To prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Supper and remember our Lord with love as He commanded, we started a series called “The Unchanging Love of Christ.” The prayer and goal of this series is to help us experience Jesus’ spiritual presence and realize His unchanging love, even as He sits in heaven at this time.
We already looked at the first message: “The Unchanging Love of Christ Before He Died.” We saw His Affection of Love; facing Gethsemane and the cross, He loved His own with maximum capacity and duration. We saw His Act of Love; He displayed His willingness to perform the lowest service for them by washing their feet. Finally, we saw His Assurances of Love, summarized by the “5 Cs”: Comforter, Calm peace, Cheerful joy, Courage, and Connected prayer.
Today, I want to focus on the “Unchanging Love of Christ After the Resurrection.”
Imagine two friends, Muthu and Selvam, who grow up in a small, poor, dusty village. They share everything—food, secrets, and struggles. Both promise, “We will always be life-long friends; our love for one another will never change.” Selvam loved Muthu greatly and would tell him, “You are Muthu… I will always love you.”
Then, Selvam is discovered to be the lost heir to a massive empire. He is whisked away to a palace. He is dressed in silk, given a crown, and surrounded by a thousand servants. When his poor village friend, Muthu, travels to the palace to see him, he is stopped at the gates. Somehow, he manages to get into the courtroom and calls out, “Selva… I am Muthu!” The “new” King Selvam sees him in his old, torn village clothes. Surrounded by the glory of the courtroom, his ministers, and his throne, expressing love for his old friend seems embarrassing. He feels shameful even calling Muthu his friend. Seeing him walk in his royal court in such rags feels like an insult. So, he turns his face away with a frown as if he doesn’t know him. Then the ministers say, “Take this mad fellow out,” and he does not open his mouth as his friend is dragged out and thrown outside the palace.
We cannot blame Selvam; even we might have done the same. When we are lifted to great glory, we often want to hide our “low life” and past weaknesses that do not suit our present status. Naturally, the higher someone goes in life, the more they try to forget their old affections and connections.
Our Lord, when He was humble before the shameful cross, showed great affection to His people. Even when everyone left and only twelve stayed with Him, He performed humble acts of love and gave many assurances. But His resurrection changed His humiliation totally. When He rose by the power of God to the highest glory, He was full of majesty, with both body and soul glorified. He left all earthly weakness and bodily limitations behind. He rose with an immortal and glorious body suitable to sustain the eternal glory of heaven; “it was raised in power.” All His humiliation and work were finished at His resurrection. Now, He goes from glory to glory: ascension and exaltation above everything.
The great question is: Will His love continue after His resurrection? Will all that glory change Him in the slightest way toward us?
If His love for us were to change at any time, it would have been after His resurrection. Whatever He said and did after the Resurrection is a definite, determined indication of His heart and mindset toward us. His attitude then shows what He will continue to be in heaven forever. If there was ever a test to determine whether His love for sinners would endure, it was after His resurrection—especially after the terrible, sinful behavior of His disciples. Think of their unbelief, their shameful, cowardly denial, and their betrayal. When He was sweating blood, all of them were snoring in Gethsemane. When He sought their company as the only comfort for His troubled spirit, they slept, completely oblivious to His sorrows. They could never have done this if they had genuine empathy. How pathetically He said, “Could you not watch with me for one hour?”
The moment He was arrested and the first step of His suffering started, they all fled, forsaking Him in the midst of His agony. How heart-tearingly hurtful it must have been for Jesus to see those He loved so much running away from Him in His most difficult hour. Think of their leader, Peter, who promised even to die with Christ, yet most shamefully denied Him three times with oaths and curses. How Christ must have felt when His eyes met Peter’s after the third cock crow. Though He repeatedly said He had to suffer and rise again, after His burial, they lost all faith. They said, “We had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” They were filled with unbelief and doubted whether He was the Messiah at all (Luke 24:21).
All of this they did to Him personally, precisely when He was demonstrating the greatest act of love toward them by bearing their wrath and dying for them—an act unparalleled in its display of love. Against that background of their greatest sins, let us see the greatest expression of Christ’s love after His resurrection.
