The Resurrection
Today millions of Christians will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Clearly the Resurrection is a stunning miracle but what are the lasting results of the Resurrection?
First, the Resurrection gives us certainty. No other religious leader predicted their own death and resurrection and then backed it up. Not Mohammed. Not Buddha. Jesus made some outrageous claims. He claimed to be God. He claimed to be the only way to Heaven. He offered compelling evidence that his claims were true. He opened the eyes of the blind, healed the paralyzed and even raised the dead! But nothing compared to predicting his own death and Resurrection. Had he remained dead he would have been revealed as a fraud, but instead he rose from the dead and appeared to hundreds of people. He even appeared to people who were not his followers. His half-brother James did not believe his outrageous claims until he encountered Jesus after the Resurrection. Seriously, what would it take to convince you that your sibling was the Son of God? For James it took a Resurrection. Jesus even appeared to Saul one of the church’s greatest enemies. That encounter changed Saul to Paul, from persecutor of the church to preacher, church planter and apostle. Paul, former enemy of the church, died a martyr’s death because the Resurrection erased his doubts and changed his destiny.
Second, the Resurrection gives us hope. It gives us hope for the here and now. We all face challenges in our lives: trauma, financial difficulties, broken relationships but nothing compares to death. If Jesus can defeat death anything we face can be dealt with. This does not guarantee that Jesus will always answer our prayers “our way” but it does mean no matter the situation there is ALWAYS HOPE. Nothing is impossible with God! That addiction that is killing you does not get the last word. The relational pain that is haunting you can be healed. The Resurrection offers credible, compelling hope for our present.
In addition, the Resurrection gives us hope for the hereafter. No one defeats death. But Jesus did! He predicted his own death and walked out of his own grave. Throughout human history and in every culture there has been a desire for an afterlife. Jesus proves there is life beyond the grave. He reveals that death is not just an end but offers a new beginning. For the Christian, Jesus promises that he goes to prepare a place for us. The new Heavens and the new Earth is a place where pain, sorrow, sin, illness and death are no more. It is a place where we do not need funeral directors, social workers, doctors, policemen and prison guards. He offers us a place of peace, perfection and the ultimate presence of God. A place where selfishness is a memory and selflessness is the norm. A place of unending joy beyond what we can imagine. A place where every relationship is better than the best marriage. A place where worry and conflict are absent, and laughter is prominent.
The Resurrection of Jesus assures victory over death for all his followers. Death is defeated. Christ is Risen!
Pastor Derek Dickinson
Journey Christian Church
First, the Resurrection gives us certainty. No other religious leader predicted their own death and resurrection and then backed it up. Not Mohammed. Not Buddha. Jesus made some outrageous claims. He claimed to be God. He claimed to be the only way to Heaven. He offered compelling evidence that his claims were true. He opened the eyes of the blind, healed the paralyzed and even raised the dead! But nothing compared to predicting his own death and Resurrection. Had he remained dead he would have been revealed as a fraud, but instead he rose from the dead and appeared to hundreds of people. He even appeared to people who were not his followers. His half-brother James did not believe his outrageous claims until he encountered Jesus after the Resurrection. Seriously, what would it take to convince you that your sibling was the Son of God? For James it took a Resurrection. Jesus even appeared to Saul one of the church’s greatest enemies. That encounter changed Saul to Paul, from persecutor of the church to preacher, church planter and apostle. Paul, former enemy of the church, died a martyr’s death because the Resurrection erased his doubts and changed his destiny.
Second, the Resurrection gives us hope. It gives us hope for the here and now. We all face challenges in our lives: trauma, financial difficulties, broken relationships but nothing compares to death. If Jesus can defeat death anything we face can be dealt with. This does not guarantee that Jesus will always answer our prayers “our way” but it does mean no matter the situation there is ALWAYS HOPE. Nothing is impossible with God! That addiction that is killing you does not get the last word. The relational pain that is haunting you can be healed. The Resurrection offers credible, compelling hope for our present.
In addition, the Resurrection gives us hope for the hereafter. No one defeats death. But Jesus did! He predicted his own death and walked out of his own grave. Throughout human history and in every culture there has been a desire for an afterlife. Jesus proves there is life beyond the grave. He reveals that death is not just an end but offers a new beginning. For the Christian, Jesus promises that he goes to prepare a place for us. The new Heavens and the new Earth is a place where pain, sorrow, sin, illness and death are no more. It is a place where we do not need funeral directors, social workers, doctors, policemen and prison guards. He offers us a place of peace, perfection and the ultimate presence of God. A place where selfishness is a memory and selflessness is the norm. A place of unending joy beyond what we can imagine. A place where every relationship is better than the best marriage. A place where worry and conflict are absent, and laughter is prominent.
The Resurrection of Jesus assures victory over death for all his followers. Death is defeated. Christ is Risen!
Pastor Derek Dickinson
Journey Christian Church
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