering Up
Devotional Guides:
Week 1: Acts 2, John 16:1-16, Psalm 51, Galatians 5, Ezekiel 36:24-38
Week 2: Philippians 2:1-11, Isaiah 53, Luke 10:25-37, Psalm 103, 1 Peter 4:1-11
Week 3: Psalm 32, Matthew 7:13-27, Romans 8, 1 Samuel 3:1-11, Colossians 1:1-14
Week 4: Proverbs 11, Matthew 6:19-34, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Proverbs 22, Luke 16:1-15
Week 5: Matthew 25:14-30, Psalm 16, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Daniel 12, 2 Corinthians 5
Week 6: Ephesians 1:15-23, Psalm 110, John 14, Colossians 2, 2 Kings 6:8-23