Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ every Sunday when we attend church together. But on the Christian calendar Easter Sunday is the most triumphant day of all.
The wonder of Christ’s resurrection beats in the hearts of believers everywhere as they sing, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
It is the message, “Jesus is alive!’ that lifts Christianity above all the dead superstitions and all the archaic religions and makes it the abiding faith of millions.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without it the believer has no hope for this life or for the life to come. The apostle Paul wrote, "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain" (1 Cor. 15:17). “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” (v. 20)
Our belief in the resurrection is not based upon some religious feeling or upon an unfounded idea about what may have happened in the past. It is based on historical fact with solid evidence and witnesses to support it.
Confucius' tomb -- occupied. Buddha's tomb -- occupied. Mohammed's tomb -- occupied. Jesus' tomb -- empty! Jesus is alive and countless changed lives testify that it's a fact!
When the glorious truth of the empty tomb and the risen Christ was told in the streets of Jerusalem, it came as a shock. Then the wonderful news spread to the marketplaces of Corinth and Antioch. It awakened devout people throughout the world that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Lord, the Savior of the world.
For the apostles all had seemed lost. But read their letters; read their sermons—the resurrection became the central theme of their preaching. Within 50 days of Christ’s death the city of Jerusalem rang with the news that Jesus was alive, that God had raised Him from the dead.
Hundreds saw Jesus after His resurrection. These witnesses to the resurrection boldly declared that Jesus Christ was alive. On the Day of Pentecost those who had cowered behind locked doors, became courageous witnesses and confessors of Christ.
Fishermen from Galilee preached about the risen Lord. Everyone who heard them knew that something had changed their lives. When questioned and threatened by their critics they attributed everything to the risen Christ.
On the Day of Pentecost three thousand people accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord. Why? Because Peter preached that Jesus was alive.
The resurrection was the dominant theme in all of Paul’s preaching. Everywhere the Apostle went he declared, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Cor. 6:14).
This became the motivation, and the driving force of the early Christian church. And throughout the centuries the Church of Jesus Christ has continued to proclaim the living Christ.
The truth of the risen Christ of Easter continues to transform lives today. Millions of people have accepted the risen Christ of the resurrection. Their lives have been forever changed.
Churches around the world are filled today with celebrating Christians who are hearing the message of the resurrected Christ, again. We love hearing it! We can’t get enough of it.
Millions more are also in church today just because it is Easter. They are hearing the same message: Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Jesus is alive today.
What a difference it would make if our world would embrace the living Christ. What a difference it would make in individual homes; what a difference in national and international affairs if people would realize that Christ is alive!
Can you imagine the transformation that would take place in our families! What a difference there would be in the deteriorating morals in our country! How tensions would be reduced.
There would be increased purpose and power in people’s lives. If only we could only catch the wonder of the fact that Christ is alive today!
On the day of Christ’s resurrection, the angel at the tomb delivered the most important message ever given to mankind.
Matthew 28:6, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
This is the greatest news the world has ever heard or will ever hear—Christ the Lord is risen, He’s alive. The power of those words changed the course of history. They brought hope to a hopeless world. They a direction and purpose we had never known before.
The great stone was rolled away from the tomb’s entrance so we could see that it was empty. “Come and see the place where he lay.” Jesus had already defeated death. He had vacated the premises—He was already gone! That’s resurrection power!!!
The risen Christ still does today what He did for those who received and believed Him those many years ago. First, realize that…
In Luke 19 Jesus went to the home of Zacchaeus, a tax collector for the Romans, hated and despised by the good people. Something wonderful happened while Jesus was there. Zacchaeus was saved that day.
As Jesus was leaving, He said, Luke 19:9-10, 9“Today salvation has come to this house…10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Jesus’ purpose has not changed. He saved Zacchaeus, He can save you. The reason He went to the cross is the same today as it was 2000 years ago. Time has not robbed the cross of its power. Jesus still saves today. The Christ who lived on this planet 2000 years ago is alive today.
The difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world—we have a living Savior, and we can have a personal relationship with Him! He is quite capable and able to raise us from our lifelessness to life eternal. Paul wrote:
Ephesians 1:19-20, 19And his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. God’s power raised Jesus from the dead.
Then Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ...
These verses are about power, God’s power. The same mighty power of God that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that gives us life everlasting through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is resurrection power!
Do you know Jesus? Have you accepted Him as your personal Savior? Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Have you experienced the difference Christ can make?
The resurrected living Christ can raise you out of your spiritual lifelessness, transform you, and give you forever life. That’s resurrection power!
The Christ of the resurrection empowers us to live victoriously as we go through this life. He is able to bring into focus all our energies and powers and to help us to be over-comers of the evil things of this world.
The Christians in Rome were experiencing many hardships and some persecutions when the Apostle Paul wrote this to them:
Romans 8:35, 37 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
These are powerful, victorious words! This is God’s promise to all who believe in Jesus Christ. The Christian who walks with the resurrected, living Christ can know that victory is theirs.
Jesus, himself, promised in Matthew 28:20 (NIV) 20"…I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This is most exciting news for those who are staggering under the burdens of life:
Jesus, the living Christ, has promised to be with those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior, always. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power available to us today to live lives of victory. That’s resurrection power!
The moment we receive Jesus as our Savior the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and takes up residence. And He gives us supernatural power to overcome temptation, to smile through our tears, and to have joy in our hearts even in the midst of life’s burdens and trials.
God wants you to have this power today. Jesus gives encouragement for the discouraged, hope for the hopeless, and help for the helpless when you give your heart and life to Jesus.
When you come to the cross of Christ for forgiveness of sin, the Holy Spirit will raise you from the mundane, the monotonous, the hopeless, to a new and thrilling adventurous life filled with His dynamic power. Finally…
Is there any hope for our world? That is the constant question of humanity. Easter is the answer to that question. The New Testament is a book of hope. The word appears over and over after Christ’s resurrection.
As long as we humans are counting on ourselves to get out of the mess we’re in, there is little hope for the world. Immorality and lawlessness everywhere seem to be increasing and will continue.
Wrong seems to be winning and right seems to be losing for the minds and hearts of people. But Easter is all about hope.
The living Christ can bring glorious hope to each of us, and we can bring this hope to our world. The Apostle Peter wrote:
1 Peter 1:3, 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Christian hope isn’t wondering “if” something is going to happen. Christian hope is the “assurance” that God’s word is true, and that He keeps His promises.
Many of us have put our faith in stocks, bonds, gadgets, pleasures and thrills. Many of us have tried to bypass God. And by leaving out God we find ourselves in trouble.
We’ve turned God’s Ten Commandments into God’s ten suggestions. We’ve made Christ’s Sermon on the Mount irrelevant to our time. And our world is reaping the tragic results.
But the Easter message is that Christ is alive and well. With Christ there is hope in this world. With Christ there is hope beyond the grave, because the same power that raised Christ from the dead will also raise those who believe in Him.
Yet the great Easter truth is not that we will live after death—but that we are to live here and now by the power of the resurrection. Yes we are going to live forever—but we are to live noble lives now because we are going to live forever.
Easter, with its message of resurrection power, brings us face-to-face with the living Christ. Will you reject Him, and be eternally lost? Or will you accept Him and the eternal life that He alone can give?