Lessons from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Luke 24:1-9 (AKJV):

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

John 11:25-26 (AKJV):

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.Believest thou this?

1 Corinthians 15:12-23 (AKJV):

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

A story is told of an African Muslim who became a Christian. His friends asked, “Why have you become a Christian?” He answered, “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go. There at the fork were two men, one dead and one alive—who would you ask which way to go?”

            Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All throughout scriptures, the day is described as the day of resurrection. It was in fact never popularly called Easter. Has the word Easter been mentioned in the Bible? Yes, it was, but only once, and only in one translation.

Acts 12:4 (AKJV): And when he had apprehended him [Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Does the original text really mean Easter? Early original texts do show that Easter is a translation for there was a Greek word that was left untranslated: pascha. Pascha was used 29 times in the scriptures. None of these times did pascha mean a Christian holiday of Easter. Pascha is in fact translated into three categories as (1) Passover, (2) passover meal, (3) passover lamb. The Greek word pascha were used in the Gospels in the New Testament, before the actual resurrection of Jesus Christ even occurred.

So why did the 1900 King James Version use the term Easter? Remember that the disciples preached after the gospel only after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ? The event in Acts 12:4, where the only time in the Scripture was the term Easter mentioned, is past the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So, there are two ways to look at what happened here. First, the standard Greek-English Lexicon says that the Easter festival is a sense of the word pascha that developed only in later Christian usage. Rome became officially a Christian nation only in 312 A.D. when Constantine became emperor because of his vision of the cross. Constantine claimed that he received a vision to use the cross in his conquest when he saw this inscription in the sky: “In hoc signo vinces”, which means “by this sign, you shall conquer”. Christianity coined the term Easter and in 1990 when the KJV was written, there was already the Easter festival in the Christian world.

Secondly, one can notice the event as described in Acts 12:4. This event was Luke’s description of the perspective of Herod.

Acts 12:4 (AKJV): And when he had apprehended him [Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Easter here in Acts 12:4 is not a Jewish context since there was no Easter celebration among the Jews.  Since Luke’s description of this event was based on Herod’s perspective, then we can see that Easter is a Roman celebration and not Jewish.

How do we celebrate Resurrection Sunday? The way we celebrate Resurrection

Sunday is based on how we understand the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christian faith, for Paul said that if Christ has not risen, then the apostle’s preaching is vain, and our faith is also vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is false. If Jesus Christ did not resurrect from his death, then our faith is futile. But the truth is, the event of Jesus Christ’s resurrection is believable and irrefutable as biblical evidence proved that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Atheism, in fact, has ever yet to prove it to be wrong with evidence.

We can talk about 5 things that make the resurrection of Jesus Christ significant to believers.

#1. The resurrection is God’s confirmation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

In Romans 1:1-4, we can read: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle unto the gospel of God, 2 (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Paul proclaimed that God’s ultimate demonstration of the divinity of Jesus Christ is through His resurrection. Jesus Christ rose from the dead because He is God. If Jesus Christ was granted the resurrection power, we can trust in the same power that can work in us.

#2. The resurrection is God’s assurance that we can be forgiven of our sins.

1 Corinthians 15:17: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Paul was proclaiming this truth that since Jesus was raised from the dead, then sins will be forgiven

when we obey the gospel. Peter laid down the requirements for obedience to the gospel through repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Since Jesus Christ died on the Cross for us, then our sins are washed and paid for. As Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, all the more we can be assured that our sins are indeed forgiven.

#3 The resurrection is God’s message of life beyond the grave.

1 Corinthians 15:20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1 Corinthians 15:23: But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

It is God who gives life, who quickens all things (1Timothy 6:13). Being the giver of life, God has the power to give life to the human body. And as Jesus Christ triumphed over His grave, God pledged to us that we too will be raised from the dead.

Jesus Christ is the “firstfruits” of those who are asleep, those who are dead. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to life. Later, we believers will also be raised from death to life at the coming of Jesus Christ.  

#4 The resurrection is God’s appointment of a sovereign ruler to His kingdom.

Revelation 1:17-18: And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

The ruler of God’s kingdom is alive and reigns forever. The Savior of Christianity was dead and was risen from death. The Lord of our faith reigns in heaven. Not so with other faiths. The founder of Islam is dead and remained dead. The founder of Hinduism is dead and remained dead. The founders of many other religions of the world, i.e, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism, Gnosticism, Modalism (Monarchianism), Roman Catholicism, Islam, Rosicrucians, Protestantism, Tibetan Buddhism, Freemasonry, Swedenborgism, Shakers, Mormonism, among many others, are all dead and remained dead.

