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Resurrection Promise and Power
By Jack Graham
The
great spiritual song Were
you There? asks this question: Were you there when He rose up from the
dead?
That
is a thought-provoking question.
Of
course, it seems impossible. We, living 2,000 years later, wish we had been
there.
To
have witnessed the resurrection would have been the greatest privilege
imaginable, to physically see the risen Christ and feel His embrace.
But
while we weren’t there then, the fact is: we are there now.
Believers
claim Jesus literally rose from the dead physically. Without the risen Savior,
there is no Christian faith.
As the Apostle Paul said: “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and
your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians
15:14).
For
every Christian, the resurrection is not only real, but relevant. The reality
of the resurrection is central and critical to everything we believe.
The
evidence is compelling. Jesus rose.
But
beyond the fact that Jesus came out of the grave, you must answer the
questions: Why does it matter? And what does this mean to me personally?
So
think about the vital importance of the resurrection and how it affects us
today.
For
one, the resurrection matters today because we can live forgiven lives. Every
person lives with the consequences of sin.
We
all experience brokenness, shame and guilt because sin destroys everything and
everyone in its path.
Romans 6:23 says: “For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.”
The
resurrection means I can be unchained from the bondage of sin and delivered
from its power.
The first words Jesus stated from the cross are words of
forgiveness. “Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
He
lived, died and rose again so that we can be forgiven.
His
blood cleanses from sin and the risen Redeemer now guarantees that He has
conquered sin, death and hell.
Because
of the resurrection, we know God has accepted the Savior’s sacrifice and we are
forgiven.
If
Jesus is still in the grave, we are still in our sins. But because He lives, we
can live forgiven and free!
A
dead Savior can forgive no one. But our Lord did not die a meaningless death.
The
resurrection proves that He has the authority to forgive sin, and now we know
we are forgiven.
Every
sin and all the shame are forever gone because they are buried in an empty
tomb!
Jesus
carried our sins to the cross and then the grave.
The burial of Jesus is a part of the Gospel: “For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance
with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures” (1
Corinthians 15:3-4).
Our
sin is forever buried in the grave of God’s forgetfulness. He remembers our sin
no more.
Why?
Because Jesus is alive.
The
lyrics from Wilbur Chapman’s hymn One Day When Heaven Was Filled With Praises captures
this wonderful truth:
“Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day.”
The
resurrection also assures us that Jesus can transform our lives every day.
We
live empowered by the presence of Jesus to live changed lives.
We
not only are forgiven, but we are filled with the mighty power of God who
raised Jesus from the dead.
Paul
called this “the power of the
resurrection.”
Jesus
is no longer someone we know about, He is someone we know.
“That I may
know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).
The
most life-changing truth I have learned as a Christian is the “saving life of Christ.”
We
are not only saved by His death but also by His life — meaning the risen Lord
lives in us by His Holy Spirit.
His
divinity inhabits my humanity. I can live the Christian life not in my own
strength, but in the strength of a risen Savior.
We can plug into power every day — Galatians 2:20 power. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no
longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Some
question whether people can really change. We’re being told that people are
stuck in a lifestyle and can never be different — that once a person’s
personality and behavior are set, it is impossible to change.
If
I believed that, I would close my Bible and never mention Jesus again.
But
I know Jesus changes lives. He has changed mine and millions and millions of
others through the generations.
He
transforms the hateful and the angry into loving, caring people. He changes the
selfish into generous givers and the immoral into men and women of character.
The
resurrection raises us from the death of sin to a life of righteousness.
The
Bible says in Romans 1:4 that Jesus is shown to be the Son of God with power by
His resurrection from the dead.
The
mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same resurrection power
that lives in us today.
So
the resurrection means we are forgiven and transformed by the power of the
Living Lord. Sin and death have no power over us.
We
can overcome every temptation and endure every trial because of the
resurrection. The risen Christ lives in us day by day, enabling us to walk in
victorious faith and obedience.
This
is not behavior modification. It is the living, transforming power of Jesus! We
have a new life in Christ.
The
resurrection matters today because we now have a living hope.
The Scripture says: “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Hope
is not wishful thinking. It is the sure and confident expectation that our
future is in His hands.
Hope
means Jesus is the Lord of our todays and our tomorrows.
The
risen Redeemer is coming again in power and glory, and we can live in
expectation that we will one day be with Him forever. We can live every day in
the certainty and security of this promise.
Eternity
matters today because our future with a risen and reigning Savior is certain.
This
is not an unrealistic expectation or “pie
in the sky!”
The
Christian’s claim of eternal life is assured by the reality of the
resurrection.
We
no longer fear death because we know our Savior lives. Christ has destroyed
death and has given us a living hope.
So,
yes the resurrection of Christ matters yesterday, today and forever. It matters
because we are now forgiven, transformed and triumphant in hope.
“Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
Sometimes I feel like shouting glory, glory, glory!
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?”
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
Sometimes I feel like shouting glory, glory, glory!
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?”
Yes,
we are there. May you live every day in the glorious reality of the
resurrection and share this message of eternal life with others.
Scripture quotations are taken by permission from The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version, ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of
Good News Publishers.
Pastor
Graham started PowerPoint Ministries 25 years ago because he believed that
God’s Word should reach beyond the walls of the church.
Since
then, friends like you have rallied to keep broadcasting the Gospel on TV, on
the radio, and online… and now millions of people in 113 countries worldwide
are being impacted with the Word of God!
Testimonies
keep streaming in from people who have come to know Jesus for the first time or
have returned to Him, like Jennifer. She says:
“Your
radio ministry inspired my husband and me to get back into church. Thank you
for being such an amazing vessel for God.”
You
play a vital part in this growing, global ministry. The Lord uses your gifts
and prayers to transform many lives like Jennifer’s. Thank you for your
faithful support!
