CHRIST HAS RISEN!

WE ARE JOYOUSLY PRIVILEGED TO WORSHIP THE RISEN SAVIOR!
HIS RESURRECTION WAS HISTORICALLY VERIFIED BY MANY WITNESSES:

1 – The empty tomb – His body was never found, in spite of the fact that the Pharisees and the Romans did all they could do to protect the tomb’s entrance.

2 – The Roman guards knew that Christ was no longer in the tomb, and the Pharisees had to pay them to lie about the reason for His disappearance.

3 – The witness of Mary Magdalene and other women who went to the tomb and found it empty.

4 – The witness of the disciples to whom Christ appeared; even Thomas, who was at first dubious, soon believed when he saw the risen Lord.

5 – Paul records that over 500 witnesses saw the risen Savior.

6 – Paul saw Christ on the way to Damascus, and his life was transformed from a persecutor to a witness who was willing to suffer and die for preaching of the risen Savior.

7 – Innumerable martyrs died because they believed that Christ rose from the dead.

The resurrection of Christ provides these foundational truths for our salvation by faith:

FIRST OF ALL: ASSURANCE – GOD APPROVED THE SACRIFICE

Philippians 2:8-11

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand, He declared the sacrifice of Christ acceptable in His eyes. We know that the penalty for our sins was paid completely on the cross. May we live according to this truth.

SECONDLY: OUR PAST HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF

Romans 1:4-7

and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3

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,

We know we are born again when we repent and believe, because of the resurrection. May our lives be lived in light of this wonderful truth.

THIRDLY: OUR PRESENT IS SURE

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The resurrection of Christ assures us that we are not in our sins anymore. When we confess our sins, we can know with certainty according to this truth that we are forgiven. May we live a life of purity because this is true.

           

FOURTHLY:  OUR FUTURE IS SECURE

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

            “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

            “O death, where is your victory?

              O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have eternal life! Death has been defeated; we have a secure future in heaven with the Lord for eternity. May our lives be a light, even during our hard times, because of this wonderful truth.

How should we the respond?

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

May we truly be steadfast and immovable, no matter how hard life can get: may our service for God be unwavering because we know that our labor is not in vain. We might not see the results, but we know the One who controls the future will see that His Word goes out to accomplish exactly what He has purposed to bring about!

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, we are most blessed!