March 31, 2024
“Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.” Matthew 28:5-6
”Let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
Why should anyone believe in the Resurrection of Christ? Believe it or not, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a biblical and historical fact. Don’t be discouraged by doubters who deny Christ’s Resurrection, but be filled with hope because of the knowledge that one day you will see the living proof when Christ returns.
First of all, the Resurrection of Christ is the center of our Christian Faith. Because Christ rose from the dead as He promised, we know that what He said is true – He is God. Because He rose from the dead, we have certainty that our sins are forgiven. Because He rose, He lives and represents us to God. Because He rose and defeated death, we know we will also be raised.
The Greek word ‘anastasis’ translated as resurrection comes from the word meaning “to rise”. Resurrection is a state in which Believers in Christ enjoy their eternal destiny a life beyond this life because Jesus lives, we too shall live with Him the resurrection of Christ is the proof and power of the gospel.
The Resurrection of Jesus is the key to the Christian faith. Why?
♥ Just as He promised, Jesus rose from the dead. We can be confident, therefore, that He will accomplish all He has promised.
♥ Jesus’ bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ is the ruler of God’s eternal kingdom, not a false prophet or impostor.
♥ We can be certain of our resurrection because He was resurrected. Death is not the end, there is future life.
♥ The power that brought Jesus back to life is available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life.
♥ The resurrection is the basis for the church’s witness to the world. Jesus is more than just a human leader; He is the Son of God.
There will always be people who say that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. The Apostle Paul assures us that many people saw Jesus after His resurrection: Peter, the disciples – the Twelve, more than five hundred Christian believers, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this, although some had died. James, Jesus’ brother, all the apostles, and finally Paul himself.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
“Let me now remind you, dear brothers, and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.
It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message, I told you, unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. So, it makes no difference whether I preach, or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.” (NLT)
Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons:
- Demonstrates the immense power of God Himself. In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.
- Validates who Jesus claimed to be, namely, the Son of God and Messiah. According to Jesus, His resurrection was the “sign from heaven” that authenticated His ministry noted in Matthew 16:1-4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, attested to by hundreds of eyewitnesses in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 provides irrefutable proof that He is the Savior of the world.
- Proves His sinless character and divine nature. The Scriptures said God’s “Holy One” would never see corruption, Psalm 16:10, and Jesus never saw corruption, even after He died noted in Acts 13:32–37. It was based on the resurrection of Christ that Paul preached, “Through Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin” according to Acts 13:38–39.
- Authenticates His deity, but it also validates the Old Testament prophecies that foretold of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection in Acts 17:2-3. Christ’s resurrection also verified His own claims that He would be raised on the third day in Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34. If Jesus Christ is not resurrected, then we have no hope that we will be, either.
We Can Be Certain of Our RESURRECTION Because of CHRIST’S RESURRECTION!
The RESURRECTION is Our ONLY HOPE FOR ETERNAL LIFE.
The Resurrection of Christ offers Believers hope for the future. 1 Peter 1:3, says, “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.” This “living hope” is rooted in the reality of Christ’s resurrection and assures believers of their own future resurrection and eternal life in the presence of God. If Christ had not been resurrected from death, Christians could not be forgiven for their sins and would have no hope of eternal life.
The Resurrection of Christ is indeed the cornerstone of hope for Christians, and it holds profound significance in the Christian faith
The Heartbeat of A Resurrected Life Gives us as Believers in Christ:
Resurrection as Victory Over Death: In the Gospels, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is depicted as the ultimate triumph over death. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, it says, “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.” This victory over death through Christ’s resurrection provides believers with the assurance that death is not the end, but rather a doorway to eternal life.
Assurance of Salvation: The resurrection of Jesus serves as the foundation of Christian faith and belief in salvation. Romans 10:9, states, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This verse emphasizes the essential role of Christ’s resurrection in the salvation of believers. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and provided a pathway for humanity to be reconciled with God, offering the promise of forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in Him.
Hope for the Future: The resurrection of Christ offers believers hope for the future. 1 Peter 1:3, says, “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.” This “living hope“ is rooted in the reality of Christ’s resurrection and assures believers of their own future resurrection and eternal life in the presence of God.
Transformation and Renewal: The resurrection of Jesus not only secures our hope for eternal life but also empowers believers to experience transformation and renewal in their lives. Romans 6:4, says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Through faith in Christ, believers are united with Him in His death and resurrection, enabling them to live transformed lives marked by righteousness, hope, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The GOOD NEWS is that Our Resurrected Body Will Be ETERNAL – Live FOREVER.
Paul launches into a discussion about what our resurrected body will be like. If you could select your own body, what kind would you choose-strong, athletic, beautiful? Paul explains that we will be recognized in our resurrected body, yet it will be better than we can imagine, for it will be made to live forever. We will still have our own personality and individuality, but these will be perfected through Christ’s work. The Bible does not reveal everything that our resurrected body will be able to do, but we know it will be perfect, without sickness or disease Philippians 3:21.
Jesus said in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life” and in that statement claimed to be the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, no eternal life. Jesus does more than give life; He is life, and that’s why death has no power over Him. Jesus confers His life on those who trust in Him so that we can share His triumph over death in 1 John 5:11–12. We who believe in Jesus Christ will personally experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, we have overcome death. It is impossible for death to win! 1 Corinthians 15:53–57.
HEART 
CHALLENGE: The importance of the Resurrection of Christ has an impact on our service to the Lord NOW! Paul ends his writing on the resurrection with these words: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” in 1 Corinthians 15:58. Because we know we will be resurrected to new life, we can endure persecution and danger for Christ’s sake. Why should we ourselves risk our lives for the cause of Christ? Paul says it like this in 1 Corinthians 15:30-32. For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you. And what value was there in fighting wild beasts, those people of Ephesus—if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die.” just as our Lord did! Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, thousands of Christian martyrs throughout history have willingly traded their earthly lives for everlasting life and the promise of resurrection.
What are you willing to do for Christ?
AN ETERNAL 
HEART: As Christians and Believers in Christ we believe that our resurrected body will be eternal. The resurrection of Jesus was the essential aspect of God’s plan to allow us to spend eternity with him. Because Jesus was raised from the dead with a new body, we can be assured that He has the power over death and that we, too, will be resurrected one day with new bodies and live forever with him in heaven. John 3:16 reminds us that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:42 also reminding us that, “It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. That is GOOD NEWS!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your Word that provides us with clear instructions on living eternally. Thank You for the resurrection that provides for us the assurance of victory over death, and salvation, and gives us hope for eternity, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen.
Reference: Logos Bible