The Power and the Privilege of the Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus is a powerful message of love, grace, victory, and hope. It is a reminder to all of us that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are given a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). There are four powerful truths about the resurrection:

Truth 1: The resurrection assures us that God’s plans in the scriptures have been fulfilled.

The crucifixion followed by the rise of Jesus from the dead demonstrates that the plans set forth and promised in the scriptures by God have been achieved. Jesus’ last proclamation on the cross was, “It is finished” (Greek: tetelestai; John 19:30)- a statement that is not of defeat, but a loud cry of victory(Matt 27:50) and signifies a mighty accomplishment where our sins have been paid for by Jesus.

Truth 2: Christ’s resurrection from the dead to immortal life enabled those who trust in Him to have eternal hope.

It is not a hope that comes from us, or a hope from others, or from the world, but a LIVING hope that comes from Christ alone. Through His life, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, we have seen the future that He has given us an immortal life (John 11:25) and it is good. It is only when we have a vision and seethat our future is good that we have the strength to live this life with strength, even when things aredark. He is the Alpha and the Omega (Rev 22:13) and no matter what happens in our life, He has the last say. Therefore we can all live in peace, trust, patience, and perseverance, and rest assured in His power.

Truth 3: The resurrection of Christ changes everything, because now He has no bounds or limits.

In His earthly life, Jesus was restricted and was limited in the number of places He could show up. Now,as the resurrected One, He can show up anywhere and with His power and bring His peace and presence.Just like how He showed up for His disciples (John 20:19 and Luke 24:15), He will show up for us.Therefore, we should not conclude things too soon just because things are difficult or hard. He can show up in His power at any time and any place. We just have to hold onto Him and trust Him in the midst of everything.

Truth 4: Our resurrected Lord wants us to be vessels of the good news alongside Him.

Jesus wants us to partner with Him and deliver the good news in word and deed to others. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help, as we were not meant to witness alone. All that is required of us is our availability andthat we yield to the Holy Spirit. The power is within Him. All we need to do is step out and try: sharesomething that God did in our lives, model His goodness and deeds, and let Him do the rest. We only have to be willing partners in what He wants us to do for the world that He loves so much.