There are ten resurrection appearances recorded in the Bible. Have you wondered why Jesus didn’t appear to the whole world to show the Jews how wrong they were or the Romans their crime? Why did He appear only to His disciples? I believe the main reason was to show the different aspects of His unchanging love to them, even after He went to heaven. Each appearance is a timeless testimony of His unchanging love. These should be printed in our memories as historical monuments to be set before us whenever we doubt the love of Jesus. We don’t have time to look at all of them, so I will focus on three today: Christ’s unchanging love in our Sorrows, Sins, and Stress.
1. Christ’s Unchanging Love in Sorrows
Specifically, I mean lonely sorrow—when no one understands our pain and no one can sympathize with our deep grief. We feel not only sorrow but a lonely sorrow. Have you ever felt like that? Perhaps you feel lonely, disrespected, or undervalued—considered the “least” in the world with no one to ask why you are sad. How can the risen Lord display His love to you when you are utterly lonely and sorrowful? Even though no one else is with you, He is always there, standing next to you and sympathizing. He calls you by name, inquires about your sorrow, and values you. To show this, let us see to whom the risen Lord first appeared.
He did not immediately ascend or appear first to the Sanhedrin to prove them wrong; He appeared to the one who was weeping in unbearable sorrow. We see this beautiful event in John 20:11-18. Everyone goes away from the empty tomb to their homes, but Mary Magdalene sits there next to the tomb, weeping inconsolably. She sees two angels in white. Usually, if I saw angels, the shock would stop me from crying, but she is not interested in seeing angels. She wants to see a beloved face. The angels even talk to her: “Woman, why are you weeping?” She says to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
When she was utterly lonely in her sorrow, there was One who came and stood next to her. We don’t know how long He stood there, because Mary ignored Him, thinking He was a gardener. He was just standing there, not leaving her alone. Before a word is even spoken, Jesus’ first act is to stand near His sorrowing child.
Then, the first words from the mouth of the blessed Lord to His weeping disciple were: “Woman, why are you weeping?” Think of it—doesn’t He know why she is weeping? He definitely knew, but He asked so she could pour out her heart and share her burden with Him. This is a tender love that prioritizes the internal state of the person. He isn’t in a rush to announce His victory; He pauses to address her sorrow. Next, by asking, “Whom are you seeking?”, He gently redirects her focus from a dead body to a living Person.
Then comes just one word: “Mary.” This is perhaps the most profound moment in the New Testament. Mary doesn’t recognize Him by His appearance, even when He asks why she is crying; but by the way He says her name, she knows only He can call her like that. There are some people who, by the way they call our name, show the intensity of their love. I have people who call my name in a way no one else can—Murali. You feel their affection in that sound; it is a unique language of relationship. By calling her “Mary” individually with that same affection, the risen Lord showed that His resurrection glory had not changed His love even by a drop.
He is still the same beloved Friend and Lord she knew before. His glory didn’t make Him “too big” for her; it made Him more fully available to her. Hearing that sound drove away all her sorrow. She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” Their eyes met. Her tears of sorrow instantly became tears of joy.
His love is so amazing when you think of who this woman was and what the glory of the risen Lord is. What a universal victory He had accomplished! He is the Lord worthy of praise from the whole universe, all of history, and all of heaven. Does such an exalted Lord not have any more important work than talking to this poor lady? This woman had lived a horrible, sinful life; seven demons had entered her. Imagine what she might have done—she was the lowest of the low in that world.
Yet, the great risen Lord first appears to her, patiently stands next to her quietly for a long time, asks her a question, lets her share her burden, and comforts her. How lovely is that? What does this tell you and me today about unchangeable love? He is not like “Selvam” in our story. Whether on earth or in heaven, we are always His “Muthu.”
This appearance establishes the infallible truth of the risen Lord’s personal presence with each child of God in all their sorrows. For a child of God who truly loves Jesus, he realizes that He not only died for them, but He rose to be with them personally 24/7. Has He not promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”? The risen Lord is always with you and me. Do you know that? His promise is, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” meaning not even for a split second.
He rose again to be with me. We realize His close presence especially when our hearts are filled with sorrow like Mary’s—in our discouragement and when we are crying. What makes Him stay with us? It is His unchangeable love.
