Resurrection Faith

Do you think the lyrics of this song could be true? Do you think the God who created the universe knows you, can forgive your past, and make beautiful things out of your future? This message is the heart of the Bible’s message, of what we call the “good news” from God that comes through Jesus. And God’s good news is for you. That’s what I want to talk about this Easter, 2012. It’s a good topic, don’t you think?

For many months, here at LAC, we have been hearing people’s stories about “turning points” in their lives. We’ve heard the testimonies of how people’s lives in the Bible were turned around and God began to make beautiful things out of the dust of their lives. And, each week, we have heard people right now – people who live here in Southern California -- tell their stories of having found forgiveness of their pasts and hope for the future. In our Easter service today, you’ve seen personal statements about those turning points as people have said, “It’s real. It’s true. There were things in my life that needed to change. And, God is the one who has turned my life around.” In fact, if you look at the blue boxes all over the worship center today, you will see hundreds of testimonies of people in our community who are saying the same thing. They’re saying, “God can make beautiful things out of us!”

And Easter is the key to this transformed life. Easter is the culmination of the Bible’s message that God loves the people of the world so much that he came to this world in the person of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus lived the life all of us should live – a life without sin. None of us has lived perfectly. But, this same Jesus was willing to die the death we should have to die – and to do it in our place. That’s what we remember on Good Friday. Easter is about the fact that sin could not defeat Jesus and death could not hold him. There is a power that has come into this world that is greater than sin and death.

So, Easter is a day that should be very personal to each of us. Easter is not just about the fact that there is a power greater than death. Easter declares that we can connect to that resurrection power. The message of Easter is meant to change our lives. My point today is not simply that there is a God out there somewhere – but that you can connect to him. How? Jesus-followers have always said, as the Bible does, that we connect “by faith”. But what is faith? Faith is not simply about believing Jesus’ teaching is true. Faith is life changing. For example, we know that there is a great power out there we call electricity that can do so much. But we don’t connect to it until we discover and then turn on the light switch that connects the power to our need of light. In a similar way, I believe that, deep down, most of us believe that there must be a God who can change things in our lives. The issue I want us to consider this Easter 2012 is how we connect to God. How does God begin to make beautiful things out of us? The Bible’s answer: through “resurrection faith”.

I don’t think there is any place in the Bible in which the meaning of resurrection faith is made clearer than in John 20. In that chapter, we meet four people. All of them believed in God – they weren’t agnostics. In fact, they had known Jesus for a long time. They had heard his teaching. They had seen his miracles. But, they also knew that Jesus had just died on a cross. They had lost hope.

Mary’s Turning Point (20:1-2, 10-18)

In vv. 1-2, we see Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ closest friends, going to Jesus’ tomb on the third day after his death. Mary’s life had once been dominated by evil and Jesus had healed her and set her free from demonic oppression. Jesus had told his followers – like Mary -- over and over again that he would be betrayed, turned over to the authorities, and killed. But, he had said clearly that after three days, he would rise from the dead. Again – Jesus said that after three days, he would rise from the grave! So, Mary went to the tomb after he had been betrayed, handed over to the authorities and killed. And, what she sees is that the stone had been removed from the entrance to the tomb and no body was there.

What would you imagine Mary will say? Surely, Mary will say, “It’s just as Jesus promised. He’s done it! He is risen. He is risen indeed!” Right? But no -- Mary runs to Peter and John and says, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him!”

At this point, it’s clear that Mary believed in a God but was not really connected to him. She knew a lot about Jesus but she was not yet really alive to who he was. And, beautifully, when Jesus meets her in vv. 10ff., he does not mock her or reject her for her failure. He calls her by name. “Mary,” he says. Some have said that we don’t know who we are fully until we know that we are known and loved by our Creator. Jesus called her by name – and he calls yours too. And, at last, her eyes are opened. At last, she sees him as he is. She believes. It’s resurrection faith. Her hope is restored. Mary’s life is never the same.

