This weekend, more than a billion people around the world will celebrate an event that took place 2,000 years ago: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is alive! The words of the angel ring out today: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen.” The Bible clearly declares: Jesus Christ is alive.
Take away the resurrection and Jesus Christ becomes a fraud and a shyster. Take away the resurrection and the Christian faith is a farce. Without the resurrection, all hope of salvation and forgiveness is gone.
But thanks be to God, Jesus did rise from the dead. Jesus is alive today. Our faith, our forgiveness and our salvation, rest on a firm foundation.
There’s a lot of confusion about what actually took place and why it matters. Scientists have tried to disprove it, philosophers have tried to reason it away and skeptics have ridiculed the idea, but the fact remains: Jesus Christ is alive.
This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. (Acts 2:23-2).
The resurrection of Jesus is an historical fact. It wasn’t done in secret. All in Jerusalem knew about it and eventually everyone in the Roman Empire learned about it. It was news. If CNN had been there, they would have had it live.
Jesus’ enemies were angry but could not disprove it. The Roman authorities were helpless to discount it. It actually happened, the most significant event in history.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE RESURRECTION?
Jesus was literally raised from the dead.
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ (Luke 24:5-7).
The stone was rolled away, not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in, to see Jesus was gone. Jesus literally came out of the grave.
The resurrection is not poetry or allegory. Jesus did not turn into a ghost or a phantom. Jesus died and came back to life.
Jesus received a new resurrection body.
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:26-27).
Jesus received a new, resurrection body. It had much in common with his old body but there were major differences. He was no longer limited to time and space. He could go through walls, he could appear suddenly at different geographic locations.
Jesus proved he was alive to his followers.
After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3).
A lot of people saw him after the resurrection. There are at least 15 references to Jesus meeting and talking with people. Sometimes it was one person, at times to the 11 disciples and once, to more than 500 people. He ate and conversed with them. There was no doubt. Jesus proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They were so convinced, they were willing to die for him.
WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION MEAN?
The resurrection vindicates Jesus’ ministry and validates the Christian faith.
Jesus is who he claimed to be.
Jesus made some outrageous claims.
Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6).
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies… (John 11:25).
Jesus said things like:
I’m God,
He who has seen me has seen the Father,
I’m perfect,
I’m the only way to heaven and,
I’m the Savior of the world.
Those are incredible claims!
A lot of people try to make Jesus out to be simply a good teacher but a good teacher would never say the things Jesus said, unless they were true. Jesus is either who he said he was, or he is the biggest fraud the world has ever seen.
One day Jesus cleared the money-changers out of the temple because they had turned the temple into a flea market. Jesus marched in, overturned their tables and threw them out. They asked, “What right do you have to do this?” He said, because I am God. They said, prove it, to which he responded, I will. After you kill me, I’m going to come back to life after three days. He claimed to be God and said his resurrection would back up his claim.
Paul wrote, … through the Spirit of holiness (Jesus) was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead… (Romans 1:4).
The resurrection is a divine announcement declaring, for everyone to hear that Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus has the power he claimed to have.
Because Jesus is God, he could do whatever God can do.
Mark wrote, … they will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise. (Mark 10:34).
Jesus said, No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. (John 10:18).
Jesus claimed to have the power to rise from the dead. From our perspective, death is the most powerful force. It’s final; there’s no return. But Jesus said, watch me! I can do the impossible and his resurrection proved he had the power he claimed to have.
The Romans killed him and placed his body in the tomb. The stone, the Roman seal and the guards merely tried to prevent the inevitable. Jesus had all the power in the world. No one could stand against him and no force could stop him.
The resurrection proves Jesus has the power he claimed to have and has the power to do for you whatever you need!
Jesus does what he promises to do.
The cross was no surprise to Jesus. It was all part of God’s plan.
When you think about it, there’s some irony in the Easter story. How would you have felt if you had been among the soldiers who put Jesus to death? You publicly execute this person in front of thousands of witnesses who watch him die, have him buried, put a stone put over the entrance, seal it shut and post a guard and then three days later you see him walking around the city again. If you were one of the Roman soldiers, what would you say to him if you met him on the sidewalk in Jerusalem?
The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:5-6).
Notice the words: just as he said. He said he would rise and he did. He did what he promised.
When God makes a promise, you can count on it. The resurrection proves he does what he says he will do.
WHY DOES THE RESURRECTION MATTER TO ME?
My past can be forgiven.
Have you ever wished you could start life over? Many people wish they could. We have regrets and guilt. Many people can’t get on with the present or face the future, because they are imprisoned by the past.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14).
… having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14).
This is God’s pardon program. He nailed all our sins to the cross. Jesus paid for our guilt. That means we don’t have to pay. He was hanged for our hang-ups. He was nailed to the cross, so we can stop nailing ourselves to the cross.
The cross cancels every record of all the moral debts I owe. How long do you think about a bill that’s been paid? Once it is paid, I forget about it. Once God’s forgiven your past, forget it. Jesus has. You can walk with a clean slate.
The resurrection proves God accepted the cross as complete payment for our sins.
ii. My present can be lived with God’s presence and power.
Much of life is unmanageable. It doesn’t matter if you are a single parent, unemployed or a student in school, much of life is beyond our control.
Here’s the good news: what’s beyond your control, can be under God’s control. You can’t control everything in your life, but God can.
I’ve heard people say, “My life is out of control” and “I feel powerless to change.” You need a power greater than yourself. You were never meant to live solely on your own. God wants to have a relationship with you.
… his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms… (Ephesians 1:19-20).
The same power that enabled Jesus to rise from the dead, will help you rise above your problems. God’s resurrection power is available for you right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but God does. Though the future is out of my control, it’s not out of his control. He will give me strength and will walk with me.
iii. My future is secure because he gives me hope.
People don’t like to talk about death. Just invite your friends over for coffee and say, “Let’s talk about death” and see what happens!
Death is universal. Everybody dies. I’m going to die and so are you. Only a fool would go through life unprepared for something he knows is going to happen. It doesn’t make sense to be unprepared.
Everyone wants to know, “What’s going to happen when I die?”
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3).
When we are born again, we experience a living hope. That hope is based on Christ’s resurrection and takes away any fear of death.
… by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15).
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
Because of Jesus’ resurrection, I have hope for the future. Because he lives, I too shall live.
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