But the Lord and Savior of Christianity, Jesus Christ, appeared to John in the island of Patmos 60 years after his death. Jesus Christ appeared to John and proclaimed that He is not only the first and the last, He also lived and was died and is alive for evermore (Revelation 1:17-18).

Only Jesus Christ was appointed by God the Father as the ruler of His own kingdom. He rose from the dead to take and rule this kingdom for all eternity.

David Leffeman, Simon Lewis, and Jeremy Atiyah wrote this story on Rough Guide to China in 2014.

Some bones from one of Buddha’s fingers were sent as a gift to the emperor of China during the Tang dynasty. They were later forgotten about and then found in 1981. The finding was a sensation to Buddhists everywhere, and the bones are now visited by many Buddhists. If someone claimed to find a finger that belonged to Christ no Christians would believe him because our faith is founded on the fact that there is no finger to find—Christ rose from the dead.

#5 The resurrection is God’s ultimate victory over all enemies of faith.

In Revelation 5:6, we read: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The book of Revelations pictures Jesus Christ as a lamb that had been slain. But notice closely the description. The lamb “stood”. Even when the lamb was slain, but the lamb was standing again. The same lamb that was slain is the lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).

Jesus Christ has overcome his enemies. Jesus Christ overcame death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). He overcame His Enemy (John 8:44; Revelation 12:11). He overcame sinfulness (Romans 5:10; Luke 19:27). As Jesus overcame these enemies, we too will overcome as the result of His sacrifice and victory over death (Revelations 12:11; Matthew 13:39; Luke 10:13). Do we celebrate this victory only every Resurrection Sunday? We celebrate our victory over sin, over death, over the Enemy, not once a year, but every day.

The Long Angeles Times on March 3, 1991, published this story: On February 27, 1991, during the Desert Storm War, a woman by the name of Ruth Dillow received the worst call of her life. Her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private First Class, had stepped on a landmine and was dead. For the next three days, she grieved. No one could comfort her. On the third day after receiving the terrible news, the phone rang. On the other end of the phone there was a voice that said, “Mom, it’s me. I’m alive.” At first, she thought it was a cruel joke, but as the conversation continued, she realized it was her son. Later she said she laughed and cried and rejoiced because what seemed to be a hopeless situation turned out to be the greatest day of her life.

That’s what news from a graveyard can do for you when your faith is in Jesus Christ.

Walk, Listen and Obey

Shana Schutte shared in her article “Discovering Your God-Given Purpose” this story.

There once was a man who netted three trout from a mountain stream and carefully placed them side-by-side on a thick patch of grass. Before he removed them from the water, they were like a liquid ballet in motion. Fluid. Graceful. Vibrant. Alive. After he netted them, it was another story.

As the trout lay on the grass, they were motionless. Their eyes were fixed. They gasped for air, and they looked — and acted — stupid. The man noticed they seemed unhappy, so he talked to them, hoping that his encouragement would change them. “Little fish, don’t be sad. You’ll like the grass. Just try it out for a while.” No movement. No response. No change.

A few more seconds passed. The man’s neighbor walked by. “Hey, Bob! Come and check out these fish!” Bob sauntered over and the man explained that he was certain the fish could adjust. “I’m sure they could prosper here on the grass. Don't you agree?” “Why not?” Bob replied. So he also tried to tell the fish it would be good if they learned to like the grass. After all, he liked the grass. Why shouldn’t they? Still, the fish didn’t blink. They just lay there looking dumber by the second.

Finally, a little boy approached exclaimed, “What are you doing? Put them back! They can’t be all they’ve been created to be when they are out of the water.”

Finally convinced, the man carefully placed each fish back in the stream. After splashing for a split second, all three swam away effortlessly. Again, it was like a liquid ballet. What ease! What grace! What beauty!

In that moment, the man realized that no matter how long the fish lay there they would never adjust to the grass, and would never be satisfied — no matter how much he (or anyone else) told them otherwise. Even if the fish tried to convince themselves they could learn to like the grass, they never would, and they would never prosper. In fact, they would eventually die.

