What the Resurrection Means to Us!
What the Resurrection Means to Us!
The greatest event in the history of mankind was the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. There are four (4) things that the resurrection means to me, and I hope to you:
1. The resurrection teaches that Jesus truly was God. He is the Word that existed with God in the beginning and He Is God. John 1:1-3, 14 states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
2. The resurrection teaches us that we have a living Savior. There are many famous tombs in the world today. Every world religion has one or more graves that mean a lot to that group’s followers. Go to one of these graves, and a follower of that faith will have to say “Here lies the founder of our religion.” But go to the grave of Jesus Christ…and you can still hear, through the ear of faith, the voice of the angel ringing in your ears: “He is not here, for He is risen.” (Matthew 28:6) Mark 16:6 says “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him.”
3. The resurrection is proof that death is not the end of life; but the beginning. I Corinthians 15:50-57 says “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We can face our Savior justified if we are obedient to the gospel of Christ; having put on Christ in baptism; and living a faithful Christian life. Then death will be a new beginning for each of us.
4. Every first day of the week, we as Christians observe our Lord’s death, not on just one Sunday a year. In Acts 20:7 we read “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” Each week has a first day, and the Scriptures teach us that we are to assemble each first day of the week, on Sunday, to partake of the Lord’s Supper, which was instituted by our Lord in the night in which He was betrayed. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 we read “that the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also He took the cup, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come.” The birth of Jesus is important, His ministry of about 3 years is important, His death is important, but praise God, His resurrection is the reason we assemble today. Had it not been for His resurrection from the grave, we would have no hope.
You may be here today and have never obeyed the gospel of Christ. The Scriptures give but One Way to the throne of God. Romans 10:17 states “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Hebrews 11:6 states “without faith it is impossible to be pleasing to God and we must believe that He is.” Luke 13:3 tells us “except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” Matthew 10:32 states “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.” Romans 10:10 states “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Acts 2:38 states “we must be baptized for the remission of sins.” 1 Peter 3:21 tells us this “like figure of water baptism doth also now save us.”
Jimmy
04/11/2009