His love is not a generic love; He doesn’t just “generally” love the church. It is an individualistic love, loving us personally in our specific grief, calling us by name with intense affection, and knowing every sorrow we have. I wonder how He will call me in heaven. Haven’t you felt that unique, personal love? Maybe the Pastor is speaking to the whole church, but haven’t you heard that distinct voice of the risen Lord coming specifically and effectually to you? That is how we were saved—He called our names from heaven. It usually singles a person out. “Mary!” It was but a word, but oh, what life, what spirit, and what reviving was in it! The voice of Christ is powerful. Haven’t you heard His voice personally calling you in sermons? People often say to me, “Pastor, you were talking about me.” I am not—Christ is talking directly to you: Mary, Divya, Rajath, Deepa, Shanthi, Radhika, Robert, Elias, or Dass. “Why are you crying?”
See, Christ didn’t rise just to disappear into heaven and forget us. He rose again to become a sympathizing High Priest to meet all our needs, sorrows, pains, and failures. To do this, He plays a dual role: He represents us in heaven physically, sitting there bodily with the breastplate of intercession, thinking of you individually every second. His second role is here on earth, where He is always with you through His Spirit, comforting you, talking to you, and strengthening you.
Even this morning, if you are in sorrow, He calls you and says, “Why are you weeping? Why are you discouraged?” When you share your sorrows with Him, He provides divine comfort. As He told Mary, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” What a blessed message! Now, because of His earthly work and His ongoing heavenly work, there is no reason for you to be sorrowful. He has removed all reasons for weeping. His work provides every reason for you to rejoice all your life. He has made you perfectly justified before God and made you a child of God. Rejoice! Nothing in the universe will ever change that reality.
2. Christ’s Unchanging Love in Our Sins
You may say, “Mary was seeking Christ, but I am a traitor; I am a sinner who has sinned against Him.” And perhaps it wasn’t just a secret sin, but a public, repeated one. Will the risen Christ’s love change toward me? In the order of the resurrection, do you know to whom the second appearance was made? It was to Peter, privately. Why?
In every way, Peter’s denial of Christ was a massive sin. It was a public sin. In a legal, social, and emotional sense, Peter had forfeited his right to be called a “disciple,” let alone the leader of the apostles. Imagine Peter’s mindset: “I denied Him three times. It was like stabbing Him in the back after promising I would die with Him. As a human, His love will definitely change, and now that He has risen with all glory, He must be ashamed to even see my face. He will never even speak my name.”
But look at the Gospel of Mark (which Peter largely dictated to Mark). In Mark 16, the Lord first sends a message through an angel to the women. Notice verse 7: “But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
Notice that He mentions the disciples generally but specifically calls Peter’s name. By separating Peter’s name from the group, Jesus is sending a direct message: “Peter, you may think your failures and sins changed my love. Never, Peter. None of your failures will redefine my love for you.” Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to come and apologize; He initiated the reconciliation. This shows that His love isn’t a reward for our loyalty; it is the anchor that pulls us back when we drift.
Then look at 1 Corinthians 15:5: “…and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.” After personally meeting Mary, the next personal meeting was with Peter. Before appearing to the group, our Lord met Peter privately. No one recorded that meeting in detail. Why? Perhaps the details were too sacred to be written—the emotions and love expressed were too intense for words. Paul highlights that Jesus went to Peter first and alone. By meeting Peter privately before the other ten disciples were present, Jesus showed a love that protects.
Imagine a public meeting in front of the others; how terribly insulting it would have been for Peter. it would have completely shattered him. Christ’s love is discreet. He didn’t want to shame Peter; He wanted to heal him. He gave Peter a private space to weep, confess, and be embraced without the pressure of an audience. He met Peter privately to ensure that when Peter eventually stood before the others, he did so as a man who knew he was forgiven.
In the “order of operations” of the Resurrection, Jesus prioritized those in the most pain and guilt. He appeared to Mary Magdalene (the grieving) and then to Cephas (the failing). Even with the weight of the world’s salvation on His shoulders, Jesus’ love is individualistic. He wasn’t too busy for a one-on-one conversation with a man who had turned his back on Him.
We know the emotional Galilee beach scene; we cannot read it without tears. He asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” He does not utter a word about Peter’s sins or his act of denial. Instead, He seeks to draw from Peter a declaration of love. Why three times? Because Christ loves to hear those words. They sound pleasing to His ears when you tell Him you love Him, even though He already knows it.
