Hal Chaffee Ministries

(Watch the corresponding sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1eWvPKmTcM&t=5134s)

Because I live, you shall live also. – Jesus (John 14:19)

Jesus often made very bold statements that set him apart from normal men. He said things like, “I am the Bread of Life,” and, “I am the Light of the world.” He also famously said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” These statements can be contrasted with statements by other prophets and religious leaders, who may have claimed to know the way, but not to be the way. They may have claimed to know the truth, but not to embody the truth. Jesus is unique in this way. It is really quite something, for those who make such claims as these are usually among those who live in mental asylums. This is why the famed apologist C.S. Lewis said that Jesus was either who He said He was–God in the flesh–or He was a madman or conman. He couldn’t simply be a good moral teacher like many in the world and in other religions consider Him to be. Good moral teachers don’t say they are ‘the light of the world’ or ‘the bread of life.’ Nor do they say things like we read in our text: “Because I live, you shall live also.”

This is a fascinating text, especially in light of Jesus’ relatively short earthly ministry and demonstrative death. If He meant His disciples could have life because of His earthly life and ministry, that hope would have died at the cross. Many messianic figures arose both before and after Jesus whose movements ended in their deaths. However, something ignited the fire of the disciples after Jesus’ death that caused the gospel to be spread to all the world, converting the Roman Empire in only 300 years, without ever lifting a sword. Christians, with love burning in their hearts, were willing to go to a horrific death in the pattern of their Savior to bring the message of His life and love to all the world. It wasn’t because their Savior had died, but because He lived.

Often, we highlight the importance of Jesus’ death, whereby He offered Himself for the sins of the world. But to get oneself in trouble with the authorities and crucified in those days was nothing impressive. Thousands died on crosses in those days. Jesus was only different because of who He was. It was God in the flesh dying on the cross that day. And no one killed Him that day whom He couldn’t have instantly caused their heart to cease beating. He let them do it. He had power to lay down His own life. He also had power to raise it back up again:

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” -Jesus (John 10:17-18)

It was Jesus’ resurrection that legitimized His sacrificial death. The fact that He raised Himself up was proof that He had also willingly laid Himself down. And this is what Jesus was referring to in our text. It wasn’t Jesus’ earthly life that ensured life for His disciples, it was His resurrection life. It is because Jesus conquered death by rising up from the dead that we can have life.

Life Like His

Not only does this text teach that we can have life because of His resurrection, but it is strongly implied that we would have the same kind of life that He has. Often, when we think about eternal life, we speak of the idea of our spirits going to heaven when we die. But this is not what Jesus meant when He spoke of this eternal life. If He were to mean that we simply go to heaven when we die then He would have done that Himself. Instead, He modeled physical death and physical resurrection for us, showing us the pattern that we will follow. This is why Jesus is referred to as the ‘first fruits of the Resurrection.’

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. – 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

The eternal life that Jesus and His disciples teach and preach is bodily resurrection. Just as Jesus’ physical body came out of the grave and was fashioned as a new and incorruptible body, no longer subject to weakness or death, so we shall also be raised incorruptible. One day, an angel of the Lord will blast a great trumpet. On that day, the dead in Christ shall rise, and whoever is His who is still alive will be changed in a ‘twinkling of an eye.’ We will meet the Lord in the air and come to rule and reign with him upon the earth.

When people ask, ‘What is heaven like?’ I answer, “It doesn’t matter, for we won’t be there long.” God made humans for the earth and the earth was made for humans. Eternal life will be here, on earth. One day, it will be recreated and made new and pure like it was in the beginning, but it will still be Earth with its wonder and beauty. We won’t be floating around in heaven for eternity, but here on the earth, exploring, building, planting, harvesting, inventing, and doing many other things as we enjoy the presence of the family of God. Best of all, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be among us, lighting the world and pouring His love upon His people.

The life that God has provided for us in Christ is so wonderful that the human mind cannot imagine it.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9

Who is the YOU?

I want you to notice that Jesus specifies that only a certain group of people will receive this life. He calls these people ‘you.’ He doesn’t say, “Because I live, the world will live also.” He says, “Because I live, YOU will live also.” The ‘you’ that Jesus is speaking to is His disciples. This is obvious from the context of this passage. But this passage was not written to exclude anyone from this life. The invitation to become a disciple of Christ is universal and broadly proclaimed. Jesus loudly proclaimed, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink!” The invitation to dine with the Master is for all people. However, we must respond. The gospel call is broad, but the gospel answer is narrow. As Jesus said, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).

I want to emphasize that this eternal life is for those who answer the call to be disciples of Christ. It was those who were there, who were following Him when He turned around to speak, who heard the words, “Because I live, YOU shall live also.” I am fearful that many people aren’t close enough to Jesus to hear Him speak. They aren’t following Him, so they do not hear His words. They are not a part of the ‘you’ that Jesus spoke to. They may believe in Him, they may know some of His words, but they aren’t taking up their cross and following Him.

We live in a society where it is en vogue to invoke the name of Christ as an athlete or movie star. As long as you present a fairly benign Christ who doesn’t demand any change or sacrifice, the world will cheer you. But this is not the Christ of the New Testament. The Jesus of the Bible demands your whole life. Once, Jesus said this to those who were following Him:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” – Matthew 16:24-26 NLT

We see then that this resurrection life is not for all, nor for those who simply profess Jesus’s name, but for those who follow in His footsteps, taking up their cross as He did, dying to their own will as He did, and doing the will of the Father.

Becoming a Disciple

How does one become a disciple of Christ? We must believe and be baptized, as the scripture commands. But baptism into water is not enough. Technically, we are all baptized in water every time we swim at the pool or the ocean. Simply getting wet means nothing. If the outer baptism doesn’t reflect an inner baptism, the outer means nothing, for the outer is to demonstrate the inner. One must allow the sin and past life to be washed away and rise up as a new man. This is a spiritual death and resurrection. We die to the old life and live in the new, serving Christ. This is also a picture of our physical resurrection which will come in time. We will die physically and rise physically.

In the same way, this earth will die and be made new, all following the pattern of Christ.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away… Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold I make all things new…” – Revelation 21:1,5

Conclusion

Christ has come to die and be raised to life so that we might have life. His resurrection is of paramount importance, for without it, none of us have life. Without the resurrection, we are all in our sins, of all men most to be pitied. But because He has risen, we have the promise of eternal life. Not simply life in heaven, but life as He has in a new resurrected body. If we continue in the faith we have great hope of better things to come. It is living hope founded upon our forerunner, Christ, who is the first fruit of our ultimate salvation. But let us not think that we can be raised with Him without dying with Him. We must die in the waters of baptism, leaving our old life behind, rising up to the life of a disciple, following in the footsteps of Christ. Only then can we be confident that we are His, ready to be raised up on the last day.