MPC, 20th April 2003.Luke 24 - "Raised to Rule"
Phil Campbell MPC, 20th April 2003.
It has to be the great temptation of every preacher this Easter Sunday morning to talk about Natasha Ryan, who the Courier Mail calls the back from the dead teenager.
Because I guess at least in terms of the reaction of people like her mum and dad who were convinced Natasha was dead, who've grieved for her for almost five years, who held a memorial service for her last year, there's some degree of comparison with the reaction and the surprise of the disciples on the first Easter Sunday. When they met the back from the dead Jesus.
I mean, they're certainly surprised. Dumbfounded. But that's where the comparisons stop.
So I want this morning to look not so much at the reaction to the resurrection of Jesus, as the implications of the resurrection of Jesus. Because there's something much bigger going on than surprise... that someone they thought was dead was alive again.
Celebrity agent Max Markson says Natasha Ryan is the story of the century. He says he thinks there's scope for a book and a movie. Not to mention a juicy interview with 60 Minutes. But in the end it's just the story of a sad teenage girl who's been in hiding.
Whereas the story of Jesus is something with much bigger significance.
And it's not just the fact that unlike Natasha he really was dead on the Friday. And he's really alive... on the Sunday.
And there's more to the reaction that just signing him up for a movie contract and an interview with Women's Weekly and Sixty Minutes. And it's not just a matter of isn't it interesting... someone's come back from the dead. The resurrection is more than just curiosity value. More than just proof that life after death is a distinct possibility. More than even a philosophical clue that personhood somehow transcends embodiment.
It's a resurrection with ongoing significance. So that the apostles preached it around the first century world. And we preach it still today.
And to understand why, we need to go back to the old testament. To start piecing the puzzle together.
Before we do that though, I wonder if you've ever read the gospel accounts of Jesus, and noticed an interesting thing. Something we maybe gloss over a little. And that's the curious fact that Jesus often calls himself the son of man.
In Luke's gospel alone, you get it 26 times. He'll say things like "The son of man came to seek and save the lost." In Luke 19.
Or "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Speaking about himself.
And as you read it, you kind of think maybe it's a bit odd. You might think it's a bit odd for example he doesn't more often call himself the son of God. Which he does from time to time. But he keeps wanting to push the line that he's the son of man.
And the reason for that goes back to the old testament. To two very significant passages. Psalm 80. And Daniel 7.
Keep an ear out for the key words. And see if you can piece it together.
Psalm 80. A Psalm written when the people of God have been crushed. Israel has been smashed. To the point where there's almost nothing left. The Psalm says, 16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.
So the prayer is this. In Psalm 80 verse 17.
Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
That in the midst of what looks like the end for the people of God, that in the midst of what looks like the destruction of everything righteous and good... God is somehow going to raise up... this son of man. Who'll be somehow his right hand man. That's the Psalmist's prayer.
Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
There's more. And this is the big one. If you're looking for one part of the Old Testament that Jesus has always got in mind, it's Daniel chapter 7. Daniel's a guy who's been dragged away with the rest of the Jews into exile. In Babylon. The promised land of Israel lies in ruins. And Daniel has a vision. We pick it up from Daniel 7 verse 13. Where he says "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like A son of man... coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the ancient of days and was led into his presence."
This is quite a dream. In his dream, he's standing in the throne-room of God. And he's looking out at the clouds. And here comes one like a son of man. Coming towards the throne of God. Closer and closer. On the clouds. And instead of being turned away at the door, he's treated with immense honour. He's brought into the presence of God. And if you keep reading in the next verse, this son of man is given authority. It's like a coronation. And given glory. And sovereign power.
Now I'm old enough to vaguely remember the Coronation of Charles as Prince of Wales. My mum was actually there in the crowd at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. But this is the ultimate coronation. This son of man in the vision in Daniel 7, comes on a carriage of clouds, is led into the presence of God, and is given sovereign authority... over who? Daniel says, in his dream all peoples, nations and men of every language ... worshipped him.
And his dominion... is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away. And his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
And I guess Daniel wakes up and says to his mates at work the next day, boy you should hear what I dreamed last night. A human being. A son of man. Is going to rule with God. Over every nation. And they laugh. And take another sip of their Turkish coffee.
But there it is in the Old Testament. As the picture grows. A Psalm that says God will raise up the son of man to his right hand. Daniel's vision. That this son of man comes in the clouds to the throne of God. And is given glory and authority and sovereign power. Over every nation. As he takes his place at God's right hand.
Now with that in mind, can I bring you back to Luke's gospel? In the days leading up to the death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
Can I suggest that at some point you take the time to read right through one of the gospels? And get the whole picture for yourself. But this morning I just touch down on some key verses. Starting with Luke 18:31.
And keep what we've just seen about the son of man in the Old Testament in mind. Because one things for sure, that's exactly what Jesus has got in mind.
Jesus takes the twelve disciples aside and says to them,
We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.
Which, in short, as we've seen, is that somehow God is going to raise up the son of man as his right hand man.
And that somehow the son of man is going to ascend in the clouds to rule over every nation.
And the disciples on the road to Jerusalem with Jesus are absolutely in the dark. With no idea what he's talking about. As Jesus is betrayed. And arrested. And put on trial. First before the high priest. Then before the whole Jewish council. Listen in for a minute. The High Priest asks him, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed one? And Jesus says,
I am... and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Now catch the audacity of that. Here's Jesus, arrested, bound, surrounded by false accusations. The high priest in all his splendour sitting in judgement on Jesus... and Jesus says to him, you're going to see the day when there's a huge role reversal. You're going to see the day when I'm going to take my rightful place. You're going to see the day Daniel could only dream about. The son of man coming in the clouds to the throne room of the Ancient of Days. And that son of man is me.
