Hot tubs are not graves.

Here’s an awkward scene: Two pastors in shorts, kneeling down in a hot tub in front of the congregation, holding a member of the church by the back in preparation for baptism. The recipient of baptism’s testimony has been read and now sits waiting to be immersed, arms folded, nose plugged. The lead pastor declares, “We now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” and leans the member backward into the water.

Nothing awkward about that? Hold your breath.

What should take only moments stretches into seconds as the recipient of baptism fails to emerge from the water. Are the pastors holding him under? Is he unconscious? Seconds stretch to a minute, and then a few minutes more. The pastors wrench the body of their church member from the water, lifeless. This public proclamation of faith in Jesus has turned into a funeral. How did this happen?

This Sunday, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I pause to mourn the absence of His resurrection from churches across America for the remaining 364 days of the year.

Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are are vitally important to the believer because of the believer’s spiritual union with Him. By faith His perfect righteousness is credited to us. By faith our sin is credited to Him on the cross, drinking dry the cup of God’s wrath (Matt 26:39). And by faith we are born again, being joined to Him in His resurrection. All three elements are vital, but the resurrection of Jesus is most important because it completes the picture. His resurrection is the period at the end of the sentence. His resurrection seals the victory over death (1 Cor 15:55), and ensures His eventual return in victory (Matt 26:64). As the Scriptures say:

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4)

But when countless professing Christians want to claim the benefit of Christ’s perfect obedience and death for the forgiveness of their sins, and walk in darkness UNLIKE the manner of His resurrection, I am grieved. Those who want the benefit of Christ’s work without being born again (John 3:3,7) and repenting from sin deny the fullness of God’s work. Those who seek Jesus for food (John 6) and not for regeneration draw a picture of baptism in which the recipient of baptism never emerges from the water.

The nature of God’s work is that He glorifies Himself by seeing what He starts to completion:

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Without the resurrection, there is no new birth (Rom 6:4). Without the new birth, there is no eternal life (John 3:3,7).

Which picture of baptism best suits yo?. Do you claim to benefit from Christ’s perfect life and death? Are you born again? There is no ther way to the Father than through the Son, and if you would have the Son you must have Him completely.

Is there a turning from sin in your life? Can you lay claim to being pulled from the waters of baptism? or does your embrace of sin leave you yet in the grave? Have you turned from your sin or are you still powerless to effect real change? Are you trying to steal God’s favor without submitting to His demands? An unchanged life betrays and unregenerate heart. You cannot take from God, you must submit yourself to him in honor of what is right; that your Creator calls you to be reconciled to Him through the blood of His Son. The power for your liberation lies in your union with His resurrection! Come to Him in faith, laying your sin at the foot of the cross, and find new life at the mouth of the empty tomb!

You can come out of the water now. He is risen indeed!

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Christ did not die quietly.

During our sermon today, we were looking at the numerous supernatural effects of Christ’s death on the cross in Matthew 27. Chief among them, to me, is the fact that dead saints rose from the grave to testify to the power of His death in raising the dead:

“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.” (Matt 27:50-53)

I think that this is one of the most overlooked facts in all of the Bible. What shape were the dead in? Where did they go? I’m not sure about that, but of all the other things surrounding His crucifixion and death like darkness at midday and the earthquake, this one must have freaked people out the most.

More than that, it was a testimony to the world that Christ’s death would be followed by resurrection and the He would rise in three days as the first fruits from the dead (1 Cor 15:20). This day in world history, in this region was a real shocker. We see from the response of Jesus’ executing superintendent, the Roman Centurion, the conclusion that Jesus was the Son of God was both intended and undeniable (Matt 27:54).

Jesus did not die quietly.

We are tempted to remember the death of Jesus as a protracted period of silence marked by shame and cowardice on the part of His disciples. We are tempted to think of Jesus enemies toasting their success, and those who loved Him walking around with their heads down, dejected and unsure of the future. Rather, the activity of those sleeping in Him was a testimony of victory.

When we read of Christ’s most noisy victory, we need to understand how personal it is; our own futures are sealed in His death and resurrection. Indeed, the future of all creation and eternity is sealed as well:

“But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. ” (1 Cor 15:23-28)

There’s something worth getting excited about! Go out and make some noise of your own!

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