Christology and the Resurrection

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Sign of Jonah and the Promise of Resurrection

When religious leaders demanded proof, Jesus pointed to Jonah’s three days in the fish as a shadow of His own resurrection. This sign wasn’t just a miracle but a covenant—a promise that death’s grip would shatter. Like Jonah’s emergence, Christ’s victory over the grave redefines what’s possible when God enters the story. Trusting this promise means anchoring hope in the unseen, even when logic says otherwise. The resurrection isn’t a footnote; it’s the climax of redemption. [48:49]

“For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40, ESV)

Reflection: Where is God asking you to trust His promise of resurrection in a situation that feels like a “dead end”? How might His victory over the grave reframe your perspective?

Day 2: Confessing Christ Beyond the Mountain Top

Peter’s declaration—“You are the Messiah!”—echoed on a mountain, but true belief required descending into valleys of doubt and sacrifice. Confession is easy on sunlit peaks; faith is forged in the fog of daily obedience. Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?” pierces performative religion, demanding a heart-level answer. Belief isn’t a one-time event but a lifelong surrender to His lordship. [55:28]

And Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16, ESV)

Reflection: Does your life’s trajectory reflect Peter’s confession, or have you settled for calling Jesus “Teacher” while resisting His authority? What one step aligns you more closely with His lordship today?

Day 3: Obstacles and the Companions Who Keep You Climbing

The Christian walk isn’t a solo hike. Like traversing Convict Lake’s rugged loop, we need others to steady us when the path narrows. Legalism, doubt, and weariness act like yeast—subtle forces that corrupt if faced alone. Jesus warned against isolation, knowing even Peter’s bold faith would falter without community. The climb is hard, but the shared struggle makes the summit sweeter. [59:46]

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life helps you “lift your eyes” when obstacles overwhelm? How can you intentionally lean into community this week instead of retreating?

Day 4: The View from the Empty Tomb

The women at the tomb expected death’s stench but found angels declaring, “He isn’t here.” Resurrection rewrites every ending. Forgiveness, purpose, and hope flow from that vacant cave. Just as the disciples finally grasped Jesus’ words after seeing His scars, our faith deepens when we confront the reality of His living presence. The empty tomb isn’t a metaphor—it’s a historical hinge that changes everything. [01:08:06]

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What “dead place” in your life needs the declaration, “He isn’t here”? How does the resurrection empower you to walk in freedom rather than fear?

Day 5: The Impossible Made Possible in Galilee

Jesus didn’t resurrect to linger at gravesides but to send disciples forward. “Meet me in Galilee” was a call to mission—a reminder that resurrection power fuels purpose. Like the disciples forging streams on hikes, we’re summoned to risky obedience, trusting the One who conquered death walks beside us. The view from the summit is coming, but the path matters. [01:13:04]

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore…” (Matthew 28:18-19a, ESV)

Reflection: What “Galilee” is Jesus inviting you to—a place where your resurrection faith must become active love? How will you step into that purpose today?

Sermon Summary

Christology brings Jesus all the way from “who was” into “who is,” and the resurrection stands right in the middle of that joy. Jesus is the anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus is divine in nature, the Word who was with God and was God. Jesus is fully God and fully man, born through the virgin birth, crucified in a true death, buried for real, and then, praise God, raised from the dead.

Matthew shows that Jesus did not stumble into death by accident. Jesus knew all along that Jerusalem was coming. Jesus knew the religious leaders would hand him over, that he would suffer, that he would be killed, and that on the third day he would rise. The sign of Jonah was the sign Jesus gave to a wicked and adulterous generation, a people married more to tradition and law than to the living God. Jonah was three days in the fish, and the Son of Man would be three days in the heart of the earth.

Jesus presses the real question at Caesarea Philippi. The question is not only who other people say the Son of Man is. The question becomes, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter confesses it beautifully: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” But confession and belief are not the same thing. Confession can come out of the mouth while the heart still struggles to believe the impossible.

The transfiguration puts the disciples on the mountain, and the Father says, “This is my Son whom I love. Believe him.” Jesus then keeps saying it again and again: he will be betrayed, killed, and raised. The disciples grieve. The enemies remember. The religious leaders understand enough to guard the tomb, while Jesus’ own followers are not waiting in Galilee like he told them.

The empty tomb proves that Jesus did exactly what he said. The women see the stone rolled away. The angel says, “He isn’t here. He rose from the dead.” The two disciples on the Emmaus road hear the Scriptures opened, break bread, and realize Jesus is alive. The risen Jesus appears and declares forgiveness of sins for all who repent.

The resurrection gives real purpose. Sin is forgiven because Jesus paid the price. Loneliness is answered because Jesus is alive. The Christian life is not a solo hike. The path may be full of trees, obstacles, and confusion, but Jesus leads, the body helps, and the view from the top is absolutely worth it.

