Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries recommend the bestselling book Cold Case Christianity from former detective J. Warner Wallace. That's a book we're offering this month to our listeners Cold Case Christianity written by detective J. Warner Wallace. A homicide detective investigates the claims of the gospel. So, get your own copy of Cold Case Christianity. It's our offer for this month for your gift of any size.
Request yours for a limited time at Harvest.org. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, I one day will receive a new body. Death does not have the final say. Easter has the final say. Our bodies will no longer age or get sickness or break down. Some wonder about the practical impact of Easter on our lives.
Coming up on a new beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the miracles surrounding the Lord rising from the dead. Because of Jesus' resurrection, our new glorified bodies will be much like His. We're all used to seeing before and after pictures. Before the diet, after the diet. Before the haircut, after the haircut. Crinkled up fender, uncrinkled up fender. Well, we're all living the before picture with our earthly bodies. We don't know exactly what the after picture will look like, but it's clear it'll blow our minds. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us get a glimpse of how the Lord's resurrection paves the way for a glorified body.
No crinkles. So I heard a story about a woman who was headed to church on Easter morning and her car broke down unexpectedly. So she called an Uber. He picked her up. She jumped in the backseat. They're on the way to church and she had a question. She asked him. He didn't answer. So she tapped him on the shoulder.
He hit the brakes, swerved across two lanes and went up the shoulder of the road. They were just sitting there in stunned silence. And the lady said, sir, I'm sorry. I didn't think you would react that way from tapping you on the shoulder. He said, ma'am, it's okay. It's actually my fault. This is my first day as an Uber driver.
I've been driving a hearse for the last 25 years. He didn't expect a person who supposedly was dead to be alive. And that's how the disciples felt 2,000 years ago. The last thing they expected is for Jesus to be alive again.
That's a topic we usually don't like to talk about. Death makes people uncomfortable. The Bible even talks about those who are slaves to the fear of dying.
I read an interview that was conducted with William Shatner who was the original Captain Kirk in the Star Trek series. And he made this statement and I quote, I'm so not ready to die. It petrifies me. I go alone.
I go to a place I don't know. It might be painful. It might be the end.
My thought is it is the end. I become nameless and I spent a lifetime being known. End quote.
Yeah, death is the fear of the unknown. I've told you before about an inscription on a tombstone in England that said this. Pause now stranger as you pass by as you are now so once was I. As I am now so you shall be. So prepare for death and follow me. Someone reading that inscription was overheard to say to follow you is not my intent until I know which way you went. See I determined in this life where I will spend the afterlife. It's entirely up to me but because Jesus died and rose again as a Christian I don't have to be afraid to die. Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life.
He that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. But you know as you get older it seems like time goes by more quickly. Have you noticed that? I found one way to slow down time by the way. Go to the dentist. I got a teeth cleaning not too long ago. It lasts about an hour. It felt like a year.
She does a great job. I just don't like to go to the dentist. And if they use the word root canal now it feels like 10 years in that chair. And then the funny thing about my generation the baby boomers is we were the first real youth generation. We celebrated our youth. We had our own song forever young. But now of course things have changed.
We've gone from acid rock to acid reflux. Just and nothing is sadder when someone is older still trying to appear to be younger. Nothing is more pathetic than a person who is 66 shopping at forever 21. It just it's not allowed.
Sorry ma'am you can't come in here. I was at the market the other day and it said senior discount Tuesday. Well I'm always in for a discount. 20 percent.
Not bad. So I said you know how old do you have to be to be a senior. And the lady said you need to be 62 years old. I said well I qualify. And what bugged me is she didn't argue with me. She's just you look like you're 92. Why don't you go. Do you need a walker sir.
Yes the time is passing by quickly and people think they can turn the clock back. Well if I just eat in a certain way. Well that's fine. You know I eat tofu and I and I eat kale. In fact I have a Prius made out of kale that runs on tofu.
This is the cutting edge technology. But then you hear the crazy story about someone that lived really long like a lady named Pearl Cantrell. Rope person.
