The Rejected Stone Exalted II - Part 1 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, the praise of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace. This is L. S. Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. We're continuing with this series of messages entitled, The Rejected Stone Exalted. I hope that you will write and let us know that you have listened.

If you can help keep the program on the air by contributing to the expense, we certainly will be thankful for it. You can go to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org and make a donation there, or write us at Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Continue with our subject, The Rejected Stone Exalted. Reading again the text, Matthew chapter 21, beginning with verse 42. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures the stone which the builders rejected?

The same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder. We first have looked at the rejected stone.

Christ obviously was the stone. His rejection had been prophesied. He was despised and rejected of men when he came, because he was the light.

Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Because of the message that he brought, because of the claims that he made about himself, his purpose and being here, and when those claims are pressed today, the same response and attitude will be observed. We see then that not only was it prophesied and made clear in Old Testament Scriptures that the stone would be rejected, but there was also declaration that he would be exalted. And Christ spoke of that regarding his resurrection, making it very clear during his ministry that though he would die, he would come out of the grave.

Just like Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so would the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth. His resurrection was foretold, predicted, and it came to pass just exactly as he had said. We then came to discuss the fact of the resurrection, that the stone was exalted. In spite of the fact it was described as the stone which the builders rejected, Jesus Christ came out of the grave and became the head of the corner. So the fact of his resurrection was indicated, first of all, by the fact that the tomb was empty. And even as we looked at Acts chapter 4, when Peter was standing before those who had threatened him for preaching the gospel, he was giving an account of what had transpired. The layman at the temple had been healed, and they are making inquiry as to how this had occurred, by what authority it had taken place. And Peter in boldness says that it is by Jesus Christ whom you have crucified, but now who has been raised from the dead. We want to continue at that point by saying that the fact of his resurrection was not only made known by the fact that the tomb was empty and the improbability that anybody would have or could have stolen his body and carried it away, but furthermore by the many appearances that he made following his resurrection. Let's turn to the 20th chapter of the gospel of John. It might have been easy enough if just one person had claimed to see Christ after his resurrection, to say, well, that person was probably carried away hoping that might happen. It might have been a person given to imagination, just couldn't be.

But let's look at several examples. John chapter 20 verse 14. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not it was Jesus. This is following the resurrection, and this is Mary.

She's weeping at the sepulchre, and verse 12 said there were two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And when they say unto her, woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, woman, why weepest thou?

whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him, hence tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Thinking that this was the gardener, she says, just tell me where his body is.

If he's taken away, I want to know where he is, so that I can then claim his body. Jesus saith unto her, Mary, she turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascended to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.

Jesus then puts in an appearance. This was not a woman who was expecting to see Jesus alive at this point. She had gone to the tomb hoping there simply to pay respect to the fact this was the place where Jesus had been buried. But she finds that he's gone. She's disturbed. She fears that somebody has removed the body. She wants to show the appropriate respect to him. And so she is trying to discover where the body might be located. Jesus appears to her.

She does not recognize him at first. He makes it known to her that he is Jesus. Now in the same chapter, verse 19, Then the same day and evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said unto them, Peace be unto you. Now a lot of times people have questions about what the resurrected body is going to be like.

And if you'll notice what we read in some of these particular passages regarding it, you'll begin to get a picture that may differ from what you have envisioned and what other people have said it's going to be like. The first thing we learn here, they were assembled in a room with the doors closed and Jesus walked in saying, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Jesus then has put in an appearance, revealing himself to Mary and now to a group of the disciples on that very same day in the evening time, who had the doors shut because they feared the Jews. But Jesus appears, entering the room, making himself known to them. Look at verse 25, the other disciples therefore said unto him, speaking unto Thomas, We have seen the Lord, but he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. Here's one of Jesus' own disciples who's having a tough time believing in the resurrection.

He says, I can't believe unless I can touch those nail prints in his hands and the place in his side. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. He's now convinced.

He hadn't seen a ghost. He'd seen a real man. Jesus Christ, the God-man who had died, but now had been resurrected.

The clear evidences of who he was are apparent by the nail prints in his hand and the place where the spear had been thrust into his side. Thomas now says, I believe. He's my Lord.