Do you feel like a fish out of water? The God wants you to return to the waters. God wants you to return to Him. God wants you to receive His blessings. God wants you to understand His will. God wants you to embrace His purpose for your life.

Our Longings and Our Purpose in Life

Are we dissatisfied with our life? Are there longings that haunt our lives for years. Even when we have committed our life to the Lord, do we still experience prolonged dissatisfaction in life?

Like the fish out of the water, we feel like we are dying inside, longing for the

water, struggling to return to the waters. Maybe we need to push ourselves into another, more satisfying ocean. Maybe we need to understand more the purpose God has for us.

If we feel like we are out of the water, then we are out of God’s purpose in our life. There is hope for the water. There is in fact, a vast ocean of God’s abundant mercy and grace. His Words are available to us to find our way back to His will and purpose.

So how do we find God’s purpose in life? God’s purpose for our life may not be same, may not have the same degree, or may not be on the same level (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). With this diversity of spiritual gifts and the same Spirit, the purpose of God is therefore a matter of individual dispensation. So how does each of us find the purpose that God has for each of us?

Walk, listen and obey

In order to find God’s purpose in our life, we simply walk, listen and obey.

We walk.

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

Finding God’s purpose in our life means that we walk in the light of God’s presence.

Without the presence of God, we will not understand His will.

What does it mean to walk with God?

To walk with God means to walk that same path that He walks (Genesis 5:22-24). When Enoch walked with God, God took Him to where He is. According to Bob Sorge in his article “The Secret of Walking with God”, from the beginning, God has wanted a walking partner. He further writes, “By taking Enoch up to glory, God wasn't trying to get us impressed with Enoch's piety. Nor was God saying, “If you get to be as spiritual as Enoch, you'll get taken up to heaven, too.” This was a unique experience God used to emphasize a specific point. God's point was, “I love to walk with man! Enoch was the first man to truly walk with me, so I decided to highlight his example by doing something extraordinary with him. I took him up to paradise to underscore how much I value and desire a daily walking relationship with my chosen ones.”  Enoch's example continues to witness to all generations of the great zeal God has to walk with man.

The walk with God is to find a place of God. The road to God are righteousness and holiness. The only road to God is Jesus Christ (1 John 5:7)  God wants to walk with humans and humans must live a holy life through the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ. To walk with God is the know Jesus Christ, be cleansed from sin, and live a life that is Christ-like. This is very essence of holiness. This is holiness expressed in the life of a believer.

In order to understand God’s purpose in our life, we need to walk with God. We need to live a life of holiness and righteousness. We need to live the life that Jesus Christ died for.  We need to experience the mercy and blessings of God. We need to experience His joy.

To walk with God is to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). To walk with God is to gain His protection and guidance (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). To walk with God is to learn from Him (John 8:12).

When we walk with the Lord, we do not walk in the darkness of worldly pleasures

and treasures. Dwight L. Moody once said, “If I walk with the world, I can not walk with God.”

We listen.

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:1-5).

Now that we have decided to walk with God in order to understand His purpose in us, we also need to listen (John 8:47; John 10:27-28).

Scriptures remind us that in order for us to discover the purpose of God in our life, we need to listen.

Let us look at the life of one of the greatest leaders of the people of God, Samuel. How did Samuel learn of God’s purpose for His life? 1 Samuel 3 tells us the story of God calling Samuel. 1 Samuel 3:10 provides us with the basic lesson from Samuel’s young life: Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

How about the story of Jonah? Jonah was called by God to preach the gospel to

Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-3). But Jonah did not listen to the Lord’s command. He sailed to Tarshish instead to flee from the Lord. Not until his encounter with the big fish that Jonah finally heeded God’s call (Jonah 3:1-3).

God is pleased with our desire to listen to Him (Romans 10:17). We are created by

God to listen to Him (John 8:47).

Rick Warren, the author of the Purpose Drive Life,  wrote in May 21, 2014, “Listen to

God; do not listen to your doubts.” He further wrote that the antidote to the voices of doubt is to instead listen to the voice of God.

So how then do we listen to God? Craig von Buseck suggested 7 keys to hearing God’s

voice:

1. We listen to God through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

2. We listen to God through the Holy Spirit who speaks to our heart (Hebrews 8:10-11).

3. We listen to God through prophetic knowledge and wisdom (1 Thessalonians 19-21).

4. We listen to God through godly counsel (Proverbs 11:14).

5. We listen to God through the confirmation of godly brethren (Matthew 18:16).

6. We listen to God through the peace that He gives (Colossians 3:15).

7. We listen to God through circumstances with His right timing (Isaiah 40:31).

We obey.

