A Better Deal
A Better Deal
We are constantly looking for better deals. Some people live by the “Sales” sign such as “2 for just one low price”, “buy one and get one free” or the one everyone looks for; “Going Out of Business Sale”. I went rushing to Circuit City this past week for a good and better deal. As a result of the hard economic times, Circuit City one of the big names in the electronic retail market is going out of business and going through liquidation. We pray for all who are suffering at this time due to loss of job and other economic hardship. May the Lord provide and sustain them, amen. Well, I was disappointed at Circuit City. They were offering 10-30% off from original sale prices for merchandise. Even with the discount, the prices were higher than what I saw in some other stores for similar items. Maybe I have to wait till the last week of the liquidation when maybe they will offer 50% off. Stop laughing at me because I know you are just like me – always looking for a better deal.
Jesus offers the real better deal – a resurrected life better than the life here and now. Let’s read as Jesus answers those who still do not believe in the resurrection. Do you believe?
Luke 20: 27-40
27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30The second 31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
34Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'[c] 38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
39Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" 40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The Sadducees (the sad you see, just a joke) are all around us. Many like the Sadducees do not believe in resurrection after death. You hear it in such comments as “there is only one life to live, so live it up and have all the pleasures the world can offer”. I would also add that sometimes we Christians have not really believed in the resurrection otherwise we would not be behaving as we do in some instances.
2. Is there really a resurrection of the dead? I believe by the time the Sadducees came to Jesus, He had already done miracles of raising the dead such as that of Lazarus. Jesus knew first hand what He was talking about and He lived to prove it Himself by rising from death on Easter morning. The real question is do we really believe it?
3. According to Jesus, not everyone will be resurrected to life with Him. He said, resurrection is for “those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and the resurrection from the dead” These people Jesus calls God’s “children” not just God’s “creation”. So, how do we attain the resurrection or counted worthy to be his Children? Apostle John clearly answers this question for us. “11He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, [c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God”. When we receive and believe in Jesus, we are counted worthy to become God’s children. It is that simple and that is why many miss it. We humans want something to be credited to our efforts (good works) but it does not make us children of God. Have you believed and received Jesus as your only savior who died and rose again to bear the burden of your sin? We have all sinned against God and have no rights to be His children apart from believing in Jesus as our sacrifice to appease God.
4. Look at the better deal we are getting when we become God’s children and are raised from the dead. No more marriage in the new resurrected life. Some people may be shouting alleluia if they are in a bad marriage in this life on earth. Please don’t get me wrong. Marriage here on earth is wonderful and I am enjoying mine. But the point is that in the resurrected life, you do not need anyone to “complete” you as Eve was a complete or “help mate” for Adam. We will be with God Himself in heaven; no more bearing children and no more changing diapers, no more school fees and no more heart ache from a way ward son or daughter. All tears will be wiped away because there will be no more sorrows (Revelation 21:1-4). It even gets better; you and I will never die again. Awesome! Woo! No more aging and no more make-up, no more weight loss and exercise. Are you getting excited? I am. Come Lord Jesus come but not right away.
5. Notice that there is no more questions to be asked after Jesus answered the resurrection question. 39”Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" 40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.” Do you still have questions about Jesus and the resurrection? Then ask Jesus directly and He will answer you.
So, do you believe in the resurrection from the dead? Are you a child of God? Let’s therefore live like those who will live forever. What ever is bugging you now or what ever problem you may be facing, be rest assured that we have a better deal. Lord, Thank you for counting us worthy through Jesus Christ.
We are constantly looking for better deals. Some people live by the “Sales” sign such as “2 for just one low price”, “buy one and get one free” or the one everyone looks for; “Going Out of Business Sale”. I went rushing to Circuit City this past week for a good and better deal. As a result of the hard economic times, Circuit City one of the big names in the electronic retail market is going out of business and going through liquidation. We pray for all who are suffering at this time due to loss of job and other economic hardship. May the Lord provide and sustain them, amen. Well, I was disappointed at Circuit City. They were offering 10-30% off from original sale prices for merchandise. Even with the discount, the prices were higher than what I saw in some other stores for similar items. Maybe I have to wait till the last week of the liquidation when maybe they will offer 50% off. Stop laughing at me because I know you are just like me – always looking for a better deal.
Jesus offers the real better deal – a resurrected life better than the life here and now. Let’s read as Jesus answers those who still do not believe in the resurrection. Do you believe?
Luke 20: 27-40
27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30The second 31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
34Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'[c] 38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
39Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" 40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The Sadducees (the sad you see, just a joke) are all around us. Many like the Sadducees do not believe in resurrection after death. You hear it in such comments as “there is only one life to live, so live it up and have all the pleasures the world can offer”. I would also add that sometimes we Christians have not really believed in the resurrection otherwise we would not be behaving as we do in some instances.
2. Is there really a resurrection of the dead? I believe by the time the Sadducees came to Jesus, He had already done miracles of raising the dead such as that of Lazarus. Jesus knew first hand what He was talking about and He lived to prove it Himself by rising from death on Easter morning. The real question is do we really believe it?
3. According to Jesus, not everyone will be resurrected to life with Him. He said, resurrection is for “those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and the resurrection from the dead” These people Jesus calls God’s “children” not just God’s “creation”. So, how do we attain the resurrection or counted worthy to be his Children? Apostle John clearly answers this question for us. “11He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, [c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God”. When we receive and believe in Jesus, we are counted worthy to become God’s children. It is that simple and that is why many miss it. We humans want something to be credited to our efforts (good works) but it does not make us children of God. Have you believed and received Jesus as your only savior who died and rose again to bear the burden of your sin? We have all sinned against God and have no rights to be His children apart from believing in Jesus as our sacrifice to appease God.
4. Look at the better deal we are getting when we become God’s children and are raised from the dead. No more marriage in the new resurrected life. Some people may be shouting alleluia if they are in a bad marriage in this life on earth. Please don’t get me wrong. Marriage here on earth is wonderful and I am enjoying mine. But the point is that in the resurrected life, you do not need anyone to “complete” you as Eve was a complete or “help mate” for Adam. We will be with God Himself in heaven; no more bearing children and no more changing diapers, no more school fees and no more heart ache from a way ward son or daughter. All tears will be wiped away because there will be no more sorrows (Revelation 21:1-4). It even gets better; you and I will never die again. Awesome! Woo! No more aging and no more make-up, no more weight loss and exercise. Are you getting excited? I am. Come Lord Jesus come but not right away.
5. Notice that there is no more questions to be asked after Jesus answered the resurrection question. 39”Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" 40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.” Do you still have questions about Jesus and the resurrection? Then ask Jesus directly and He will answer you.
So, do you believe in the resurrection from the dead? Are you a child of God? Let’s therefore live like those who will live forever. What ever is bugging you now or what ever problem you may be facing, be rest assured that we have a better deal. Lord, Thank you for counting us worthy through Jesus Christ.
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