Key Takeaways

1. Confession must become real belief [56:02] Peter’s words were right: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. But the text shows that right words still have to move down into trust, obedience, and endurance. A mouth can confess Lordship while a life still argues with Jesus about the cross, suffering, and the impossible things he says he will do. [56:02]
2. Jesus predicted the impossible clearly [01:03:57] The resurrection was not a surprise ending or a rescue plan thrown together at the last second. Jesus told his followers again and again that he would be betrayed, killed, and raised on the third day. Faith is strengthened when the empty tomb is seen not as random wonder, but as the exact fulfillment of the word Jesus had already spoken. [63:57]
3. The enemies remembered his words [01:05:32] The religious leaders understood enough to guard the tomb, while the disciples struggled to live as if Jesus meant what he said. That detail cuts deep because unbelief can sit very close to discipleship. The warning is not merely that enemies oppose Jesus, but that followers can hear Jesus plainly and still fail to arrange life around his promise. [65:32]
4. Forgiveness stands on resurrection power [01:10:32] The risen Jesus declares forgiveness because his death was accepted and his life cannot be held by the grave. Sin does not require another sacrifice, another payment, or another crucifixion. The resurrection means the forgiven person is not barely tolerated by God, but washed, clean, and sent as a witness. [70:32]
5. The Christian life is no solo hike [01:12:51] The path often looks unclear, wooded, and full of obstacles. Jesus leads, and the body of Christ helps the weary keep walking when the climb feels impossible. The view from the top is not cheap, but it is worth every step taken with Christ and with others.

## [72:51]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:35] - Opening Welcome And Gratitude
[40:01] - Mountain Views And Christology
[41:17] - Jesus Is Divine And Preexistent
[43:17] - From The Cross To Resurrection
[44:18] - Jesus Predicted His Resurrection
[48:31] - The Sign Of Jonah
[53:48] - Who Do People Say Jesus Is?
[56:02] - Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
[58:10] - Confession And Belief Are Different
[59:05] - The Christian Life Is Not Alone
[61:34] - The Transfiguration And The Father’s Voice
[63:28] - Jesus Repeats The Third Day Promise
[66:21] - The Women Find The Empty Tomb
[70:32] - Forgiveness And Purpose In The Risen Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. [56:02]

Matthew 12:38-40
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” [48:31]

Matthew 28:1-7
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” [01:06:21]

Luke 24:13-35
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. [01:08:30]

Observation questions

In Matthew 16, what different answers were people giving about Jesus before Peter gave his confession, and what exactly did Peter call Jesus? [54:10]
In Matthew 12, what sign did Jesus say would be given, and how did he connect Jonah’s three days with his own death and resurrection? [48:31]
In Matthew 28, what do the women find at the tomb, and what does the angel tell them to do next? [01:06:21]
In Luke 24, what do the two disciples on the road to Emmaus say they had hoped about Jesus, and at what moment do they finally recognize him?

Interpretation questions

Peter’s words are correct in Matthew 16, but a right confession does not always mean deep trust. What is the difference between saying Jesus is the Christ and actually arranging life around that truth? [58:10]
Jesus gave the sign of Jonah before the resurrection happened. Why does it matter that the empty tomb was not a random surprise, but the fulfillment of what Jesus had already said? [44:18]
The disciples were grieving and confused, while Jesus’ enemies remembered enough of his words to guard the tomb. What does that reveal about how close unbelief can sit to religious familiarity? [01:05:32]
On the Emmaus road, Jesus opens the Scriptures before the disciples recognize him in the breaking of bread. What does that suggest about how Jesus helps slow hearts move toward faith? [01:08:55]

Application questions

Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” How would each person in the group answer that honestly right now, not with the church answer only, but with the answer life is actually giving? [56:02]
Confession and belief are not always the same thing. Where might someone be saying the right things about Jesus while still resisting him in practice, especially in suffering, obedience, or trust? [58:10]
Jesus predicted the impossible clearly, and then did exactly what he said. What promise of Jesus feels hardest to believe in this season, and what would it look like to take him at his word there? [01:03:57]
The resurrection means sins are truly forgiven. Is anyone still living as if one failure is too much for Jesus to cover? What would it look like to receive his forgiveness more fully this week? [01:10:32]
Loneliness is answered in part by the living presence of Jesus and by his people. Where has isolation started to shape someone’s faith, and what would one concrete step toward Christian community look like this week? [59:33]
The Christian life is not a solo hike. Who has helped someone in the group keep walking with Christ, and who might need that same kind of help right now? [01:12:51]
The path can feel wooded, confusing, and full of obstacles, but the view is worth it. What obstacle in the walk with Christ feels most real right now, and how can the group help one another keep going instead of giving up? [01:13:05]

Sermon Clips

56s

#WhoIsJesusToYou

“Okay? You've been looking at who love them, and and this is a great lesson for all of us. We pay attention to who everybody else says Jesus is, and then Jesus turns the question to us, and he says, who do you say that I am? We can spend all of our life talking and thinking through who do other people say that Jesus Christ is, and never ever ever ask the question, who is Jesus Christ to me? Who is he to me? Before we leave this morning, I want you to ask that question. Whether you're watching online or whether you're in the building, who do you say that Jesus is? That's a that's a life changing question for you. Who is Jesus? Not who do the world think he is, but who is he to you?”