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. John 10:4

Now that we have decided to walk with God and listen to Him in order to understand His purpose in us, we also need to obey.

Bill Bright in his online sermon “Obedience--The Key to Knowing God’s Will”, said that obedience is the true test of our love for Christ and the secret to discovering God's will for our life. Indeed, we believe that we can discover God’s will through obedience.

Let us look at the life of Paul (Acts 9:3-6). God has a plan for Saul, who later wa

called Paul. Paul obeyed God and became a one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity. Paul obeyed God and he found His purpose in life.

How about the life of King Saul (1 Samuel 15:2-3)? King Saul disobeyed God by sparing the best flocks from among the spoils of the Amalekites for burnt offerings. But he was rebuked and was rejected (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

Even when Ananias was sorely afraid of Saul, the persecutor, he obeyed God (Acts

9:10-15). By obeying God, he fulfilled the purpose of God not only in His life, but in the life of Paul and in the many other believers.

One’s purpose in life may be different from others. But believers can fulfill such purpose when they walk with God, when they listen to Him and when they obey Him (Philippians 2:12-13). God will reveal His purpose for each believer when they yield to His call.

Living our lives out of the purpose of God is a disaster. It is even more of a disaster when we deliberately move out of the purpose that God intends for us.

Take the lesson from the bird who was not contended with God’s purpose in its life. The spine-tailed swift is not an ordinary little bird. Spine-tailed swifts have been clocked flying at 171 kph (92 mph). One day, it thought, "I'll be the best flyer in the country." So the bird practised, and got faster, and faster, and faster. But it wasn't satisfied, it wanted to go even faster. So the bird pondered the problem and came to a conclusion. It thought, "I know what's wrong. I'm too heavy. I need to get rid of some extra weight." The bird wasn't fat, and wondered what it could do. Suddenly, it realised that it could be a lot lighter if it got rid of its feathers. So it did. The bird removed all it feathers. The bird felt so light and was utterly confident that it can fly even faster. Unfortunately, the bird realized that it could not fly at all.

God wants us to serve Him according to the gift that He provided us. We should use

that gift according to its purpose.

The Coming Judgment of the Believers

Both the righteous and the unrighteous will face the judgment seat of God.

The earthly works of humans will go through the test of fire (1 Corinthians 3:13). The fire test is used to determine whether fire protection products meet the minimum protection criteria. If the product burns, then it is destructible and should not be used as a fire-fighting equipment. If a product does not burn, then it is considered indestructible, and can be used as  fire-fighting equipment. The flame test, on the other hand, is used in Chemistry to identify unknown elements based on their color when pass through the fire. Iron, for example, imparts a gold color in the flame test. Calcium shows brick red and copper shows bluish-green. It is traditionally believed that fire test established the innocence of baby Moses among the courts of Egypt. Giorgio Barbarelli, popularly known as Giorgione, painted the Test of Fire of Moses. Jewish traditions tells of a story of Moses when he was presented to the Egyptian court. When Moses was recovered from the Nile River, he was first presented to the Egyptian court. When Pharaoh placed his crown on little Moses’ head, Moses threw the crown on the ground and trampled it. Because of this act, the members of the court believed that the child Moses was a threat to the crown and would later overthrow the kingdom. In order to find out if Moses is indeed dangerous, he needed to be tested. Two royal plates were held before Moses. On one plate were pieces of gold, while on the other were pieces of glowing coal. The child Moses chose the coal and placed a piece in his mouth, severely burning himself. To Pharaoh, this proved Moses’ innocence.

The same test of fire will evaluate the quality of human deeds on earth. Here we see that fire differentiates between gold and wood, silver and straw, precious stone and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12). The precious elements withstand the fire, while the destructible ones are consumed. The human deeds that were done for God’s glory withstand the fire, while human acts that were not done for God’s glory were consumed. Only the human works that please and honor God can be acceptable during the judgment. The works of darkness and unrighteousness, the works of self and disobedience will be deemed rubbish and unacceptable.