Thomas’ Turning Point (20:24-31)

And in case you think I might pretend that only women can be blind to what should have been obvious, look at Thomas just a few verses later. His case is even worse! He was one of the 12 apostles. He had been with Jesus even more often than Mary. He had seen miracles over and over. He had heard Jesus say on many occasions that he would rise from the dead after three days. And, to top it off, Thomas had heard testimonies from the other disciples that they had actually seen the resurrected Jesus. But, he hadn’t been present when they had seen the Lord. So, what does Thomas say? “It’s just as he told us. Jesus always told us the truth and he’s done it again! Hallelujah, he is risen!” No, Thomas says, “I have some conditions. Unless I see the nail marks in his hands – even more, unless I can put my fingers where the nail marks were and put my hand in his side, I won’t believe this nonsense.”

And, Jesus was patient with Thomas just as he had been with Mary. Jesus comes a week later and speaks directly to Thomas. “Thomas, put your finger in my hand and your hand in my side. Stop doubting and believe.” But, Thomas didn’t have to do those things once his eyes were opened to Jesus. Thomas dropped his conditions. He simply said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” And his life was never the same. In fact, he spent the rest of his life telling people about Jesus – even as far as to India.

Do you see it? In Mary and Thomas, we see people very much like ourselves. Some people say that people like them in the ancient world were gullible and would believe anything. But, no – they were people just like us. They believed there is a God – just as 97+% in our world still believe. They knew there had to be more to the world than just material things. They were sure there had a be a reality in this universe greater than themselves. Almost everyone in our world believes those things too. Mary and Thomas even knew Jesus. However, among many surprising things in John 20, one that hits me is how neither Mary nor Thomas seemed to be alive to who Jesus truly was as the chapter begins. And then they come alive to him as they meet Jesus and believe in him. This coming to life is what I am calling “resurrection faith”.

By the end of John 20, both Mary and Thomas had an experience of resurrection faith. So, what is it?

#1: Resurrection faith is based upon what actually happened – upon what is true.

Resurrection faith is not simply about learning Jesus’ teaching and seeking to follow it. That’s the way many religions are. They seek to give a set of philosophies of life and moral principles and tell us to live by them. And Jesus certainly did tell us how to understand our world – and he not only taught us how to live but he personally lived the way life is to be lived. But let me say this clearly: Following Jesus is not just a matter of seeking to be guided by his moral principles. Resurrection faith is based upon the life Jesus lived, the death he died on the cross in our place, and the resurrection he experienced. I say this because many have tried to say that the resurrection is not a fact of history but just a metaphor for how we don’t have to be defeated by anything in this world. No, Jesus rose from the dead – in history.

Mary and Thomas saw the resurrected Christ. The Bible records 11 appearances of the risen Christ. And, if we think the Bible’s writers just made this up to try to convert people to their religion, then consider this: First century Jews would never have chosen someone like Mary as the first witness if they were making it up. Women weren’t even allowed to be witnesses in their courts. And Mary was a former demoniac! Anyone in Jesus’ day who would have made up a story like this would have made up a different witness to the resurrection. No, John 20 is the stuff of history. This was an eyewitness account. Mary is cited as the witness because she witnessed it. Forgiveness, new life, and “turning points” are possible for Mary – and for us -- because the resurrection is real. The faith that turns our lives around and offers us hope is a faith based on something that truly happened. Jesus is risen!

#2: Resurrection faith is always an act of God’s grace. Mary knew her past. She had to be forgiven and delivered from the evil oppression of her past. And Thomas was an unbelieving skeptic. So, the faith that changes our lives is not based on how good we try to become or how smart we are. Mary did not have to say, “Jesus, have I become good enough so that you’re willing to accept me?” And, Thomas surely could not have said, “Jesus, I’ve figured it all out. Now, you’ve got to do something good for me.”

Our faith is always about grace. And grace simply means that God is the one who takes the initiative. Hear me clearly: God is ready and willing to do something for you that you haven’t earned or figured out on your own. Jesus came to Mary and called her by name in spite of her past. The determining factor in resurrection faith is not your past but Jesus’ past.

And Jesus was patient with Thomas – patient enough to offer Thomas the chance to do exactly what Thomas had demanded (even though Thomas had been as dense as a rock in spite of his own arrogance). Our God has been called the God of the second chance – but we all know he gives us more than one chance. We love because he first loved us. We do not earn his favor. We receive his grace-filled gift of new life. Resurrection faith is a matter of God coming to us and offering us a turning point for our lives. And, he does that for you today. The issue is – will you receive his gift of grace.

