Jesus Christ Really Does Change Lives

Year 1 Newsletter 13

Reflections on the Resurrection!

Enjoy this passage about the resurrection from Charles Wagner's book, Take Every Passage to Prayer, Volume 2 - The Gospels.

The Importance of the Resurrection to Christianity

1. Father, the resurrection of Jesus’ body was validation that Jesus’ spirit had risen as well. If Jesus’ invisible spirit had resurrected, leaving behind His decaying corpse, how would we ever believe in life after death? The fatalism in our world would be crushing and comprehensive. A feeling of hopelessness would be in every person’s heart. People would feel life has no meaning or purpose since it all ends in nothingness. It was essential that humanity witnessed the resurrected body of Jesus Christ so that we would know there is life after death for our bodies and souls.
    
2. If Jesus could not overcome death, the human race would be lost.[1]
   
   
   • “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned -To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law…For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:12-13,17)
   • “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)
   • “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) 
   • “Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.... Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful... What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:9-11, 13, 24)
   • “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (I Corinthians 15:13-19.)
   • “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (I Corinthians 15:56)
   • “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:15)

If Jesus had never escaped death, He would have remained under the curse of our sin. If Jesus, who was perfect, righteous, and holy, could not escape the curse of sin, how much more could we not escape it as well? Sin, and its wages, which is death, would have been victorious forever.[2] Without His resurrection, Jesus becomes an idealistic but pitiful man whose inspiring words and example crashed and burned. His entire ministry would have ended in defeat. The shedding of Jesus’ blood for our sins, and the excruciating agony He suffered on Good Friday, would have been meaningless if Jesus had not resurrected from the dead. What is the use of Jesus being the perfect Lamb of God if even people forgiven of their sin cannot escape the clutches of eternal death? If Jesus had never resurrected, we could legitimately ask what is the value in being forgiven of our sin? Why even bother with it? We get nothing in return for confessing our sin and repenting. Even a righteous walk with You on earth would have no meaning after death separates us from You forever.

1. If Jesus did not overcome death, His claim to be Your Son would have been discredited. Who can imagine the Father not delivering His beloved Son from death? When Jesus said, “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?”[3], He felt total separation from You. That separation would last forever. The triune God would have been reduced to the Father and Holy Spirit.
   
    
2. Had Jesus not resurrected from the dead, we could legitimately call Him a liar. We could also call Him a lunatic. He had promised that on the third day He would be resurrected. His entire portfolio of teachings and miracles would become fodder for comedy, sarcasm, and satire as “this fool” could not save Himself from death.
   
    
3. Without Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples would have remained the bumbling cowards that they were before His death. Their lives would not have been transformed by seeing the resurrected Jesus. They would not have started and built the church. Christianity would have never taken off as a faith. The only mention of Jesus today would have been in scholarly publications, read only by intellectuals, that discussed obscure teachers from long ago.
   
    
4. Without Jesus’ resurrection, this world would consist of pure egomaniacs who couldn’t care less for the concerns of others. It is Jesus’ example of giving up His life for others, and that He was rewarded for that with His resurrection, that inspires people today to serve others humbly and lovingly. Where would be the incentive today to serve others if we are all destined to eternal death regardless of how many good deeds we do for others? If Jesus had not come back to life, not only would there not be hope for the individual but there would not be hope for justice in this world either. Why bother trying to make this world a better place if this world is destined to death? It is the hope of salvation for our souls that gives us hope that You will also help our communities and nations renew, recover, thrive, and prosper.
   
    
5. Without the resurrection of Jesus, there would be no hope at funerals for loved ones who have passed. We would all know that we will never see those who have passed again. Forever. The despair at funerals would be far worse than it is today as we are comforted with the hope of the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ.
   
    
6. In Matthew 3:16, we learn that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit at that time. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus throughout His ministry and, logically speaking[4], throughout His crucifixion. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then death had defeated the presence and work of the Holy Spirit as well as Jesus. In other words, two of the three persons of the triune God would have been forever defeated. Since You gave Your Son and the Holy Spirit the mission to rescue the world from sin, You would have been forever defeated as well.

1. If Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, there would be no hope for a new heaven and new earth. If death and decay was victorious over the Son of God, death and decay of our planet will also be victorious. There would be no hope for us ever experiencing a perfect world.

In Genesis 1:26-31, we learn that You created the first human being. This person, Adam, was made in Your image. Despite what our climate change enthusiasts tell us today, You gave man authority over birds, fish, and animals. You commanded mankind to be fruitful and to fill the earth. You saw all that You made and said it was very good. This included the human being, from the hair on his head to the soles of his feet. If Jesus had never resurrected from the dead, Your image would have been eternally corrupted by death and decay. 
 

Reflections on Easter from Maryland