He's my God. Look at chapter 21 verse 9, As soon as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon and bred. Now remember, a number of the disciples had been fishermen, and they had been out fishing. And as they come near to land, they see a fire, coals there, fish laid thereon and bred. And Jesus said unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three.

And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh and taketh bread and giveth them and fish likewise.

This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead. Second thing we learn about the resurrected body of Jesus, he ate fish. Now you see there's a distinct difference between the body actually being resurrected. It's sown in weakness, it's raised in power. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in natural body, it is raised in spiritual body. But it's not just a spirit, it is a body glorified. Obviously there's going to be some dramatic differences between what we experience in heaven and what we've experienced here on this earth.

I'm sure that what understanding we have is just a little glimpse compared to the greatness, beauty and glory of what it all shall be. Through the years there have been those who have denied the resurrection of the body. Saying that this body will not literally come out of the grave. But the apostle Paul connects tremendous importance to the whole concept saying that the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of his people are vitally tied together.

As soon as you start denying one there's generally a denial of the other. It is a glorious thing to realize that we accompany the remains of our departed loved ones to the place where they're buried. We've done all that we can do. We provided for them the best available medical help. We showed our respect by preparing them for burial. We go there to the very end to demonstrate that we love them.

But we've done all that we can do going as far as we can go there in the hands of a loving sovereign God. And according to this glorious truth though that body goes back to dust from which it came. When our Lord comes back he's going to come with a great shout the voice of the archangel the dead in Christ shall rise first. That body that died is going to be made alive. It's going to come out of the grave. It's going to be a glorified body and one that is recognizable. I've heard some people preach right about the resurrection and you'd think that on the resurrection morning you'll just be some big blob coming up out of the ground.

That you won't know anybody and there won't be anybody know you. You know that kind of a resurrection wouldn't give me much comfort. If I thought there's going to come a day we're all coming out of the grave and I wouldn't know whether it's me or not. I wouldn't really know anything about the resurrection.

All this is totally new. I believe when you come out of the grave you're going to know who you are. And you're going to know who some other people are.

So what do you base that on? Well on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was there with the inner circle of his disciples. Moses and Elijah put in an appearance. Those disciples knew who they were.

Introductions were not even necessary. They recognized them. They never seen them before but they knew who they were. I believe there's going to be recognition. Now I understand that that has sometimes been abused by sentimental songs that make it appear that we're just going to heaven for a big happy family reunion. But the family up there is not going to be the Joneses and the Smiths and the Bradleys. It's going to be the family of God.

And the one upon who the greatest attention is focused is Jesus Christ the Redeemer. And all of those in the family are going to find their eternal delight to sing triumphant songs in his presence and cast their crowns before him and wave palm branches of victory. But the fact is it's going to be a wonderful glorious place where all tears are wiped away. No more sorrow. No more suffering. No more sin.

Think of that. No more struggle. You still have any conflict with your old human nature?

Some of you got to the place now you've got it all whipped into shape. You don't ever have any problem with it anymore. But you know there are some of us that are still in the battle. And it's going to be a wonderful relief to know in that day the battle's over. No more temptation. No more evil thoughts. No more struggles.

Total perfection forever. And that's because of the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Luke chapter 24 says in the 15th verse it came to pass that while they commune to gather and reason Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Here the disciples are on the road to Emmaus.

Stranger comes along the road joins with them walks along begins to converse. They do not recognize that it's Jesus because their eyes are holding. Verse 25. Then he said unto them all fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Jesus now makes it known who he is.

And he says you're grieving you're walking along here showing that you're terribly dejected. But he said ought not Christ have suffered these things? This was according to the plan of God. This was according to what he had decreed and ordered that Christ would come and suffer. And then to enter into his glory. And he started at Moses and the prophets that is the old testament scriptures and expounded unto them what the scripture said concerning himself. Makes it clear that those prophetic references those messianic psalms concerned Jesus Christ.

And after the savior had departed from them and they talked about it. They said did not our hearts burn within us as we walked in the way? Yes he was a stranger but he was a special stranger.

There was something about his company something about his words. Something about his presence that warmed our hearts. Did not our hearts burn within us even before our eyes were open and we recognize who he was? One more time Jesus put in an appearance. He showed himself to various ones of his disciples. They saw him in his resurrected body. Well the skeptic might say sure all of his close followers. Yeah they all saw him who's going to believe that testimony?