So how do we do that? How do we receive this wonderful gift of forgiveness and a new life?

#3: Resurrection faith is an intentional transfer of our trust – from something else to Jesus. Many people say something like this to me: “Pastor Greg, I wish I had faith like you do. I don’t have faith.” And some of you have heard me reply back, “But you do have faith. We all trust in something.” Thomas trusted in his own reasoning ability. Mary trusted in the worldview she had always been taught in her culture. Being 1^st century Jewish people, neither Thomas nor Mary could have imagined 1) a man being God or 2) a man having power over sin and death. But, Jesus had demonstrated he was both of these. On this first Easter morning, Jesus had done exactly what he had said he would do. He had gone to his death just as he had foretold and he had overcome death. Jesus was not in the tomb. So, Mary and Thomas had to decide whether to trust Jesus. Resurrection faith is a matter of taking our trust from where it is and placing it where it should be, i.e., in Jesus.

Mary took her imperfect past and her present disbelief and surrendered them to Jesus. Thomas took his doubt and disbelief and surrendered them to Jesus. Did you notice? When he met Jesus, Thomas no longer had any conditions. Before his day of faith, Thomas had said, “I won’t believe unless…” But, when he met Jesus, the conditions were discarded. Thomas’ only response – the only response possible for any of us when we come to God – was this: “My Lord and my God (20:28).”

The result, of course, is that when we take this step of resurrection faith, we lose control of our own lives. When we become people of resurrection faith, we say, “Lord Jesus, here are the wrongs of my past, I confess them to you. And, I turn from them and give them to you.” And he takes them and casts them away. As Paul put it in Romans 8, “There is now no condemnation for all who are in Christ Jesus.” Hallelujah!

When we place our faith in Jesus in this way, he connects us with God and this results in a changed life. The motivator for our new lives is our gratitude for the love and grace of God. The power to be different is the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. One piece of evidence of our resurrection faith is our lives truly begin to be different – less cranky, less whiny, less shaken by disappointment, less seized by immorality…

Know this: this changing of our lives is a process. Here at LAC, we’re all still people being remade by God. If you say, “But pastor, I’ve watched you and some of your people. You’re not perfect yet.” I’ll agree with you. But I’ll tell you, “You didn’t see what we were before we turned in faith to Jesus. You don’t see the raw material God started with. But, the turning point has happened. And God’s promise is that he won’t give up on us until our lives are remade and we are complete. “He makes beautiful things out of the dust. He makes beautiful things out of us!” This is the promise of resurrection faith.

Peter and John’s Turning Point (20:3-9)

Let me close with this: Two more testimonies of resurrection faith are recorded in John 20:3-9. Mary goes and tells two disciples, Peter and probably John, that the grave is empty. I love how John writes about it. “We ran to the tomb,” he says, “but I got there first.” (In other words, Peter may be the leading apostle but I can run faster!”) In the Bible’s language, what happened for these men at the tomb is described by three Greek words for “to see”: 1) blepo – the basic word for looking at something, 2) theoreo – to see and theorize or to reflect on the meaning of what is seen, and 3) eido – to see and understand.

So, John gets to the tomb first and in v. 5, simply “looks at” the fact there is clothing but no body (blepo). But, as John testifies in v. 9, he didn’t get it yet. He is not yet connected to the truth of what has happened. Then, Peter gets to the tomb and looks in and begins to meditate on the meaning of what he is seeing (theoreo). But, resurrection faith doesn’t happen until v. 8. John said, “I saw – eido – and I surrendered. I saw and believed!”

Peter and John had believed in their heads that there was a God. But, in v. 8 the moment had arrived for Peter and John to say, “I’m in! I believe.” It’s resurrection faith. And their lives were never the same.

What about you? Look at the claims made about Jesus in the Bible. Jesus knows your name and calls you by name. He knows your past as he knew Mary’s and he is ready to forgive you and set you free. He knows your tendency to want to keep control just as he knew Thomas’. Are you ready to say today, “I’m in! I believe. Jesus, you are my Lord and my God.” Look at the end of John 20.

