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Sermon #2049

Raised - God's Declaration

A Sermon on Acts 5:29-32

Originally preached April 3, 1966

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Scripture

Acts 5:29-32 ESV KJV
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And …

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Sermon Description

First, the resurrection is what fueled the disciples with courage and boldness to go out into the world and proclaim the gospel. It was what made them realize the importance of Jesus’s message and gave them a desire for everyone to be transformed by the gospel as they were. Second, the resurrection establishes the fact that God sent His Son to save. Jesus’s act of rising from the dead was proof that God was satisfied in His Son, and that salvation can be found in the work of Jesus Christ. It also shows that Jesus has delivered His people from the law. Before Jesus’ work on the cross, all were under the law. However, the resurrection is proof that Christians are no longer held in bondage to the law. Lastly, the resurrection gives assurance of salvation and the knowledge that power and strength come through Christ. It is the resurrection that shows that Jesus defeated death and the devil and hope is found knowing that His resurrection points forward to a day when He will come again, and those who believe in Him will live forever in His presence.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostles were witnesses to Jesus' resurrection. They had seen him alive after his death and burial.
  2. The resurrection proves Jesus is the Son of God. No one else has risen from the dead.
  3. The resurrection shows God accepted Jesus' work. God raised Jesus to show he approved of his sacrifice for sins.
  4. The resurrection proves Jesus defeated our enemies: sin, death, and the devil. Jesus overcame them through his death and resurrection.
  5. The resurrection shows Jesus fulfilled the law. He obeyed the law perfectly in life and took its punishment in death. The law has no more demands on those who believe in Jesus.
  6. The resurrection proves Jesus is the judge of all. God will judge the world through Jesus, who died and rose again.
  7. The resurrection shows Jesus is the only Savior. Only he can reconcile us to God, give repentance and forgiveness of sins.
  8. The resurrection gives power through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives believers understanding, holiness, boldness, and assurance.
  9. Jesus is a merciful and faithful high priest. Though he is in heaven, Jesus understands our struggles since he lived as a man. He gives us grace and help in our times of need.
  10. Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. As the risen and ascended Lord, he rules over all.
  11. Jesus will return to judge the world. God raised Jesus from the dead to show he appointed him as the judge of all people.
  12. There is no salvation apart from faith in Jesus. He alone can save us from sin and judgment. We must believe in him to have eternal life.

Sermon Q&A

What Does the Resurrection of Jesus Prove According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Acts 5:29-32, the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves several essential truths that form the foundation of the Christian faith. Let me address the key points from his powerful Easter message.

What does the resurrection of Jesus prove about His identity?

The resurrection is the ultimate proof of who Jesus truly is. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains:

"It is the resurrection that finally proves who he is. It is the resurrection that finally establishes the point that this Jesus whom they despised, Jesus the carpenter, this fellow, this man who claims to have learning, never having learned, this imposter, this blasphemer, this one who claims equality with God. The resurrection is the final proof that all he claimed to be, he really was."

He further states that the resurrection proves Jesus is "none other than God's only begotten son, the eternal son of God."

How does the resurrection prove God's satisfaction with Christ's work?

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the resurrection demonstrates God's complete approval of Christ's sacrificial work:

"The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and from the grave is God's declaration of his satisfaction with the work that his son had done."

He explains that Jesus fulfilled the law's demands both positively through His perfect life and negatively by bearing its penalty in His death. The resurrection confirms that God's justice has been satisfied, as Lloyd-Jones quotes Romans 4:25: "Who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification."

What enemies did Jesus conquer through His resurrection?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the resurrection proves Jesus conquered all our enemies:

  1. The world and the flesh: "He never sinned. The world never got him down. He never gave way to the flesh."

  2. The devil: "He has conquered the devil. The devil has been put to an open shame by our Lord's life, by his death on the cross, and especially by the resurrection."

  3. Death itself: "The last enemy that shall be conquered is death... There's only one who's conquered him, and it is this same Jesus."

Why couldn't the apostles stop preaching about the resurrection?

Lloyd-Jones explains that the apostles were compelled to preach despite threats because:

  1. They were eyewitnesses: "We are witnesses. We've seen these things. We are not telling you fairy tales, idle stories."

  2. The message was too important: "There is no salvation in any other. God himself hath raised him up and exalted him to be a prince and a savior."

  3. They were commissioned by Christ: "He has commissioned them to do this very thing that they're now being prohibited to do."

  4. They had experienced transformation: "These men had been revolutionized. They were entirely different. And they were filled with a joy and a happiness and a peace that nothing could remove from them."

What does the resurrection mean for believers today?

Lloyd-Jones concludes that the resurrection provides:

  1. Assurance of forgiveness: "God is satisfied, that the law has been honored and fulfilled, and that the terrors of law and of God with me shall have nothing to do."

  2. Access to divine help: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

  3. Hope beyond death: "He is the only one who can justify us before God's holy law and introduce us to the blessings and the joys and the bliss of eternity in the presence of God."

  4. Certainty of judgment: "The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a proclamation and an announcement to the effect that God is going to judge the whole world by this person."

Lloyd-Jones powerfully concludes: "Christ is the only hope for every soul of man. He is the only savior."

The Book of Acts

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.