Jesus Rose Again

·35 min·3 clips

Death is not natural but a stranger in God's world, entering only after human disobedience.

The episode is part of a series called 'King of Kings' exploring the gospel of Jesus Christ. It opens by framing the gospel as an announcement of historical events, not just ideas, citing Mark 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. The pastor emphasizes that the gospel answers 'what is most true' about reality due to Jesus' work. He transitions to discussing death, sharing a personal anecdote about his son Clayton asking 'Why does hurting make sense?' after a minor accident. This leads into the pastor's own childhood fears of death and nightmares, which he connects to universal human anxiety. He references Dr. Ed Welch's book 'Running Scared' and Ernest Becker's 'The Denial of Death' to argue that fear of death is a fundamental human problem. The sermon then delves into scripture, explaining that death is a stranger in God's world, entering only after Adam and Eve's disobedience, as described in Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12. N.T. Wright's 'Surprised by Hope' is cited to reinforce that death is an intruder. The pastor highlights that Jesus came to destroy death, focusing on 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul declares the resurrection as foundational. He reads 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, emphasizing victory over death. The message acknowledges that death is still present but no longer has ultimate power, using the metaphor of a defeated enemy. It explains that Jesus' resurrection is the 'first fruits' of a new creation, with believers sharing in this life now, as per 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Romans 8. The pastor shares another personal story about a green quilt from his great-grandmother, which he later realized was the blanket his mother gave him as a child during his nightmares, symbolizing God's comfort. He concludes by urging listeners to live now as they will for eternity, free from fear, and ends with a prayer and reference to Romans 8:38-39.

As heard by us

A resurrection sermon that treats death as an intruder and directs fearful hearers toward the source of life.

Jesus Rose Again frames the resurrection as a claim about history, not merely a symbol, and follows that claim into the meaning of death itself.

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Why you'd press play

When death feels like it is running the room, you get a resurrection-centered way to name the intruder without letting it have the final word.

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