We often think that the RESURRECTION theme is reserved for Easter/Resurrection Day celebrations each year, on a yearly basis. However, that wasn’t the way it was in the early church! They preached about resurrection everywhere & at all times! The truth about resurrection is foundational to Christianity, and is worthy of continual celebration every day, and all day long!! It empowers our lives!!
REVIEW (Part 1)
JESUS IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE!
Jesus wants us to come to Him, and find LIFE through Him! In Him we LIVE and move and have our being! (Acts 17:28)
Revelation 22:17 – …let him who thirst come. Whoever desires (is willing), let him take the WATER OF LIFE freely.
LIFE IS A CHOICE
Life is not only a wonderful gift, it is a CHOICE. Let’s choose LIFE & BLESSING, not things that bring destruction & God’s curse!
Deuteronomy 30:19,20 – …I have set before you LIFE and death, blessing and cursing; therefore CHOOSE LIFE… love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for HE IS YOUR LIFE and the length of your days…
LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Let’s be PRO-LIFE because being pro-life is pro-God, for God is the source of Life (see accompanying journal article this week of an article promoting PRO-LIFE with excerpts from — “Biblical Principles for Pro-Life Engagement”, by David Closson.)
HELPING DEFEND THE UNBORN
We need to speak out in defense of the unborn – those who may never be able to see the light of life, or experience the abundant life Jesus came to bring to the world!
Let’s help others become increasingly aware of how precious life is – not only eternal life, but also physical life here on this earth as well!
resurrection life
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I AM the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.
I Peter 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a LIVING HOPE through the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead…
“a living hope“
“LIVING HOPE” IS A DESIRE THAT YOU ARE CONVINCED IS BASED UPON A CERTAINTY (Truth)!
PETER’S LIFE WAS ANCHORED IN WHAT HE CALLED A “LIVING HOPE” BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION. Our lives can also have a sure & steadfast, living hope!
“the resurrection of life“
John 5:29 – …and shall come forth—those who have done good, to the RESURRECTION OF LIFE, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation (damnation/judgment).
RESURRECTION POWER
Philippians 3:10 …that I may know Him and the POWER of His RESURRECTION…
powerful gospel
Acts 4:33 – …with GREAT POWER gave the apostles witness to the RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
Romans 1:16 – … I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL of Christ, for it is the POWER of God…
Ephesians 6:10 …be STRONG in the Lord, and in the POWER of HIS MIGHT…
Ephesians 1:19,20 – … the EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER to us who believe according to the working of His MIGHTY POWER, which He worked in Christ when He RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD…
Ephesians 3:20 – .. to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the POWER that works in us…
I Timothy 1:7 – God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of POWER…
Acts 1:8 – …(JESUS) you shall receive POWER after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me…
Hebrews 4:12 – … the WORD of God is living and POWERFUL…
Colossians 1:11 – … strengthened with all MIGHT according to His glorious POWER…
I Peter 1:5 – … we are kept by the POWER of God…
2 Peter 1:3 – …His divine POWER has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to LIFE & godliness…
I Corinthians 13:4 – …we shall LIVE WITH HIM by the POWER of God…
DID JESUS REALLY RISE FROM THE DEAD?
Some may wonder if it is really true. Although there are so many skeptics, scoffers, and unbelievers all over the world – the fact is — it is ABSOLUTELY, 100% TRUE!!
MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS
Acts 1:3 – …to whom He also PRESENTED HIMSELF ALIVE after His suffering by MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Luke 24:2–4,11-12 – But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (& the guards were missing!) And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments… And their words seemed to them (the disciples) like idle tales, and they did NOT believe them. Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
MANY POST RESURRECTION APPEARANCES
MARY MAGDALENE (John 20:14); WOMEN RETURNING FROM THE TOMB (Matthew 28:9,10); PETER LATER ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON (Luke 24:34); DISCIPLES ON THE EMMAUS ROAD (Luke 24:13-33); THE APOSTLES (Thomas absent – Luke 24:36-43); THE APOSTLES (Thomas present – John 20:26-29); THE SEVEN BY THE LAKE OF TIBERIAS (John 21:1-23); A MULTITUDE OF OVER 500 BELIEVERS ON A GALILEAN MOUNTAIN (I Corinthians 15:6); THE ELEVEN APOSTLES (Matthew 28:16-20); AT THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST (Acts 1:3-12); SAUL WHO BECAME PAUL THE APOSTLE (Acts 9:3-6); STEPHEN BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN (Acts 7:55); THE APOSTLE JOHN ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS (Revelation 1:1-10)…
NO BODY WAS EVER PRODUCED BY THE JEWISH LEADERS
THE REMARKABLE CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF THE DISCIPLES
The lives of His disciples were transformed! From being cowardly and intimidated, they became bold & courageous witnesses to the truth, because they were eyewitnesses to it.
THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST (Acts 2:1-4)
THE CHANGED LIVES OF THOSE WHO HAVE OPENED THEIR HEARTS TO JESUS CHRIST DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES
We see and experience the truth of the resurrection in our own lives, as well as witness it in the lives of countless others, world-wide!
THE PROPHECIES ABOUT CHRIST
In His life and death, Jesus fulfilled around 300 prophecies from the Old Testament!
IS THIS MESSAGE BELIEVABLE?
THE QUESTION OF REJECTION OF CHRIST ISN’T SO MUCH “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” –BUT ”I WON’T” (desiring to live our lives our way, & pursue our own selfish pleasures and pursuits).
JESUS CLAIMED THAT HE WOULD CONQUER DEATH BY RESURRECTING AFTER THREE DAYS AND RETURN TO HIS DISCIPLES IN A GLORIFIED BODY.
(No other spiritual leader – Buddha, Mohammed, leaders of Hinduism or any other leader has made or validated such a claim)
Jesus RESURRECTION validates everything He claimed about Himself and His mission!
Jesus based the validity of HIs claims of who He was and what He taught upon His ability to conquer death!
THE RESURRECTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE VERY FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY.
If Christ did not rise from the dead our faith would be in vain (useless). — I Corinthians 15:12-20.
I Corinthians 15:1-8 – Moreover, brethren, I declare to you THE GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are SAVED, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that HE ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, …After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
JESUS PROPHESIED HIS RESURRECTION
Matthew 17:22-23 – Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.
JESUS IS ALIVE FOREVER!
Revelation 1:17-19 … I am He who LIVES, and was dead, and behold, I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades (hell) and of Death.
Revelation 2:8 – These things says the first and the last, which was dead, and IS ALIVE;…
HE IS RISEN
Matthew 28:6-10, 16-19 – …He is not here: FOR HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 and go quickly and tell his disciples that HE IS RISEN from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there YOU WILL SEE HIM. Behold, I have told you.”8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, JESUS MET THEM, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there THEY WILL SEE ME.”… 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When THEY SAW HIM, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I AM WITH YOU always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The Biblical account of the resurrection story leaves no doubt about JESUS RESURRECTION for those who believe the Bible is true!
LIVING SAVIOR
WE SERVE A LIVING SAVIOR – SAVIOR OF THE WORLD!
I Timothy 4:10 – … we trust in the LIVING GOD, who is the SAVIOR of all men, specially of those that believe.
I John 4:14 – …and we have SEEN and do TESTIFY that the Father sent the Son to be the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD!
JESUS IS COMING SOON!
Revelation 22:7,12,20 – Behold, surely I COME QUICKLY!
INSIGHTS / APPLICATION – 1
REVELATION OF THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD BRINGS DEATH TO THE FLESH!
Revelation 1:17 – And when I SAW Him, I fell at His feet as dead.
INSIGHTS / APPLICATION – 2
REVELATION OF THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD BRINGS SUBMISSION AND WORSHIP!
Psalm 95:6 – Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Philippians 2:9-11 – Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, That at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
INSIGHTS / APPLICATION – 3
AS CHRISTIANS WE CAN BE TRIUMPHANT & VICTORIOUS IN THIS LIFE THROUGH JESUS, WHO OVERCAME THE GRAVE, DEATH, AND THE DEVIL!
I Corinthians 15:57 – … thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ!
INSIGHTS / APPLICATION – 4
BECAUSE OF JESUS RESURRECTION, WE CAN EXPERIENCE NEW LIFE!
Romans 6:4-6– Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was RAISED FROM THE DEAD by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His RESURRECTION …
Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME; and the LIFE which I now live in the flesh I LIVE BY FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also GIVE LIFE to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
INSIGHTS / APPLICATION – 5
BECAUSE OF JESUS RESURRECTION, WE ALSO CAN HAVE HOPE OF RESURRECTION LIFE!
I John 3:2 – …we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see him as He is.
THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION BRINGS COMFORT!
I Thessalonians 4:14-18 When Jesus returns, “the dead in Christ will rise (be RESURRECTED), & those who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:…and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words!
EXCITING CONCLUSION!
The assurance of resurrection life is a precious & powerful truth! Life is precious! We have the power of RESURRECTION LIFE within us, because Jesus is ALIVE, and He dwells in our hearts by faith! Hallelujah!!
Jesus is not only life, but RESURRECTION LIFE to all who believe!!