105 years old from Texas. And they said Pearl what is your secret to longevity. This is her actual answer. She says bacon. I eat bacon every day. But it has to be extra crispy.
I like Pearl Cantrell. I've decided I'm going to follow her example. I was with my granddaughter Ali a little while ago and she said I'm a vegan now papa. She said this while she was eating bacon and eggs. I said honey I don't think you can be a vegan and eat bacon. She said I just love the meat that comes from the pig. I said I understand that.
I do too. But you know we may try to prolong our lives and maybe we will have some success to a certain degree. But life comes to an end and then we enter that after life. But because Jesus died and rose he rendered death powerless. For the believer death is not the end.
Yes our bodies will go into the ground but our soul lives on in the presence of God. But I want us for a few moments to go back in our imaginations to the first century and try to put ourselves in the shoes or the sandals of those disciples so you can sort of feel what they felt. They were not expecting Jesus to rise again from the dead. These men had dedicated their lives to following Christ. It was their hope and it was their expectation as a matter of fact that he would establish his kingdom then and there and drive out the Romans.
And that they would rule their own nation again. But that was never part of God's plan. It was always part of God's plan to send the Messiah yes.
But not to be a conquering king. That comes later at the second coming. But rather to be a suffering savior. In fact God spoke about it way back in the book of Genesis chapter 3 verse 22. After Adam and Eve sinned the Lord threw down the gauntlet and he said to the devil there is coming one that is going to crush your head but you will bruise his heel.
The battle lines were drawn. The Lord was saying the Messiah is coming and he will crush you but you will bruise his heel. And certainly that is what happened to Jesus. The Bible says he was bruised for our iniquities and the punishment for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed. That is exactly what Jesus was coming to do.
But the disciples seemed to miss this. They thought he was going to be the conquering king and then they saw him hanging on that cross and they were devastated. They never thought that man would be alive again and it is no wonder. He was beaten beyond human recognition. His body was so traumatized that you couldn't even tell he was a man according to Isaiah chapter 53. Certainly that man would never live again but of course he would because that is exactly what Jesus said would happen.
But they were disappointed. But then all of a sudden the word goes out. Jesus is alive. The ladies saw him first. Mary Magdalene first at the tomb early Easter Sunday morning. She meets the risen Lord. Now he is making appearances. He shows up in the upper room with the disciples.
He appears to 500 people at the same time and the word is spreading and we read that they were very frightened and filled with great joy. Have you ever experienced fear and joy simultaneously? Maybe on your wedding day. Fear and great joy.
I am excited but what is going to happen? Or maybe at the birth of your first child? Or when you bought your first home? Or when you got on that last roller coaster?
Fear and great joy. That is what they were experiencing. But they were seeing the risen Lord and he appeared to two of them on the Emmaus road incognito.
In other words they were walking with Jesus and they didn't know it was Jesus. He starts a conversation. Let me paraphrase.
Why the long faces? Guys what's up? Oh haven't you heard the things about Jesus? No tell me says Jesus.
And now they are telling Jesus about Jesus. I was in the sunglass hut a while ago and I was trying on different frames and the girl says to me, has anyone ever told you you sound just like Greg Laurie? I said yeah I have heard that before. I said you know I met him and she said really what is he like?
I said he is a total jerk. Really? She was really interested.
Really? Oh yeah I didn't like him at all. And then she starts defending me. No I listened to him on the radio. I like him. Yeah but I have met him.
I don't think you would really like him. No and she is defending me to me. Then I told her actually I am Greg Laurie and she thought what? You are a jerk aren't you?
I confirmed her were suspicions. But Jesus was a lot more polite than I was in a way. He revealed himself to his disciples. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Hey everyone I want you to know about our app called Harvest Plus. Think of it as a Harvest version of Netflix.
We have all of our resources in one place. We have our movies like Steve McQueen The Salvation of an American Icon, Johnny Cash The Redemption of an American Icon, A Rush of Hope and much more. Then we have our television program, daily devotions and much more.