So we see Christ’s unchanging love in sorrow to Mary and His love for the sinning Peter. But is it only for them? Doesn’t He love you and me? To show we are all included, look at the final charge He gave to Peter: “Peter, when I go to heaven… if you truly love me… as an expression of my unchangeable love to my people… feed my lambs.” This expression is moving and affectionate, for while sheep can manage a little for themselves, helpless little lambs cannot. A lamb is less than a year old. Therefore, Christ says, “Feed my lambs.”
3. Christ’s Unchanging Love in Our Stress
Why does John record these events after the resurrection? This testimony reveals the great concern of Christ’s own heart while He is in heaven. His heart is wholly devoted to His lambs. He had previously said, “I have other sheep which are not of this fold; them also I must bring” (John 10:16), leaving the task to His apostles.
We all have our own stress. Most of our stress comes from the world: fear and worries about the family, children, and finances. Worry is something that holds us captive. Have you ever been filled with so much worry and fear that you locked yourself away, unable to face the world for days? In John 20:19, we find the disciples at their lowest point: paralyzed by a toxic cocktail of grief, guilt, and fear—fear of the Jews’ religious world and the Romans’ political world; fear of a cruel death. Can you imagine their stress? Their blood pressure must have been very high. They weren’t just “behind closed doors”; the Greek suggests the doors were bolted shut out of sheer terror. Remember, all of them had forsaken Him and run away.
He removes their stress by His message and His presence—the greatest stress-busters for all believers.
First, His message: What was the message He sent them? One might expect His first words to be a rebuke for their lack of faith, cowardice, and betrayals. But that is not the case. In John 20:17, His initial words concerning them are, “Go tell my brethren.” What a sweet way to show that His love had not changed. Do you know that in all the Gospels, this is the first time He calls them “brothers”? His love absorbed all their shameful denials. They deserved to be “demoted,” but instead, Jesus promoted them from “friends” to “brothers.” He claimed them as family at their most shameful moment. By calling them brothers and saying, “My Father and your Father,” Jesus was telling them that His victory was now their victory. Even though He was about to ascend to heaven, He used the word “brothers” to show that the bond between them was eternal. Distance would not change the family connection. What grace!
The Book of Hebrews tells us it is a great display of love and humility for Christ to address them as brethren, for surely His brethren had been ashamed of Him. Yet, for Him to still call them brethren as He entered into His glory indicates an even greater love.
Think of the scene where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. If that makes us emotional, how much more should this? Joseph poked them, saying, “I am Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt,” reminding them of their sin. Christ did not say, “I am your brother, whom you forsook in the Garden.” No, Christ does not utter a word about what they had done to Him. Furthermore, He does not emphasize what He had done for them. He does not say, “Tell them I have been dying for them,” or “They have no idea the suffering I endured.” Not a word of His self-sacrifice. Instead, His heart and concern are focused on doing more. “I ascend to my Father and your Father,” He says. He forgets all His sufferings, like a woman forgetting her labor pains because of the joy of giving birth. Having completed that monumental task on earth, He hastens to heaven so He can begin His heavenly ministry for them. He speaks in the present tense to demonstrate His longing and eagerness to work for them. He tells them, “I ascend,” expressing His joy in acting as their Representative, High Priest, and Advocate, to intercede for all their needs and reserve a place for them.
Next, we see His presence. In John 20:19, they are locked inside the room, stressed and fearful. The doors were shut for fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood in the midst. He didn’t knock and wait for them to find the courage to open up; He simply entered. Christ’s love is not stopped by our defenses. Sometimes we “bolt the door” because we are ashamed of our fear or because we don’t want to be seen in our mess. But that doesn’t stop His love. He doesn’t ring the bell; He just enters.
There, inside the room, were the twelve chosen “lion” apostles who were meant to change the world—yet they were scared and fearful. Did His love change because of their behavior? His first words weren’t, “Where were you on Friday?” or “How many times did I say I would die and rise? Have you no sense? You of little faith, how long must I be patient with you?”
When He first came among them, His greeting was, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). This is the greeting of Shalom, which implies wholeness and the restoration of everything that is broken. This is a calming love. It addresses the stress of the nervous system before it addresses theology. He spoke to their pounding hearts before He spoke to their minds. He knew their greatest need at that moment wasn’t a lecture, but a presence that neutralized their stress and fear.
Oh, stressed child of God—stressed about family, the future, or the world—hear and remember the risen Christ’s words: “I told you, ‘Peace I leave with you.’ Why are you stressed?” Now He says this to you, whatever you face in the world: “Peace be with you.”