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believethat Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:30-31

And I add: There are many other things I could have preached today but I have preached these things so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that through believing, you may have life in his name. You connect to God through resurrection faith placed in the resurrected Jesus. I declare to you this Easter 2012 that God does beautiful things out of the dust and he is ready to make something beautiful out of your life too. Why am I so sure? Because on Good Friday, this same Jesus -- who lived without sinning -- died on the cross to offer forgiveness of sins for all who will trust him. And, on Sunday, he defeated sin and death through resurrection. It’s true. Believe the good news. The grave is empty. He is risen!

復活的信仰 約翰福音 20章

我不知道如果我的生活是否真的可以改變...
所有丟失的能再找到嗎？
一個花園能來自這片土地嗎？
你從塵埃中，創造出美麗的東西。
你從我們中，創造出美麗的東西。
Michael Gungor，美麗的東西

你覺得這首歌的歌詞，可能是真的嗎？你認為相信創造宇宙的上帝認識你，原諒你的過去，並且用你的未來做出來美麗的東西？此是聖經的的核心消息，就是我們所說的“好消息” ，是上帝通過耶穌告訴我們的消息。上帝的好消息是為了你的。這就是這個2012年復活節我想談的話題。這是一個很好的話題，你不覺得嗎？
過去許多個月，在湖邊大道教會這裡，我們聽到許多人們生活中的“轉折點”的故事。我們聽到在聖經裡的證詞，神 如何在許多人生命中的塵埃做出了美麗的東西。並且，每個星期，我們聽到當地人們 –在裡住在南加州的人，訴說他們的故事，如何對過去的一切獲得寬恕，並且尋得對未來的希望。
復活節是這個轉變生活的關鍵。復活節是聖經消息的巔峰，上帝如此愛世人，他以耶穌基督的人型來到這個世界。只有耶穌曾經生活過沒有罪的生活，我們都應該如此生活。但是我們沒有完美的。耶穌願意替世人而死，是我們應該有死亡。這就是我們記得耶穌受難日。復活節是罪不能打敗耶穌，死亡不能取走他的事實。這個世界上有一個比罪惡和死亡還偉大的力量。
因此，復活節這一天是很與個人有關的一天。復活節不只是關於比死亡更大的權柄的事實。復活節意味著我們可以和這復活的力量連接到。復活節的消息是為了改變我們的生活。今天我的重點不是只是說神就在某個地方 – 而是你可以和祂連接到。怎麼做？聖經和耶穌的追隨者們總是說，我們以“信心”連接。但是，什麼是信心？信心不只是相信耶穌的教導是真實的。信心可以改變生活。信仰我們的上帝。例如，我們知道有一個偉大的力量，我們稱之為電力。但我們不和它連接，直到我們發現電源連接，然後打開電燈開關，才連接到光。以類似的方式，我相信，在內心深處，我們大多數人相信 一定有可以改變我們生命的神。我想這一個復活節我們要考慮的問題是，我們要如何和上帝連接到。神如何開始從我們生命中做出美麗的東西？聖經的答案是：通過“復活的信仰”。
我認為在聖經中，對於復活的信仰最清晰的意思是在約翰服音20章中。在這一章中，我們遇到四個人。他們相信上帝 - 他們不是不信神的人。事實上，他們已經認識耶穌很長的一段時間。他們聽過他的教學。他們看過他的奇蹟。他們甚至看到他使人從死亡中復活。但是，他們也知道，耶穌剛剛死在十字架上。

