Sermon: Questions on Jesus’ Miracles, Activity in Hell, and the Body in Hell

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Questions on Jesus’ Miracles, Activity in Hell, and the Body in Hell 

Questions from the First and Second Grade Wednesday Class

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • June 19, In the year of our Lord, 2016

Scripture Reader and Reading: Dan Calvert – Colossians 4.2–6

Song Leader and Song Suggestions: Phil Joseph – Songs on the Bible

Persuasion: 

1. How many miracles did Jesus do? 
   1. We do not know, but He did many.
      1. John 21 makes a statement that emphasizes how much Jesus did,
         
         24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen (John 21.24–25).
         
         1. That tells us the Holy Spirit
         2. put a limit on the recorded miracles of Christ.
      2. Listen to Matthew describe the miraculous ministry of Jesus,
         
         23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan (Matt 4.23–25).
         
      3. Did He do hundreds, even thousands, of miracles?
         1. I would say, Yes, because
         2. He healed everyone who came to Him, and
            1. He traveled throughout all of the land of Israel.
            2. The only time He did not do miracles
               1. were when people demanded that He do them
               2. to prove that He was the Son of God.
   2. Sometimes He went to a town and did little to no miracles,
      
      5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them (Mark 6.5).
      
      1. His hometown of Nazareth closed their hearts to Him, and so
      2. He could not do mighty works, or miracles, there.
         1. It was not that He lacked power, but
         2. they just did not go to Him.
            1. He would not force a healing on anyone.
            2. Those who wanted it, received it.
   3. The Gospel According to John
      1. only reveals seven miracles that Jesus performed on others, and
      2. an eighth miracle was Jesus resurrecting Himself from the dead.
         1. John says that the recording of those few miracles
         2. were enough to persuade someone of the true identity of Jesus,
            
            30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20.30–31).
            
            1. If those 7 or 8 miracles
            2. would not persuade someone to believe,
               1. would a hundred or more persuade them?
               2. Jesus did miracles for those with open hearts.
2. What do people do in Hell? 
   1. In a word: Suffer.
      1. In Luke 13, Jesus pictured the horror that people experience in hell,
         
         28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out” (Luke 13.28).
         
         1. That tells us those in hell
         2. shall be able to see those in heaven, and
            1. knowing that they shall never enter heaven, and
            2. seeing all that they are missing,
               1. will make them weep with great sorrow, and
               2. they shall gnash their teeth in great anger at themselves.
      2. In Matthew 13, Jesus speaks of those cast into hell,
         
         50 “…and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13.50).
         
         1. This pictures the incredible pain of those lost in hell.
         2. It is said that fire causes the greatest pain, and so
            1. the Lord used the imagery of fire
            2. to help us understand the utter pain there.
      3. In Matthew 8, speaks of another horror of hell,
         
         12 “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 8.12).
         
         1. Imagine living in total darkness forever!
         2. That pictures the feeling of being lost.
   2. There are somethings that we do here, which will not be done there.
      1. They do not sing there.
      2. They do not have fun.
      3. They do not get to sin without guilt.
      4. They will not listen to sermons.
      5. They will not sit through long worship services.
      6. They will not give any money for a collection.
3. Does your body burn up in Hell? 
   1. Yes and no.
   2. In Matthew 10 Jesus said,
      
      28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10.28).
      
      1. God can destroy the body in hell, because
      2. the resurrection will have occurred.
         1. The resurrection is when the Lord
         2. reunites the spirit with the body.
            1. The body is then changed into one that cannot die.
            2. Therefore, it experiences eternal destruction, or
               1. destruction that goes on endlessly.
               2. It will always be in the process of destruction.
   3. In Mark 9, Jesus painted a vivid picture of the body and hell,
      
      47 “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where

      ‘Their worm does not die
      And the fire is not quenched.’”

      (Mark 9.47–48)
      

      1. It is better to go to heaven with one eye,
      2. than to go to hell with two eyes.
      3. Why is that the case?
         1. He explained why in verse 48.
         2. In hell fire,
            1. the worm, part of the decaying process,
            2. does not die, for
               1. the body will experience a decay process
               2. that never stops.
      4. The fire is not quenched for lack of fuel, but
         1. the body will have the ability to continue eternally,
         2. being on fire without ever going out,
            
            11 “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Rev 14.11).
            
            1. The smoke ascends forever and ever, because
            2. it keeps burning, and
               1. people will never have a break from the fire, but
               2. it will go on day and night.

Exhortation: 

1. This is why Jesus came. 
   1. He knows what is coming for the lost.
   2. He knows how horrible hell will be.
      1. He does not want anyone to experience it,
      2. not even His enemies.
2. That is why we must become Christians. 
   1. We have laid out before us eternity.
   2. However, we have the choice whether
      1. to live eternally with God in heaven, or
      2. to exist eternally with the devil and his angels,
         1. who will also be cast into hell.
         2. What choice shall you make?