Covenant Presbyterian Church

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Easter Sunday April 12, 2020 lesson #4
latest lessons are always on top  

 “He has risen! … He has risen indeed!”

“Bless the Lord oh my soul, 

Bless His Holy Name!”

A few short weeks ago, daily life was routine and we anticipated celebrating Easter at church. The COVID-19 virus disrupted almost every aspect of daily life, including worshiping together. Thanks to live streaming, we can still “join together” for Easter worship, 10:15 A.M. via http://covp.org

The coronavirus has created a time of uncertainty and fear for many, but it also provides an opportunity to share Jesus Christ electronically by live streaming worship services with family and friends—it’s as easy as forwarding the COVENANT 411 email and/or posting the worship live stream link on Facebook, with an invitation to join us. Many may not, but perhaps some will. Pray for a fruitful harvest. 

Together we are the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:4-16)!

This blog-site provided an opportunity to continue our Sunday morning Foundations' class. Our current study theme remains the same, “Who are We?” “Where are We Going?” Who we are is the Church, the Body of Christ, composed of all believers who have put their trust for salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:21-22). Jesus' Resurrection points to our own future resurrection with glorified bodies (1 Cor. 15:42-49)

1 Cor 15:21-22

21 For since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man [Jesus]. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. NIV

Christians in Colosseum

As offspring of Adam 
and Eve we've come a long way from the Garden of Eden, with disasters and plagues of every kind being part of mankind's history. Each generation has endured and met its own challenges, such as persecutions of the early church, the 1918 Spanish flu, and WWII described as the “Greatest Generation.” Often such adversity and desperation turn people to God. Perhaps God is calling us to pray that the pandemic will turn people to Him who would not otherwise have done so. 

Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic is this generation’s greatest challenge? During such times, with people yearning for hope, many turn to God. COVID-19 has swept aside the everyday distractions and cares of life, perhaps even turning hearts to God. Isaiah 41:10 reassures us that as His people, we can set our anxieties and fears aside by placing our hope and faith in Him.  

Isa 41:10 

10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  NIV

Many if not most churches have risen to the challenge by live

streaming worship, which provides a unique opportunity to share Jesus Christ with family and friends. The Easter message is one of hope, not just for the Church, but for the world around us. For the people of God, Easter is truly more than chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts, it is one of hope. So, please share Easter worship with a neighbor or friend http://covp.org

Jesus’ resurrection is victory over sin and death, bringing us into fellowship with God, assuring us that He is our comfort and our strength always and under all circumstances.

The Church is the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1.22-23; 1 Corinthians 12.12-13; Romans 12.3-5; Colossians 1.24).

Our membership into the Body of Christ is through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12.13; Galatians 3.27-28).

The resurrection is evidence that Jesus is truly the Son of God, and His resurrection is evidence that being His Church, we too will rise from the grave on the last day, when our soul is united with our resurrected, glorified body, which is the theme of our study. It answers both questions: “Who are We?” and “Where are We Going?”

Jesus’ bodily Resurrection from the grave is only the beginning of the full significance of His Resurrection. Acts 3:21 tells us that He will restore everything to its original beauty, and Romans 8:22-23 assured us of the redemption of our own bodies.

Restoring everything is to bring it back to its original perfect condition before the Fall and sin contaminated and perverted God’s original creation described in Genesis chapters 1& 2. Yet it will be taken a step further, being united with the New Heaven (Rev. 21:1).

Acts 3:21

21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. NIV

Let’s reflect once again on the attributes of God: He is immutable (unchanging), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful). We know that Satan is a created being. But one created with splendor as Lucifer the morning star, with great intellect and prowess, so much so that even though Adam and Eve were created perfect and complete in every detail, he was able to deceive and mislead them.  Suppose we didn't have Jesus as our Advocate and had to deal with Satan on our own? 

Even with the Fall, Romans 8:28 reassures us that God’s plan for man will always prevail, even during times of tragedies and plagues, even when man fails, God is faithful. 

Rom 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV

The significance of Jesus’ Resurrection extends beyond Easter. It’s also a promise of what lies ahead as stated in Rev. 21 

Rev 21:1-4:

21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  NIV

COVID-19 is a Challenge but not the End!

We do not know where the COVID-19 virus will take us as a Nation, or what impact it will have on our culture and lifestyle, or how long it will last, but our hope is in Jesus Christ as we celebrate His Resurrection as His people! 

Though we are His people, nevertheless, we are sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus' Resurrection is the fruit of our salvation. The Fall of Adam and Eve demonstrates that no creature, no matter how perfect, could indefinitely sustain personal and perfect holiness on their own merits. 
God’s plan wasn’t just to create man, but to adopt man to be united with Jesus Christ, Himself—not otherwise possible before the Fall. I have no doubt, that just as 1/3 of the angels rebelled and fell from grace, it was equally likely that mankind, left to their own merits, would have inevitably fallen, as well. Then what? Rescue us one at a time? God, in His wisdom, dealt with the issue "once and for all.--i.e., the final settlement.

God’s ordained the Fall to occur— but, it’s important that we don’t confuse that with causing Adam and Eve to sin (God is not the author of sin) (1 Jn 3:5; Gal 2:17). Because of His great love for His creatures, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer and Savior. Not just to die on the cross and return to heaven, but to spend eternity being spiritually united with us through the Holy Spirit, and physically united with us in the flesh with Jesus--being 100% God, and 100% man. Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer.

We know God created the angels as spirit beings, having spirit

Angels announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds Luke 2;8-20

bodies with both form and substance—described as being seen “like a man” in Daniel 8:15; 10:16, 18. Just as man has distinct physical bodies, in the Bible angles are described as having distinct spiritual bodies, also as we are told in Revelation 12.
Rev 12:7-9
7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  NIV

Jesus, the Son of God, before becoming man, resided in heaven as Spirit. Had there not been the Fall, there would be no need for a Savior or for Jesus to become Man.

This raises a question:Would God have created us with physical bodies designed to reside on planet earth, and then, because of the Fall, have us now reside in a distant, none-physical realm forever? Since we are physical beings created out of the dust of the earth, why would God resurrect our earthly bodies only to relocate us to a distant spiritual realm? Why would Jesus, Himself retain His human body? It appears inconsistent with the creation account of Genesis. We know God is immutable (unchanging). If He relocated us to a spiritual realm, wouldn’t it imply then, that He changed His mind regarding the destiny of man? He created us from the earth and Jesus took on the very same body, why then would He transport us away from the earth as our new home? I believe the answer lies in the following Scriptural verses.

Isa 65:17-19…17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new

earth.

The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create,

for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people;

the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. NIV

... and 2 Peter 3:11-13…11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. NIV

Note: “Destroyed” can be described as: shattered, cracked, smashed, damaged, ruined. It doesn’t mean obliterated; which by contrast means: wiped out, eliminated, eradicated, annihilated, reduced to nothing. In the same way, our bodies will be resurrected and restored, being super-natural versus natural, but physical never the less, as demonstrated by Christ in His resurrected body. For as He is, so shall we be (1John 1:7). I believe the same is true for the earth.

For an illustration of the “destruction of the heavens and earth” we can look at gold ingots thrown into a blast furnace being destroyed by the intense heat; where they are melted down and purged of all impurities, with only pure gold remaining. It would seem that the same is true regarding the “destruction” of the heavens and the earth. They do not disappear, but rather are purged and cleansed of all impurities—all traces of the Fall and sin that marred and contaminated God's perfect creation is totally eradicated.

What then, lies ahead?

END OF LESSON #4

Our next Lesson #5, to be posted next Saturday, will explore that question further. God bless!