48s

#FromConfessionToBelief

“Right? They don't because they are a lot like us or we are a lot like them. Okay? So far, we've seen show me a sign. And he says, like Jonah. And show me a sign. He says, like Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Show me a sign. And then Peter confesses. Peter then confesses that you are the Messiah, the son of the living God. That is a great confessing, but confession and belief are two different things. It is easy sometimes to confess that Jesus is Lord. It is really hard to believe with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength, the physicality, your intellectual that he is Lord. We have seen Jesus reward the one who confesses. Now the hard part, actually believing.”

49s

#WalkTogetherToTheTop

“And the best way to walk that path is one, you follow the journey of somebody who's in front of you. Two, you don't do it alone. The Christian life is not a solo hike. It is a partnership. You, Jesus, and another walking in the direction that he leads. Because this is what I'm gonna tell you. This is what I'm gonna tell you. The view from the top is absolutely amazing. It is worth it. Don't give up. If you feel lost in the woods, don't give up. If you feel tired because obstacles are too big, you need to say, oh, I'm just gonna stop here. I'm not gonna make it. Don't give up. If you feel like feel like life is just too hard right now, press on because the view is worth it, church.”

50s

#HePredictedTheResurrection

“And and so we're gonna see that what Jesus says, his followers don't initially believe. They don't initially believe. They don't initially know how to believe it, how to accept it. And then when he it actually happens, they're profound. They're they're really perplexed as to why it happened. See, Jesus predicted his resurrection. It isn't something that happened by accident. It isn't something that Jesus didn't know. He wasn't walking down the street one turn torn the corner and was mugged and killed and oops, Jesus dies. No, Jesus knew all along. Jesus knew all along that he was gonna go to Jerusalem, that there he was gonna be turned over to the religious authorities, and that he was gonna be put to death, and that he was gonna rise. Yet his disciples struggled with it, but Jesus predicted it.”

46s

#JesusTrulyRose

“They got it. They heard. They heard. And what do they need? They gotta make a plan so that just in case. The disciples didn't even think just in case, but the religious leaders, his enemies did. Yeah. Just in case. Jesus said again and again and again and again and again that he would rise from the dead. Alright? Good thing that as good as Mike's message was that we don't stop there. Right? We gotta see the resurrection. Jesus said again and again and again that he would rise from the end, then he did. He did rise from the dead. Come on, computer. There you go. Then he did it. He rose from the dead church.”

54s

#ObeyWhatYouProclaim

“if you proclaim that he is Lord, do you then obey what he teaches? Because you might say that he is Lord, but your life truly doesn't reflect what your mouth then proclaims. That's almost exactly what happens to Peter. Peter proclaims, are the messiah. You are the anointed one. You are the son of the living God. That's great. We love that. You're the messiah. You are the son. And then Jesus says, blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah. Isn't that great? Simon, son of who? Jonah. And what is the sign that you're gonna see? Just love that the little connection there. Son of Jonah, this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven. Amen. And, yeah.”

36s

#LiveLikeHeIsRisen

“Jesus rose from the dead. Amen? Amen. Alright. Okay. Good. Now you've confessed that. Now we gotta live like it. So three things, your sins are forgiven. Why? Because Jesus paid the price. Two, you are not alone. Epidemic loneliness. You are not alone. Why? Because Jesus is alive. He's not left on the cross. You have a purpose. You have a purpose. Share his love with everyone else. You're not alone.”

48s

#WhoDoPeopleSayHeIs

“Who do the people say the son of man is? Today, the people say the son of man, well, they say that Jesus is a really good teacher. You know, historical evidence is such that they can't say that he never existed. They're not dumb enough to say, well, he never existed. They're just they're just wise enough to go, well, was just a good teacher. Or or they say, well, he was maybe a prophet, He's a nice guy, but there's a lot of failures within the Christianity. You know, there's the world doesn't want to accept him as lord, and so they downcast him and say, was just a rabbi at the time and, you know, insignificant Most significant guy ever walked the face of the earth, but they they plow it down. They plow it down. Right? Who do the people say the son of man is? That's a really good question. Ask that to some of your non Christian friends. Who is Jesus?”

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