The Hope of Resurrection Sustains the Promise to the Nations

Hello everyone. On this Saturday night before Resurrection Day, I started thinking about the resurrection, and the obvious impact in our lives as believers, but then I started to think about what it meant for the nations (by now you guys should know that I mean “people groups”, not political countries). Hopefully this will make sense as I begin to write down some thoughts that have been circling in my brain today.
1 Corinthians 15 is such a great passage talking about the resurrection, and at least 6 gifts written about because of the ressurection, but I want to briefly just look at one or two verses before I get to my main verse in Isaiah that I was thinking about. 1 Corinthians 15:17 ” And if Christ had not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” And verse 20 says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” It’s very true that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, we would still be in our sins…..heading to hell. Our sin has separated us from God, and really unless we are forgiven nothing of God’s promises and blessings can be bestowed to us. ” ….Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures” Paul says in verse three of that same chapter in Corinthians. But it doesn’t stop there – Romans 4:25 says that “He was handed over [to death] on account of our transgressions, and he was raised on account of our justification.” Thus meaning that His death paid the penalty of our sin, and purchased our justification. Then to validate His Son, and this great victory over sin and death, God raised Jesus from the dead ! Awesome stuff.

I then started thinking about how awesome and incredible this is – not just for me his son, who already is in the family, but looking at the world, it’s His resurrection that actually sustains the promise that “in him shall all of the nations be blessed”. Without the resurrection, not only would I still be in my sins, but the nations as well. So if we reverse that thinking, now with the resurrection, we can thus fulfill the “Great Commission”, and tell those who have never heard that Jesus died for their sins, and was raised for their justification (Rom. 4:25) !

Anyway, here is my main point in all of this, and what I started to think about today. In Isaiah 53 talking about Jesus’ death, verse 11 says “He will see it and be satisfied.” But what is the Son satisfied with? Verse 11 says, literally “He will see [it and] be satisfied.” here is what I wa thinking though. Verse 10 says, “He will see his offspring.” I truly believe that part of Jesus’ satisfaction in the resurrection is looking out on a great assembly of people from every tribe and language and people (s) who have trusted Him and been forgiven and justified, and are now part of the family of God enjoying Him forever !

Therefore I write that the hope of Resurrection sustains the promise to the nations. Let us be praying for them this Resurrection day, that this next year whether through us, or through someone else (Lord let it be through us), those who haven’t heard of Him, who have never experienced true faith in Christ, and forgivness of sins throught Christ’s death and resurrection, will hear and put their complete trust in Him.

blessings,
carlos