馬利亞的轉折點（約翰福音20音章1-2節； 10-18節）
在第1-2節中，我們看到了抹大拉的馬利亞，耶穌最親近的朋友之一，在耶穌死後的第三天到耶穌的墓地。馬利亞的生活曾一度被邪惡佔領。主耶穌治好了她，將她從惡魔壓迫中釋放出自由。對於剛開始接觸聖經的讀者，耶穌曾多次告訴馬利亞以及其他跟隨耶穌的追隨者，他將會被出賣，移交給當局，並被殺害。但是，他曾明確表示，三天後，他會從死裡復活。 再一次地， 耶穌說，三天後，他會從墳墓中復活！因此，馬利亞在耶穌被出賣，移終交給當局並被殺害後，去到耶穌的墓地。但是，她看到的是墓門的石頭已被移開，裡面並沒有人。
所以，想像你已經跟隨著耶穌看到了他的奇蹟。你知道他是值得信賴的。你看到的，正如他曾說過，會發生的一切都發生了。當三天後，你去墓地裡，並沒有看到耶穌，你會怎麼想呢？當然，馬利亞應該會說，“這就像耶穌說得一樣。他做到了！他已經復活了。他果然復活了！對嗎？”但不是地 - 馬利亞跑去向彼得和約翰說，“他們把主耶穌從墳墓移走了！我們不知道他們把他放那去了！”
在這一點上，很顯然，馬利亞相信上帝，但並沒有真正和 神 連接到。她知道了很多關於耶穌的事，但她並不是很明白耶穌真正是誰。但是，很美的是，耶穌沒有嘲笑她或因為她的失敗而拒絕她。他叫她的名字。 “馬利亞，” 耶穌說。有人說我們不會充分知道我們是誰，直到我們知道我們的創造者知道並喜愛我們。耶穌叫她的名字 - 他也叫你的名字。 在最後，她的眼睛被打開。終於她看到耶穌。她相信了。這是復活的信仰。她的信心恢復了。馬利亞的生活從此都不相同了。

多馬的轉折點（約20章24-31節）
如果你認為只有婦女會對明顯易見的事件盲目，看看在幾句詩句後的多馬。他的情況更糟糕！他是十二使徒之一。他比馬利亞與耶穌在一起的時間更加頻繁。他看見了一遍又一遍的奇蹟。他聽說耶穌多次說，他將在三天後從死裡復活。 除此之外，多馬聽到其他門徒的證詞，他們實際上已經看到了復活的耶穌了。但是，他沒有在場。因此，多馬說什麼？ “這就如同他告訴我們的。耶穌總是告訴我們的真理，他又做到了！哈利路亞，他復活了！”不，多馬說， “我有一些條件。我非看見他手上的釘痕，用指頭探入那釘痕，又用手探入他的肋旁，我總不信。”
於是，耶穌對多馬也有耐心。耶穌一個星期後再來，直接和多馬講話。 “多馬，伸過你的指頭來，摸我的手！伸出你的手來，探入我的肋旁！不要疑惑，總要信！” 但是，多馬並不需要這樣做，因為他的眼睛開了，看到耶穌。多馬放下了條件。他對耶穌說，“我的主！我的神！”他的生活從此都不相同了。事實上，他接下來一輩子都致力於告訴世人耶穌的福音–甚至遠傳到印度。
你看到了嗎？從馬利亞和多馬，我們看到了非常像我們自己的人。有人說，像他們這種古代人單純易受騙，總會相信什麼。但是，並不是- 他們是像我們一樣的人。他們相信有上帝的存在 - 正如在我們的世界97％的人仍然相信。他們知道世界上一定有不僅僅是只有物質的東西。他們確信在這個宇宙中必定有比自己更大的事實。在我們的世界幾乎每個人都如此相信。馬利亞和多馬甚至還認識耶穌。然而，在約翰20章中許多令人驚訝的事情，其中最令我驚訝的是在本章開始時馬利亞和多馬似乎都還不明白耶穌真正是誰。然後他們總算清楚地知道了，因為他們認識耶穌，並相信他。這個清楚地知道就是我所稱之為 “復活的信仰”。
到了約翰20章底的時候，馬利亞和多馬有復活的信仰的經驗了。那麼，這到底是什麼呢？

