TEXT: John 5:28-29

SUBJECT: Watson on Death and the Last Day #3

Tonight, with the Lord’s help, we’ll finish our study of Thomas Watson on Death and the Last Day. Thus far, we’ve looked at the believer’s death and what’s called the intermediate state that follows it.

I don’t need to tell you believers die—the holiest men in the world die—even the Perfect Man died. Looked at from below, death is a terrible thing—an exit from life. But looked at from above, the believer’s death is something else altogether: it is an entrance to life. That’s not true for the unbeliever, of course. For him, there’s nothing beyond death but The Second Death, which is far worse. But for believers, death is the doorway to Life. That’s why Paul says,

The believer goes to heaven when he dies—"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". But that’s not the end of the story. As wonderful as that is, it only gets better. For now, dead believers are enjoying the Lord as half-men. But someday their pleasure will be doubled; they’ll enjoy the Lord as whole-men.

That brings me to tonight’s topic, which is the resurrection.

Before we get to what Thomas Watson has to say on the subject, let’s be very clear on what we’re talking about. What is the resurrection?

It is not just life after death. Except for the Sadducees in Israel and the disciples of Lucretius in the Gentile world, all ancient peoples believed in life after death. The Pyramids were built to house dead Pharaohs because the Egyptians believed they were still alive. Socrates thought death was a good thing because it freed the souls of men from the weaknesses of the body.

The resurrection is quite different from that. It is raising the dead body back to life (and for the believer) re-shaping it into the Image of the Lord. It’s not that everyone will look the same in the resurrection, but that everyone will bear a striking resemblance to Christ.

That’s what the resurrection is.

But that’s not what the chapter is about. It’s about the blessings of the resurrection for the saved. On the first page, Watson tells us what they are. Quoting the Shorter Catechism, he says,

In the resurrection—first of all—the body shall be raised,

It’s hard to improve on what he’s said here. Everything is gotten right out of the Bible. This means—if you’re a believer—

1. Some time after you die, your body will rise again.
2. It will be your body that rises (this is not reincarnation).
3. Your body will be fitted to enjoy the presence of God forever.

To the Greeks of Paul’s day, the resurrection was downright stupid. They gave him a respectful hearing till he mentioned it—but then they mocked and called him a babbler. But he made no apology and did not try to accommodate it to their thought patterns. Paul believed in a literal, physical resurrection of the body on some set day in the future. He didn’t say when that day would come, but it would come. And dead bodies would come back to life on that day.

Having stated the doctrine clearly, Watson goes on to give four proofs for it. They are:

1. The Word of God says so.

"I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:44);

He will swallow up death in victory (Isaiah 25:8).

That is, by delivering our bodies from the captivity

Of the grave, wherein death, for a time, had power

Over them. Those who sleep in Jesus, God will

Bring with Him (I Thessalonians 4:14)."

2. The Resurrection of Christ anticipates it.

"Christ is risen, therefore, the bodies of the saints

must rise. Christ did not rise from the dead as a

private person, but as the public head of the church;

and if the Head is raised, the rest of the Body cannot

always lie in the grave. Christ is called the first-

fruits of those who sleep. As the first-fruits is a

sure evidence that the harvest is coming, so the

resurrection of Christ is sure evidence of the rising

of our bodies from the grave".

3. God’s justice demands it.

"If God be just, He will reward the bodies of the

saints as well as their souls. They have served

God with their bodies—their eyes have dropped

Tears for sin, their hands have relieved the poor,

Their tongues have sung God’s praise—therefore

Justice requires that their bodies be crowned as

Well as their souls. And how can that be unless

They are raised from the dead?"

4. The believer’s happiness requires it.

These—I think—are excellent proofs of the resurrection. If God is just, the dead must rise; if heaven is perfect happiness, the dead must rise; if the Bible is trustworthy, the dead must rise; and—most importantly—if Christ is risen, then the dead must rise.

But how can this be? If a man died a thousand years ago, his ashes are spread all over the world. Or—what used to bother me as a kid—what if a man was eaten by a fish, but the fish was caught and eaten by another man? Or—what about a saved man who used to be a cannibal? Some of his body used to be someone else’s body!

Watson has an answer for this,

That’s a bit wordier than it needs to be: Let me sum it up in one word: miracle! No one ever said the resurrection was a natural process; it’s a stupendous miracle—an act of almighty power and wisdom.

The second main point he makes is that the believer will be "openly acquitted" on the Day of Resurrection. This means he will be judged at that time and declared innocent.

A personal note is in order here: When I was a young pastor, I was shocked to find out that most people in the church did not believe in the judgment of Christians. Unbelievers, yes they would be judged on the Last Day—but not believers. That’s what my friends said. When I asked them for a Bible verse to support their beliefs, they almost always named John 5:24. In the NASB, it reads,

There you go—they said: Believing in Christ gets you out of the judgment. The problem is: "judgment" here does not mean the judgment seat of Christ; it means "Condemnation" (which is the word the KJV uses here). We use the word "judge" or "judgment" in different ways; there’s no reason the Bible cannot do the same. If I say "My wife is always judging me", I don’t mean she is evaluating everything I do; I means she’s condemning me all the time!

Believers will not be not condemned (John 3:18). But we will be judged One Day. Many verses plainly teach that everyone will stand in the judgment on the last day—including Christians (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14, Acts 17:31, Romans 14:10, II Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:12).

But in that Judgment—Watson says—believers will "stand acquitted".

Right now, men condemn us—they exaggerate our faults or make them up, even! Fallen angels certainly condemn us, as the devil did to Job long ago; they are "accusers of the brethren". Our own hearts often condemn us. They smart when we sin and, often, they make us wonder if we’re saved or not.

But on the Day of Judgment, all condemnation will be swallowed up in the love of Christ. What is objectively true now, when then be felt—forever,

Because we will be judged one day, we must take life seriously, obey the Lord, and make the most of the opportunities we have of serving Him. But, even though it is sobering, the Day of Judgment holds no terror for the believer.

And here’s why: Our Judge is also our Defense Attorney. When Christ pleads His own blood, the Judge will accept it on our behalf.

Believers will be "openly acquitted on the Day of Judgment". Thus, what scares the dickens out of us now, when be a big and happy surprise then.

The resurrection is still in the future—maybe tomorrow morning, maybe a billion years from now—nobody know when. But the fact of the resurrection provides much comfort in the here-and-now.

This means death is not the end for you (if you’re a believer). It also means your saved loved ones are not dead, but only sleeping in Christ, awaiting the Alarm Clock that will ring on the Last Day.

It also means what you do matters. The Epicurean said, "Eat, drink, and be merry—for tomorrow we die". But the Christian says, "Worship God and serve your neighbor—for tomorrow we live!"

In light of the resurrection—Paul said,

But what about the unsaved? Will they, too, be raised from the dead on the Last Day? The Bible says they will be. Our text says there will be a

Thus, death does not destroy the sinner. Something much worse awaits him. Because He rejected God in body and soul, both will be united that day—to suffer forever. God

And not only can He do it. He will do it. Thus, it’s time to repent of your sins and to believe in Jesus Christ. Why don’t you? Why not now?

The love of God be with you. For Christ’s sake. Amen.