“And I Will Raise Him Up At the Last Day” - John 6:39-40, 44, 54

Introduction – This is the day that the church celebrates annually that Jesus Christ walked out of His tomb.  The place of death and barrenness brought forth life and fruitfulness.  The resurrection proves that Jesus was God (Rom 1:4), and in the second Adam, in Christ, we too are promised a bodily resurrection at the last day.

The Will of the Father (John 6:39) – God’s desires since the promise of a second Adam through Eve is that, through crushing the serpent’s head, the world would be saved.  The plan of salvation has always been God’s plan.  The Father desires the praise of His grace to be sung to His glory forever.  He does so by giving to His Son those whom He chose.  Jesus promises that no one who is given to Him will be lost.  Quite the contrary, those who are Christ’s will be raised up at the last day. 

Christ Will Lose Nothing – Notice that the perseverance of our salvation is Christ’s work and responsibility, not ours.  The issue is not whether we can lose Christ.  Because we have been redeemed, the question is whether Christ can lose us.

Everlasting Life AND Resurrection (v40) – Jesus continues to discuss the Father’s will.  Verse 39 came from the Father’s perspective (“of all He has given Me I should lose nothing”).  Verse 40 comes from the believer’s perspective (“everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him”).  Those who do believe will have everlasting life.  But there is another promise, “and I will raise him up at the last day.” 

So Which Is It? – Is a man saved because God chose Him or because the man chose God and believed?  The answer is – yes.  But this does not take away from God’s complete sovereignty nor the doctrines of grace.  The blind man does not “see” until Someone Else opens his eyes, and the unbeliever does not “believe” until Someone Else gives him faith (Eph 2:8-9).

Beyond Everlasting Life – Life in Jesus Christ means that the moment we depart from this life, our souls are brought immediately to Jesus (Phil 1:23, Luke 23:39-43).  But life in Jesus Christ also means that at the last day, our bodies will be raised up and we will be then finally and completely saved.  Our justification, including our vindication in Christ, is a justification of body, soul and spirit.

The Work of the Father (v44) – The Jews murmur among themselves that Christ would say that He has come down from heaven, that He was the true manna, and that He would raise the dead.  Jesus answers them, identifying His presence with the Father’s sending and their salvation to the Father’s drawing.  And our resurrection is the final goal of this work of the Father.  How does He do this?

Holy Spirit’s Work – Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, who would come to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).  This Spirit would be the One who would impart life (John 3:5).

Preaching of the Word – Faith is a gift that is imparted by the Spirit in the preaching of the Word.  The resurrection is not only an event that happened.  It is the good news to be preached in order to impart its life (Rom 1:16).

Purpose of the Church – The Father’s work is not ethereal.  He is actively drawing and wooing those to come by means of His church.  Our worship of God rightly here is part of that work.

Partaking of Christ Leads to Resurrection (v54) – It was Christ’s body and blood that was given up in sacrifice for our sins.  It is His body and blood that we must partake of, not by a superstitious magical ritual.  But by faith, discerning one body, we do partake of Christ and His benefits when we come to the Lord’s Table.  We are partaking of Christ, not His ideas, and we do so by the Holy Spirit.  This partaking of a Body leads to the resurrection of our body.  The point of the communion meal is not that something happens to the bread and the wine.  The point of the communion meal is that as we partake of the meal by faith, something is happening to us.  We have eternal life, and we will be raised.

Our Soul is Saved, Our Body Will Be Resurrected – United with Christ in His death, we are united as well with Him in His resurrection (Gal 2:20) which affects this life here.  But this lowly body is also affected, sealed for the day of glorification (Phil 3:20-21).

Your Inward Man – Our sinful, selfish tendencies tend to think far too highly of our hearts, which Jeremiah reminds us are deceitfully wicked.  Deep down in our hearts we really do not mean well. We are not basically good.  We need a Savior.

Your Physical Body – Too often as well, we tend to think that our material, fallen bodies are unredeemable.  While they are corrupt, they will be transformed, as gloriously as a seed which dies in the ground sprouts up to form a new tree – “…according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself”  (Phil 3:21).  Nothing is impossible for God.

Resurrection – means that we celebrate with our whole person that which we will have as one whole, glorified persons.  It is not simply a proposition to be acknowledged, but life to be sung, eaten and shared.

Resurrection - is about passing on life, not simply a list of good moral teachings.  Our corrupt hearts do not need more rules; we need new hearts.  Our corrupt bodies do not need sanctification-by-health rules, for the ultimate goal is not ‘long-life’; it is eternal life.  But it will be an eternal life of the resurrected body.

Resurrection - is not simply an event to be noted.  It is good news to be preached.  And here it is:  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried and He rose again, according to the Scriptures.  And He was seen, physically, by men who sat and ate fish and honeycomb with Him, and who will one day sit down and partake of the glorious and final wedding feast.                            drh – 04/11/04