Later on in the trial, as it comes to a close... the whole Jewish council says, if you are the Christ, tell us. And Jesus says, if I tell you, you won't believe me. But he says, Luke 22:69...
But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.
Sure doesn't look like it, does it? And you know the story. As they put a crown of thorns on him, and say, you think you're a king, here's your crown. And a purple robe. And they spit on him, and they mock him, and they blindfold him while they beat him... and then they crucify him. And drive a spear in his side. And take him down. Dead.
Which looks very much like the end of a promising career. And not very much like a the glorious son of man ruling over all the nations. You'll see the son of man seated at the right hand of the Mighty God? I don't think so.
Which is why we need to notice what happens next.
And so we come to Luke 24. Our reading.
Where on the first day of the week, Sunday morning, at the crack of dawn, the women come to the tomb to embalm the dead body of Jesus. And find the stone rolled away from the tomb. And the body gone.
And in their confusion, two figures in gleaming clothes. Messengers of God. Who say to them, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He isn't here. He is risen." And then these words. Which are worth following in Luke 24 verse 7. They say, don't you remember what he told you all along? That the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again. And then they remembered his words. That's exactly what he'd said. And they counted off the days. Friday. Saturday. Sunday.
Psalm 80. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
Dying. Being raised again. All part of the grand announcement. All part of the plan. That the one who dies innocent as the sacrifice for the sins of the world is going to be raised. As God's grand stamp of approval. To mark him out once and for all as the one who is going to rule over every nation.
They're saying that the picture of the statue of Saddam Hussein falling in the last week or two is going to be remembered as one of the great symbollic images of our time. Because it's a picture of the end of an era. And the start of a new one.
If there'd been someone to photograph the empty tomb, you could say the same. Because at that empty tomb, there's the start of the greatest regime change the world has ever known. The start of a whole new kingdom. With no boundaries.
Jesus says it himself. As a little while later he meets with the disciples. Risen. And opens their minds so they finally understand the scriptures. Tells them to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins... to all the nations. And then finally, in the very last verses of Luke's gospel, chapter 24 verse 51, while he's blessing them he leaves them... and is taken up into heaven.
Which is exactly what you'd be expecting to happen with the son of man. Taken up into heaven in the clouds. To rule at God's right hand. Over people of every tribe and nation and tongue.
Which is why, in the end, the resurrection of Jesus is so much more than just a surprising re-appearance like Natasha Ryan. Or a medical curiosity. The resurrection of Jesus is the pathway to the throne. The resurrection of Jesus is the way God is raising him up to rule at his right hand. The resurrection of Jesus is the announcement that here at last is the son of man the scriptures had been talking about.
So bow the knee to him. Whoever you are.
A month or so back, the new Dean of St Andrews Anglican Cathedral in the heart of Sydney did an unusual thing. It was his inauguration. Normally a matter of pomp and circumstance and lots of choirboys. But the new Dean of the Cathedral did an unusual thing. With the news cameras rolling and the reporters taking notes. He spoke about the authority of the risen Jesus. (Read the speech.)
He said, political correctness, he called it theistic relativism, wants to say all religions are equally right. And you'll have heard that I guess. And probably even at the back of your mind want to think that way. That the well meaning Muslim and the well-meaning Buddhist and the well-meaning Christian... are all somehow right in their own way.
And so in the end it doesn't matter what you think. Or who you serve. As long as you're sincere. And so if you're a Hindu, you'll think Jesus Christ is one of history's great spiritual leaders. And you'll happily add him to the list... along with your list of Hindu gods.
And so the new Dean of the cathedral in Sydney with the media spotlight squarely on him, said this. He said, we can't all be right. We might all be wrong. But there's no way we can all be right.
Because, you see, the claim of Easter, the claim of the resurrection, is that Jesus Christ is the one at God's right hand. To claim the worship of every nation. Which is fundamentally politically incorrect. To say that somehow everyone owes worship to Jesus. As the son of man raised up by God himself. To sit at his right hand.
And of course, the Sydney media spent most of the following week howling down the irresponsible claims of the Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral that Jesus isn't just one option among many. Quoting other church leaders who couldn't step back fast enough from the idea that Jesus is lord of all. "It is understood," said the Sydney Morning Herald, "that the Anglican Primate of Australia, Archbishop Peter Carnley, was taken aback by the Deans comments, but he preferred not to comment."
Sister Marianne Dacy from the Catholic Church, is the national secretary of the Australian Council of Christians and Jews, said the dean's comments were totally out of tune in today's era of reconciliation between different religions," she said. "It is quite upsetting to hear a view like that expressed by such a prominent churchman."
And it is an audacious claim, isn't it? A huge claim. And it is right out of step with anyone who wants to say, everyone is right and nobody's wrong. But the resurrection does that. The resurrection says, this Jesus Christ is the one man among all men who has the right to rule. Not that Jesus was ever talking political rule. But rule our hearts. Individual by individual. Rule over our attitudes. Person by person. Rule your values. Deserve your worship. And it's only his resurrection that justifies the claim.
The resurrection in simple terms means Jesus is the son of man of Daniel's dreams. Given authority, given glory, given sovereign power; so that all peoples, nations and men of every language worship him. Which is exactly what convinces the disciples - and launches their great mission to spread the word. As they preach not just the fact of the resurrected Jesus. But the rule of the resurrected Jesus.
Which means today is the day when you've got to ask yourself the single biggest question there is. Did he really? Did he really rise from the dead? Or didn't he? Because if he did, that's his claim. That you need to face up to a personal regime change. Stop running your own life your own way. And no matter who you are, come under the rule of the son of man.