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The Resurrection: The Purpose and Promise

April 24, 2011

Excerpt taken from All About Jesus Christ:

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’” (John 11:25).” The resurrection of Christ was foretold hundreds of years before His miracle birth. He also foretold this event to His disciples (though they didn’t initially understand). He is the Resurrection, as hundreds witnessed.

The Son of God was sacrificed on our behalf for the purpose of atoning for our sins. When Jesus taught this to the people of that time, many considered it heresy and as a result, they demanded His death by crucifixion, a common means of punishment for lawbreakers. Instead of offering a defense before the councils, Jesus was silent. Why? It was the divine plan of the Father God, from the beginning of time, that this be done so that we might have forgiveness and life. It was His purpose.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a gift from God and fulfillment of His promise. It is the very foundation of Christianity. Since the disobedience of Adam in the Garden of Eden, all mankind is born with a sin nature. The Lord tells us that there is a price to be paid for sin and that cost is death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

A life without Christ can only offer eternal death, but the acceptance of Jesus as our risen Savior gives us eternal life. Because eternal death is not what God wants for us, He provided a way of atonement through the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus, and His resurrection.

The Resurrection: The Rewards of Faith
Through the resurrection, God has offered us the following:

A New Life

A New Nature

  • Romans 6:5 – We can now share Life with Christ through resurrection.
  • Romans 6:11 – Our old sin nature is dead and we have new, changed life in God.

A New Freedom

  • Romans 6:13 – We are no longer bound by sin and can give ourselves freely to God.
  • Romans 6:16 – We are free to choose our Master, God or Satan — our only two choices.

Through faith that God’s Word is true, we can accept Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Through Christ’s resurrection, it is possible for us to become joint heirs with Him. What an awesome gift! This means we too can defeat eternal death and be resurrected with a new life and spiritual body when our physical body dies. Aren’t you grateful that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ all these things are offered to you? If so, tell the Lord you are and accept His free gift.

The Resurrection: Yours Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Charles Spurgeon wrote about the resurrection: “The Lord Jesus suffered for the believer as his substitute, and virtually each saved one died in Christ, who represented him. The believer rose in Christ by virtue of the eternal union which exists between the saint and his Savior. Therefore the believer continues to live, for the Lord has said,
‘Because I live, ye shall live also.’ . . .O my hearer, if you are not in Christ you have nothing. Out of Christ you are in the wilderness: with him you are in a paradise. In Christ, believers possess all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and grace, and power, and love. All things are yours, if you are Christ’s. From our union to Christ follows our sanctification: we cannot follow after sin, for Christ does not follow after it. He died unto sin once, and we are henceforth dead to it. He is risen by the glory of the Father, and we are risen with him into righteousness, and acceptance, and joy.”

Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone!

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