Look at these beautiful words from Luke 24:37-45: “But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have you any food here?’ So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”
Oh, the condescension of Christ! He is the Lord of glory with all authority. He could have said, “These stupid fellows didn’t believe; throw them into hell,” but no. Instead, look at how gently and humbly He helps them continually to believe! Even when they were foolish and unbelieving, He was like a mother—so patient and kind to them. Do you see any change in His love in these words after the Resurrection? Yes, the greatest proof that His love will never change and can be trusted is the cross, where He gave His life. But we also see great proof in His dealings with the disciples after His Resurrection.
Is this only for those apostles? Don’t we have our own experiences of the unchanging love of the risen Christ from heaven? He still shows His love to us today. We call ourselves followers of Christ, yet we have treated Him in the worst ways—perhaps dishonoring His name by our sins, forsaking Him, or denying Him with swearing. We have failed to rejoice and filled ourselves with worry, failing to live worthy of the Gospel. We come to church with tossing hearts and open, burning wounds, but just as He came that day, He comes unexpectedly. He speaks peace to our hearts and doesn’t leave us until He quiets our spirits and calms our troubled hearts. Today, this risen Lord is here. You may have denied Him, but He says, “Peace to you, my brother.”
Have you not many and many a time been in trouble, stressed about so many things that you knew not which way to turn? And even then, has not Christ come to your spirit with peace, saying, “I am there”? Did He not deliver us from the tossing sea and lift us from the cords of death?
Like those disciples, how slow we were to believe! Yet, how gentle He is with us. If we are ignorant, He instructs us; if we err, he shows us the right way; if we sin, He forgives and corrects us; if we stand, He holds us up; if we fall, He lifts us up again; if we go, He leads us; if we come to Him, He is ready to receive us. How many means He uses to beget or increase faith in our hearts! How much He does so that we might believe Him! Oh, look at all those undeniable proofs of His unchanging love in heaven.
As a foretaste of sending the Holy Spirit, John 20:22 says, “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'” The act of breathing was the utmost expression of His heart—to give them His own Spirit—emanating from the very core of His being, just as a person’s breath does. That is another great evidence of unchanging love, because He would go to heaven and send the Holy Spirit to an even greater extent as His greatest exaltation gift, providing the greatest proof that His love in heaven never changed a drop.
O, what love was this! O, what humility was this! That the glorified Lord—not in His humiliation, but after He accomplished the greatest triumph in the universe, conquering sin, death, and the devil—should so gently work with these foolish disciples to strengthen their faith. Only a few instances are recorded, but the Bible says He dealt with these men for forty days! How eager He must have been, after so many sorrows, sufferings, and reproaches—after so cruel, ignominious, and bitter a death—to have gone immediately to glory. He might have commanded the angels who announced the first Resurrection message to teach the disciples, but to strengthen their faith, He Himself stayed in person. He Himself proved it through many infallible proofs to give us undeniable evidence of His unchanging love.
Was all this love only for them? Oh no! In Matthew and Mark, we have His Great Commission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; he who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:15). Preach this Gospel of Christ’s unchanging love to everyone. He loves every one of us in the same way.
So, dear brothers, as you live your life and face sorrows, remember Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene. In the same way, He stands next to you and asks, “Why are you weeping?” He wants you to share your sorrow with Him, and He calls you by name. He will show you why you don’t have to be sorrowful because of what He has done and is doing for you. When you feel guilty about failures and sins, remember Christ calling Peter and secretly revealing Himself. He will come and show such grace and love that you won’t even have words to express it to others. When you are filled with stress and lock yourself away, remember that He comes to you, declares His peace, and shows that He is truly risen to be with you. This is Christ’s unchanging love in sorrows, sins, and stresses.
Let me conclude with three eternal effects of the Resurrection of Christ. Even these show His unchanging love. If we hope in Christ for this world only, we are of all men most pitiable. Beyond meeting us in our sorrows, sins, and stresses, Christ’s Resurrection meets our three greatest needs: a dead soul, a defiled nature, and a decaying body. Christ’s Resurrection meets those three deep needs through RSG: Regeneration, Sanctification, and Glorification. In a way, Christ’s Resurrection is “Revenue Share Growth” for our spiritual lives.