As we are constantly undergoing the tests of fire in our lives, the Lord hones and polishes our lives through trials and afflictions (1 Peter 5:10). Scripture tells us that the purpose of trials and afflictions is to improve the quality of our spiritual lives (Proverbs 17:3). The result of God’s trials and afflictions, testings and manifestations, is the achievement of the highest and purest quality of obedient and righteous life in Jesus Christ (Job 23:10).

In the end, what was molded into pure gold, will come our indestructible on judgment day. Our lives, once molded into the spiritual quality that God demanded, will not be consumed by the test of fire,  but will come out pure, indestructible and worthy of God’s reward. After the judgement through fire, our deeds in Christ will either prevail or be consumed, and so we either reap our reward or lose our reward. If our deeds come out as gold from the test of fire, then we will receive our reward (1 Corinthians 3:14). Our patient service on earth, our exercise of love and compassion, our seeking the Lord’s will in our lives, will all be rewarded.This is our hope in life.This is our goal in life.

If our deeds come out as flammable, the fire will consume our deeds, and we lose our reward (1 Corinthians 3:15). If our deeds do not pass the fire test of God, then we will not receive our rewards, even though we will inherit eternal life.

If believers, lay leaders, and ministers deliver the gospel message not founded on the will of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, then the gospel message should be disapproved, rejected because the message does not bear the light and the heat of the fire of God’s word. The deeds, the message, the labors, and the pains of serving the Lord will all end up unrewarded when these acts were inconsistent with the will of God. Believers will be saved, not because of the acts worthy of human praise or of intellectual gospel message, but because of the promise of everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ. As human acts, deeds, possessions, etc. are consumed by fire, only the everlasting virtues and gifts and fruits of the Spirit will prevail.

Believers are not saved by material possessions, in fact, believers can not bring these treasures to everlasting life. Believers can not boast of their earthly achievements, the applause of humans, the respect of humans and the veneration of humans, as these will all be destroyed by the fire. Think of the believer as someone whose home and house is totally burned up, and he alone escapes, but loses all about him.

How are the spiritual leaders and teachers judged?

There is a scriptural truth that we can not afford to miss. The judgement is heavier upon the shoulders of the spiritual leaders and teachers (James 3:1). As leadership in church is a great privilege, it comes with an even greater responsibility. Our God will hold teachers, pastors, ministers, and leaders more responsible during the judgment. Church leaders and preachers are in position of either drawing the faith of the brethren toward Jesus Christ or driving them away from Him.

The Daily Bread has a story about the author Mark Twain who was often outspoken about his bitterness toward religion and the practice of faith. Sadly, it was the church leadership that played the biggest part in his hostility to the Bible and the Christian faith. As Twain grew up, he knew preachers and deacons who owned slaves, and worse still, these leaders and deacons abused these slaves. He even knew ministers who used the Bible to justify slavery. He heard believers use foul language and saw them practice dishonesty during the week after speaking piously in church on Sunday. Although he saw genuine love for the Lord Jesus in some people, including his mother and his wife, he was never able to understand the bad teaching and poor example of certain church leaders.

Church leaders can not afford to be judged wrongly. That is why, apart from the leaders, teachers, and pastors praying for the church, the church also needs to pray for the pastors, teachers and leaders (James 3:17-18).

The rewards of the faithful are not reaped on earth.

Scriptures teach us that the only time believers can truly reap the heavenly reward is when they leave the world. It is only through death that believers can receive the rewards of eternal life (Psalm 116:15). Although for some, death is sorrowful and morbid, but the death of the believers is a time for judgment, rest and reward (Revelation 14:13). It is only through death that believers in Christ can enjoy the rest and the rewards that He has promised. So in the same way as the Lord delights in the death of the faithful, we too should consider death as a homecoming, not a total, desperate loss.

The believers are definitely not rewarded on earth. In fact, the believers are hated and persecuted in the world. Jesus Christ made it known to the apostles that the world will persecute the saints, the believers, the faithful (Matthew 24:8-10). But Jesus Christ offers comfort, despite the persecutions in the world (Matthew 5:10-12).

The rewards of the saints reaped in heaven are far glorious than any worldly rewards. Martin Luther once said, “If we consider the greatness and the glory of the life we shall have when we have risen from the dead, it would not be difficult at all for us to bear the concerns of this world. If I believe the Word, I shall on the Last Day, after the sentence has been pronounced, not only gladly have suffered ordinary temptations, insults, and imprisonment, but I shall also say: "O, that I did not throw myself under the feet of all the godless for the sake of the great glory which I now see revealed and which has come to me through the merit of Christ!" Martin Luther believed that all the worldly rewards are nothing compared to the rewards of the saints in glory. He also believed that His rewards in Heaven are not based on His credentials but based only on the merit of God’s grace upon his life.