So go and download the Harvest Plus app. Well glad you are along for an important Easter message today. Pastor Greg has titled it Death Died When Christ Rose. And now we come to John 21. This is another post resurrection appearance. And I am going to read verses 3 to 14 from the New Living Translation. Simon Peter said I am going fishing.
We will come too they all said. And they went out of the boat and they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach but the disciples couldn't see who he was. He called out boys have you caught any fish.
No they replied. Then he said throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will get some. So they did. And they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved. That would be John the apostle by the way. He said it is the Lord. When Peter heard it was the Lord he put on his tunic and jumped into the water and headed to shore.
The other stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore for there were only 100 yards from the shore. And when they got there they found breakfast waiting for them. There was fish cooking over a charcoal fire and some bread. Jesus said bring some of the fish you have just caught. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore and Jesus said come and have some breakfast.
I love that. This is not a beautiful scene. Can you imagine for a moment you are coming in from an unsuccessful fishing trip and there is the risen Lord. The holes in his hands and yet he made breakfast.
I don't think he just spoke it into existence. Eggs Benedict. Blueberry pancakes.
There it is. He made it. He built the fire. He cooked the meal giving it to them. I love breakfast. How many of you like breakfast?
Raise your hand. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Second only to lunch and dinner. But some people don't eat breakfast. My wife doesn't eat breakfast.
I don't get that. First thing I think of when I wake up in the morning is food. And I love to wake up to the smell of coffee and bacon.
Right? And so here they are seeing this beautiful breakfast prepared by the Lord. So what does this mean to us? Answer.
A lot. Because of the resurrection of Jesus I will one day receive a new body. Because of the resurrection of Jesus I one day will receive a new body. Death does not have the final say even over our body. Easter has the final say. Jesus coming out of that tomb is a preview of things to come for us. Because we too will one day be resurrected. First Corinthians 15 says the truth is Christ has been raised up the first on a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries. But we have to wait our turn. Christ is first then those with him at his coming.
Now know this. When Jesus rose again from the dead it was a real body. It was his body that had been crucified but glorified in a different way. And that is a prototype of what is coming for us as well.
Point number two. Because of Jesus' resurrection our new glorified bodies will be much like his. First John 3 says beloved now we are the children of God. It does not yet appear what we will be but we know that when he appears we shall be like him. For we will see him as he is.
So we will be like him. What do we know about the resurrection body of Jesus? Number one he was recognizable. Number two it did not have the normal limitations of a human body.
He could appear and disappear at will. And thirdly he ate food. Here he is making them breakfast. And that is a reminder that we in our new bodies will eat. And I love the fact that we are still going to eat in the afterlife. Don't you? Maybe we will all be fat and we won't care. In fact if you are skinny we will judge you for being skinny.
Right? I don't know. But we know that we will eat in the afterlife because Matthew 8 11 says I say to you that come from the east and the west and take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. The Bible speaks of the wedding feast or the wedding supper of the lamb. Imagine sitting at a table with loved ones that have preceded you to heaven and being reunited with them again. Imagine sitting at a table with the great patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible turning to Moses and saying Moses could you pass the manna? Or Elijah my meat is a little underdone.
Could you give it a little more fire? Or turning to Lot and saying could you pass the salt Lot? But you are not over that yet. But imagine being able to ask David what it was like to defeat Goliath. Ask Noah what it was like to be in that ark. Ask Moses what it was like to part the Red Sea. Ask John what it was like to receive the book of Revelation on the island of Patmos. Or ask Mary what it was like to carry the son of God in her womb and later in her heart. Sometimes people ask will we recognize one another in heaven.
The answer is yes. You are going to know more in heaven than you know on earth. You won't be more stupid in heaven than you are on earth.
And so yes you will recognize one another. The Bible says we will know fully even as we are known. Thirdly because of Jesus' resurrection our bodies will no longer age or get sickness or break down.
Now you might be young and you might say I am pretty happy with my body right now. I was with my granddaughters Stella and Lucy a while back and they said Papa how old will we be when we are in heaven? I said I really don't know. And Lucy said, my granddaughter Lucy said I want to be three. I said you want to be three in heaven? You have three. I said why do you want to be three? She said I miss the old me.