R – Regeneration: We are learning from Ephesians 2 that we were in the worst state—dead, worldly, trapped by Satan, slaves to lust, and children of wrath. What a hopeless condition! The only thing that can ever deliver us from that deep death and give us new life is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. It is this power that raises a sinner from spiritual death and grants regeneration. Otherwise, there is no way we could come out of our worst condition and turn to God.
Today, we are alive to God; we want to hear His word, we are affected by His truth, and we want to walk in His ways. We know God, love God, and obey God, and we have come to partake in communion remembering Christ. How did that happen? Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
Not only is there regeneration, but our justification is also because of Christ’s Resurrection. Romans 4:25 says, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” We are fully, perfectly, and eternally justified before God because of Christ’s Resurrection. The Resurrection loudly and infallibly declares that all our sins are forgiven and we are justified before Him. Complete salvation is accomplished by Him. We can completely trust Christ; our faith will not be in vain. It was our sins that seized Him, nailed Him to the cross, and killed Him; He died to pay the debt for our sins. He could not come out of that death until every last penny of the debt was paid to the justice of God. When Christ rose from the dead, it was infallible proof that all our debts were paid. God is infinitely satisfied by Christ’s atoning sacrifice and finished work, and we are justified before Him. The Resurrection is the great seal of heaven—the authoritative signature of God that the ransom is accepted and the debt is cancelled. Whenever your past sins trouble you or guilt tortures you, look at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and put your full trust in that infallible proof from God.
S – Sanctification: Power for Daily Growth Christ’s Resurrection power not only gives us new birth but also gives us power in sanctification. Sanctification involves two things: mortification (dying to sin) and vivification (living to righteousness). Our mortification resembles Christ’s death, and our sanctification—walking in new life—resembles Christ’s Resurrection. Sanctification is not just about killing sin; it is about making us grow in grace, faith, love, and good works. It is this power that enables us to exercise those graces. It works holiness in us, changing the heart and turning its direction from sin to holiness.
This should greatly motivate us to grow in sanctification because it is not by our own fleshly efforts alone. We may try to pray, live holily, or do our duties and feel no power, but now, through faith, we can experience the power of the Resurrection available to sanctify us—a new, powerful, holy strength animating and enlivening us.
G – Glorification: Power for Eternal Hope Finally, the full and final glorious revelation of the power of our Lord’s Resurrection is yet to appear. Paul calls Him the “first-fruits of them that sleep.” Because Christ is risen, all those who believe in Him will rise again in a full harvest. He is the “First-fruits,” meaning He won’t consider His own Resurrection complete until you are standing beside Him in the same glory. We will be glorified eternally in heaven with Christ because of His Resurrection. That is why He rose, and that is what He is accomplishing for us in heaven.
RSG shows the depth of the Lord’s unchanging love. Christ says, “I love you beyond this world.” As a depraved sinner, your greatest need is regeneration—new life. His love brings you back from spiritual death, delivers you from the course of this world, frees you from Satan and the lusts of the flesh, and gives you new resurrection life. As a regenerated person, your greatest need is sanctification. You have life, but you still battle the defilement of old habits and fears. Through sanctification, He remains with you as the “Vine,” providing His own strength to overcome sin. He loves you too much to let you stay in a defiled nature. Then, after He regenerates and fully sanctifies you, He will glorify you to be with Him forever. Christ’s love is visionary and eternal. His love for you will outlast the stars. By glorification, He proves His love is not just for now, but is an eternally unchangeable love forever. He wants you to be where He is, with a body like His, sharing His glory forever. Oh, let us praise Christ for His unchangeable love!
I didn’t intend for any specific application, but I cannot leave without sharing this: if Christ asks us today, “Do you love me?”, a sentimental “Yes, Lord” isn’t enough. True love is not just a feeling; it is a meaningful act. Here is an application of love through the acronym L.O.V.E.:
L – Loyalty to Christ: To love Christ is to put Him above all else. He asks us if we have Him above everything else. “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22).
O – Obey Christ: Obedience is the litmus test of our affection. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
V – Visible Church Commitment: If you do not love your brother whom you can see, how will you love God whom you cannot see? To claim otherwise is to be a liar (1 John 4:20). We cannot claim to love the Head (Christ) while neglecting the Body (the Church).
E – Evangelize: The natural overflow of love is the desire to share the Beloved. If we have the love of Christ, we will see the world through His love and share His Gospel. “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice” (John 10:16). For the love of Christ controls us… we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14, 20).