A.復活的信仰，是根據於究竟發生了什麼的事 ，什麼是真正的。
復活的信仰不只是學習耶穌的教導，並尋求遵循它。這是許多宗教的方式。他們尋求一套生活哲學和道德原則，並告訴我們這樣的生活。耶穌確實是告訴我們要如何知道我們的世界 - 他不僅教我們如何生活，但他以個人生活的方式做為我們的模範。但是：跟隨耶穌不僅是尋求他的道德原則為指導。復活的信仰是基於耶穌他如何地生命，如何為了世人而在十字架上受死，以及他所經歷的復活。我會這樣強調是因為許多人試圖說耶穌復活不是一個歷史事實，而只是一個比喻在這個世界上我們不會被擊敗。不是的，耶穌從死裡復活 - 在歷史上如此。
馬利亞和多馬看到了復活的基督。聖經記載了11次的復活的基督。而且，如果我們認為聖經的作家，只是為了使人信他們的宗教而這麼寫，請考慮：如果他們是捏造出來的第一世紀的猶太人絕不會選擇像馬利亞這樣的人來作第一證人。婦女甚至不允許在法院作證人。而且馬利亞之前是被魔鬼著魔的！任何人在耶穌的日子裡會捏造出這樣的故事會以不同的人作見證。 約翰20章是歷史的記錄。這是一名目擊者的見證。馬利亞被引作為證人是因為她親眼目睹了。寬恕，新的生活，和“轉折點”對馬利亞- 也對我們來說 -是可行的，因為復活是真實的。使我們的生活轉向，並給予我們希望的信仰，是基於真實事實的信仰。耶穌復活了！

B.復活的信仰永遠是因為上帝的恩典。
馬利亞知道她的過去。她從她的過去中被原諒和被邪惡的壓迫中拯救出來。多馬則是一個不信神的懷疑論者。因此，改變我們的生活的信心，不是基於我們有多努力變好，或是我們是多麼的聰明。馬利亞並沒有說，“耶穌，我變得夠好了，使你願意接受我嗎？” 多馬肯定不能說，“耶穌，我想通了這一切。現在，你一定得做了一些對我好的事。”
我們的信心永遠是因為恩典。恩典單純地意味著是 神 採取主動。我清楚地聽到：你還沒有自己掙來或是自己想通，上帝已經準備好並願意為你來做事情。耶穌來到馬利亞身邊叫她的名字，不管她的過去如何。復活的信仰的決定性因素，不是你的過去，而是耶穌的過去。
耶穌對多馬 也是有足夠的耐心，提供多馬所要求的條件（即使多馬的囂張氣焰像石頭一樣冥頑不靈）。我們的神被稱為第二次機會的 神 - 但我們都知道 祂 給我們多次機會。我們愛，因為神先愛我們。我們沒有贏得他的青睞。我們收到了他那充滿恩典的新生命的禮物。復活的信仰是 神 向我們走來，使我們生活轉向的轉折點。而且，他今天為你這樣做。問題是 - 你會收下他的恩賜嗎？
所以，我們如何做？我們如何收下這充滿寬恕和新生命的美妙禮物呢？