Furthermore, Charles Hodge shared the following regarding the rewards of the saints. “Scriptures teach that the happiness or blessedness of believers in a future life will be greater or less in proportion to the service of Christ in this life. Those who love little, do little; and those who do little, enjoy less.”  What will matter in Heaven is what we have done for Jesus Christ while we are on earth. He will reward us in Heaven according to the proportion of our devotion and service to Him.

Charles Stanley in his wonderful book Eternal Security, wrote “Some believers will be entrusted with certain privileges; others will not. Some will reign with Christ; others will not (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 3:21). Some will be rich in the kingdom of God; others will be poor (Luke 12;21, 33). Some will be given true riches; others will not. Some will be given heavenly treasures of their own; others will not.” Stanley ends by saying “Privilege in the kingdom of God is determined by one’s faithfulness in this life. It is true that there will be equality in terms of our inclusion in the kingdom of God, but not in our rank and privilege.

The heavenly rewards are give to those who diligently seek God.

Scripture reminds us that it is impossible for believers to please God when they do not have faith (Hebrews 11:6). With faith, believers receive the reward from God. But this reward is gained through spiritual training. And with spiritual training comes the reward that will last forever (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Athletes in Rome receive a crown of laurel. Laurel is an aromatic, evergreen shrub whose leaves are made into crowns to celebrate victories and achievements. But the crown that believers will receive in Heaven is far more precious. Other than the truth that the crown is everlasting, the crown of reward is for all who train for the race of life (1 Corinthians 9:24-26). The apostle Paul encourages us that as long as we run the life of life faithfully, we will all receive the prize. The crown is everlasting, and it is for everyone who believes, obeys, perseveres, and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The reward of heaven is a great promise to the believers.

Everything that the believers have done through the Lord will be rewarded in heaven.

Philip Yancey in his book Disappointment with God, shared a story about the great Scottish preacher and writer, George MacDonald. McDonald was talking with his son one day, and the conversation turned to heaven and the prophets' version of the end of all things. His son told the preacher, "This story about heaven seems too good to be true, Dad." A smile crossed MacDonald's whiskered face as he replied, "Nay, my son, the gospel of heaven is just so good, it must be true!"

Found in Moody’s Anecdotes, was an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in which a crane was wading about seeking snails . For a few moments the crane viewed the swan in stupid wonder and then inquired:"Where do you come from?" "I come from heaven!" replied the swan. "And where is heaven?" asked the crane. "Heaven!" said the swan, "Heaven! have you never heard of heaven?" And the beautiful bird went on to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold, and the gates and walls made of precious stones; of the river of life, pure as crystal, upon whose banks is the tree whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations. In eloquent terms the swan sought to describe the hosts who live in the other world, but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane. Finally the crane asked: "Are there any snails in Heaven?" "Snails!" repeated the swan; "No! Of course there are no snails in heaven." "Then," said the crane, as it continued its search along the slimy banks of the lake, "you can have your heaven. I want snails!"

This story, although a mere fable, has a deep truth underlying it. How many a young person to whom God has granted the advantages of a Christian home, has turned his back upon it and searched for snails! How many a man will sacrifice his wife, his family, his all, for the snails of sin! How many a girl has deliberately turned from the love of parents and home to learn too late that heaven has been forfeited for snails!

An unknown author once said, "As a boy, I thought of heaven as a city with domes, spires, and beautiful streets, inhabited by angels. By and by my little brother died, and I thought of heaven much as before, but with one inhabitant that I knew. Then another died, and then some of my acquaintances, so in time I began to think of heaven as containing several people that I knew. But it was not until one of my own little children died that I began to think I had treasure in heaven myself. Afterward another went, and yet another. By that time I had so many acquaintances and children in heaven that I no more thought of it as a city merely with streets of gold but as a place full of inhabitants. Now there are so many loved ones there I sometimes think I know more people in heaven than I do on earth."

The rewards of the believers are waiting in heaven. Believers not receive our rewards in heaven if they do not work out their faith and salvation here on earth.

Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below”.