Great line. I don't know how old we will be. But we will have none of the limitations of the human body. None of the disabilities.
None of the sicknesses. Did you know that your brain starts breaking down at the age of 20? Experts say as we get older the number of nerve cells in the brain decrease. We start out with 100 billion but in our 20s the number starts to decline. By 40 we could be losing up to 10,000 nerve cells to the brain per day affecting memory, coordination, and brain function. You probably lost 5,000 brain cells just listening to me today.
And we are just getting started. But all of that will be restored one day. If you are disabled on earth you won't be in heaven. If you have cancer on earth you won't have it in heaven. It is such a wonderful thing.
And here is number four. Because of Jesus' resurrection we will have resurrected relationships. We will be reunited with loved ones that have preceded us. It is almost as though Jesus picked up where he left off. He left them suddenly.
He left them violently. And now he is back. He is back. He is appearing here. He is appearing there. It is just as though he never left at all. Even in the way he says to those disciples, He is coming to have breakfast. Guys I am just waiting for you. Your food is getting cold.
Let's go. Oh it is just like he never left. There is one account where it says that two disciples are walking along and they saw Jesus and he just said, Greetings. And it is actually a very common phrase used in that day for like, Hello.
How are you doing? I mean if I were Jesus and someone saw me for the first time after I rose I would have said something like, Ta-da. He is like, Greetings. You know we have different ways we greet each other. In the south they say, Hey.
Hey. How are you all doing? Over in Maui in the islands they say, How is it?
How is it brah? If you are in Philadelphia they say, Yo. And if you are Adrian, Yo Adrian. Australia you say, G'day. New York they don't say anything to you. They just assault you now. That is the New York greeting.
But it was very common. Just like, Hey. How is it going? Good to see you.
Very casual picking up where they last left off. And we will do that as well. Pastor Greg Laurie with some encouraging insights about what life will be like in eternity. And Pastor Greg will have more to come as this study continues here on A New Beginning. The reality of eternity can give us a lot of hope when we feel mired in the problems of today. Are you sure of your eternal future? Do you know you are going to heaven? Pastor Greg, anybody who isn't sure can take care of that today, can't they?
It is an invitation open to everyone. That is right. The Bible says, Whoever will call upon in the name of the Lord will be saved. So think of it this way. Maybe you are out in a riptide in the ocean and you can't get your footing and you are in trouble. And you see a lifeguard call out for help. And the lifeguard will rescue you.
The same is true spiritually. You are drowning in your sin. You need help. Jesus will save you. He will rescue you. But you must call out to him.
And you know how you do that? You do it in prayer. So let me just lead you in a simple prayer. And you can pray this prayer after me. You can pray it out loud if you like. And this is where you are calling out to Jesus to save you.
Just pray this. Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. And I know you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Now Lord, I turn from my sin and I put my faith in you. Be my Savior, my Lord. Be my God and my friend. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. Hey, if you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that Christ himself has come to live inside of you. And I have a resource I want to send you. It's called the New Believers Bible. So the New Believers Bible is the New Testament in the New Living Translation with hundreds of notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you are making to follow Christ. There are some other materials included as well in what we call the New Believers Growth Pack. But let me get this New Believers Bible into your hands as quickly as possible.
Here's Dave to tell you more. Yeah, we'll be glad to send it all your way free of any charge if you prayed along with Pastor Greg today. Just ask for the New Believers Bible when you call 1-800-821-3300. You can reach us any time 24-7 at 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.
Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. And then let us say a word of thanks to those who support us financially, those who make it possible for us to bring you these studies each day. We're definitely a listener-supported ministry.
It's the generosity of listeners that help us be here with these programs. So if you've partnered with us, thank you. And if you have yet to partner with us, I hope you'll get in touch today and let us know that you're standing with us. Even a small investment would help. It's actually an investment in changing lives. Thank you for partnering with us. You can donate securely online at harvest.org or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300. Again, that's 1-800-821-3300. Well, next time, Pastor Greg reminds us Jesus came to pay a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. More insight to help us prepare our hearts for Easter. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.