C.復活的信仰，是把我們的信任，從別的地方有意地轉移 - 到耶穌裡。
許多人對我這樣說：“牧師，我希望我有像你這樣的信心。我沒有信心。” 你們有些人聽到我回復，“但是，你是有信心的。我們都對某些事有信心。” 多馬信任自己的推理能力。馬利亞相信她的文化所教導她的世界觀。作為第一世紀猶太人民，無論是多馬或是馬利亞都不能想像 : 1）一個人是 神 或是2）一個人有大於罪惡和死亡的力量。但是，耶穌已經證明他是這兩者。在這第一個復活節的早晨，耶穌說他會做的都實現了。如同他所預言的，他的死亡，以及他戰勝了死亡。耶穌不在墓裡。因此，馬利亞和多馬不得不決定是否相信耶穌。復活的信仰是指把我們的信任，從別的地方轉移到耶穌裡。
馬利亞把她不完美的過去和她現在的懷疑交出給耶穌。多馬把他的懷疑和不信任，交出給耶穌。你有沒有注意到？當他見到耶穌，多馬不再有任何條件了。在信仰的日子前一天，多馬說，“我不會相信，除非......”但是，當他遇見了耶穌，條件被丟棄了。多馬的唯一反應 -對我們任何人來說，當我們遇到 神 的 唯一反應，是這樣的：“我的主，我的神。”
當然，其結果是，當我們有這復活的信仰時，我們不再控制自己的生命。我們把生命託付給 神 。多馬再也無法堅持他的條件了。他不會再說，“如果…這樣我才相信...... 如果…這樣我才追隨......” 他唯一的反應是，“我的主我的神（約20:28）。”
當我們成為有復活信仰的人，我們說，“主耶穌，我過去的錯誤，我承認他們，遠離他們，並把他們交給你。” 祂拿走並把他們丟掉了。正如保羅在羅馬書8章所言，“如今，那些在基督耶穌裡的就不定罪了。”
像多馬一樣，我們把對生命的控制交給 神。正如保羅在歌林多後書第5章，“我們不再為自己活，乃為替我們死而復活的主活。” 當我們把這樣的信心放在耶穌身上，他使我們與 神 連接，使我們生活改變。我們新生活的動力，是我們對 神 的愛和恩典表示感謝。使我們生命不一樣的力量，是 神 藉著聖靈而來。復活的信仰其中一個證據是，我們的生活真正開始有所不同 – 較少易怒生氣，較少愛發牢騷，較少失望動搖，較少被不道德佔領...
再次聽我說：這個生活變化是一個過程。我們都仍然是 神 重造的人。如果你說，“但是，牧師，我看過你和你的一些人。你們並不完美。” 我同意你的看法。但我會告訴你，“你沒看到我們之前，不信耶穌的時候。你看不到上帝一開始的原料。但是，轉折點發生。上帝承諾他不會放棄我們，直到我們的生命都是重造了，完整了。” 他從塵埃中創造出美麗的東西。他從我們裡創造出美麗的東西！” 這是復活信仰的承諾。

彼得和約翰的轉折點（約20:3-9）
讓我用以下這兩個例子來結尾。在約翰福音20章3-9節記錄了另外兩個有關復活信仰的證詞。瑪麗去告訴兩個門徒，彼得和可能是約翰，墳墓是空的。我很愛約翰是如何寫這一段。 “我們兩人同跑去墳墓”他說，“但我是第一個到的。”（換句話說，彼得可能是領導的使徒，但我可以跑得更快！“）在聖經的語言中，這些人在墓地發生的事是由三個希臘字來描述“看”：1）blepo - 看東西的基本字，2）theoreo - 看，理論，或是反思所見事物的意義，3）eido - 看到和理解。
因此，約翰先到墳墓，並在第5節，簡單的看到墳墓中只有衣服，但沒有任何人（blepo）“看起來”。但是，正如約翰在第9節證明，他並不明白。他尚未和真相連接到底發生了什麼事情。接著，彼得跑到了墓地，看到了並開使反思（theoreo）這個意義。但是，復活的信仰直到第8節才發生。約翰說，“我看到了 - eido - 我降服了。我看到並相信了！”
彼得和約翰，在他們的頭腦中相信有 神。但是，在第8節時刻已經來臨，彼得和約翰說，“我相信！” 這是復活的信仰。他們的生活從此再也不一樣了。
你呢？看聖經中關於耶穌的宣稱。耶穌知道你的名字，並叫你的名字。他知道你的過去，就如同他知道馬利亞的過去。他準備原諒你，給你自由。他知道你傾向保持控制權，就像他知道多馬一樣。你是否準備今天說，“我相信。耶穌，你是我的主我的神。”
耶穌在門徒面前另外行了許多神蹟，沒有記在這書上。但記這些事要叫你們信耶穌是基督，是神的兒子，並且叫你們信了祂，就可以在祂的名裡得生命。
約翰福音20章30-31節

今天有很多其他的事情，我可以傳講，但我傳這福音是使你可以相信耶穌是基督，並且通過相信，你可以在祂的名裡得生命。在這個2012年的復活節我向你聲明，神在塵埃中創造出美好的事物，他並準備在你的生命中創造出美好的事物。為什麼我這麼肯定呢？因為耶穌受難日，同樣的耶穌 – 過著從不犯罪的生活 - 為我們提供罪的赦免而死在十字架上。在週日，他以復活擊敗了罪惡和死亡。這是真的。墳墓是空的。他已經復活了！

祂的榮耀，

格雷格Waybright 博士
主任牧師

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