Well let's look at another one first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 5. And that he was seen of Cephas Peter that is and then of the 12. After that he was seen of about 500 brethren at once. Of whom the greater part remain under this present but some are falling asleep.

After all this he was seen of about 500 at one time. Now you talk about an eyewitness account. You know any of you any of you ever watched the news that is referred to as the eyewitness news? See the thought is that if there's been an unfolding of some news event.

We want to get on the scene. We want to get an eyewitness report. Somebody that saw it. What is the best possible testimony in a court of law? An eyewitness.

If somebody's on the witness stand and the attorney begins to question them. And the person is making it appear that they've got a lot of information. And they're asked their source did you see it? Well no this is what I heard.

No that's not what we're looking for. Well this is what I think about it. No that doesn't that doesn't hold up in court. But if somebody can sit there and look that attorney straight in the eye or the prosecutor and say I was there. Here's what I saw. That means something. And if there are several people who say we saw the same thing.

The account is identical. That's convincing testimony. Suppose they brought in 500 witnesses.

Can you imagine a case in court going on that long? 500 witnesses being sworn in. 500 witnesses taking the stand. 500 witnesses saying yes I saw him. I saw Jesus Christ. I saw him alive. No it wasn't a vision.

It was real. I saw him. Thomas says I touched the place in his side.

I put my hands in the nail prints in his hands. I saw him. Case closed. Verdict delivered.

No question about this. Eyewitness saw him. Jesus Christ alive. He arose from the dead. Not only do we have the fact of his resurrection confirmed by an empty tomb.

By his many appearances. But by the plain declarations of scripture. So that if you have confidence at all in this book. If you believe this is God's book given us by divine inspiration. Then you believe that what's said in it is reliable. You can count on it.

You can depend on what's said. Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. And he says in the 23rd verse. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Ye have taken him by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

Whom God hath raised up. Now this is not one of those sermons where people say, Oh my. That was that was really deep today wasn't it? Somebody says, Yeah, what did he mean? Well, I don't know. It was a little over my head. I'm not quite sure what he meant. But it must have been good though. You know, anything that's that deep got to be good. It wasn't that kind of a sermon.

No. Peter says, Whom God raised up. What's that mean? He was crucified but God brought him out of the grave. Having loosed the pains of death. Because it was not possible that he should be holding of him.

That sums that up doesn't it? Wasn't possible that he should have been held by death. He came out of the grave. It was the purpose of God that he should be raised and he was. Clear declaration of scripture. No room for debate or argument on that point.

Perfectly clear. God's inspired word says that Jesus Christ arose from the dead. Romans chapter 6 verse 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once. But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more. Now let's go back to 1st Corinthians 15. The fourth verse. Paul says, I'm declaring unto you the gospel which you received and wherein you stand. For I delivered unto you verse 3 says, first of all that which also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Verse 4, and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Verse 20, but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. What are the first fruits? That is the first part of the harvest. You go out in the fall of the year, you begin to gather in the first fruit, the first of those vegetables, the first of that product.

And what's it an indication of? There's more to come. You dig up those potatoes. First ones you get out, new potatoes.

Oh this is a great year. Enjoying the result by labor. Here's the harvest. But what's it indicate?

The first ones you dig out of the ground. Is that the whole thing? No, that's the first fruits. It tells you there's more out there. There's more to come. Jesus Christ is the first fruits of them that slept. Because he came out of the grave indicates that there's some more to come. Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. By the first man, Adam, came death. By man, the perfect man, the god-man, Jesus Christ, came the resurrection. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ, the first fruits, afterward they that are Christ at his coming. So when Christ arose, it was a clear indication there's a harvest day coming. It's a day when every single one redeemed by his precious blood will come out of the grave. Christ, the first fruits, afterward they that are Christ at his coming. I pray the message has been a blessing to you today.

If it has, we'd like to hear from you. Our address is the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Now until we greet you next time, this is LaSara Bradley Jr. bidding you goodbye and may God bless you. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. Perfect submission, all is at rest. I am my Savior and happy and blessed. Watching and waiting, looking above. Filled with this goodness lost in his love. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, praising my Savior, praising my Savior all the day long.