He Is Risen! tagged:

He Is Risen!

Posted by in Baptist Life, Bible & Theology, Church & Missions, Uncategorized

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”  And they remembered his words – Luke24: 1-8 ESV

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. – 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV

The central message of the Gospel is found in the reality of the Resurrection.  The victorious culmination of the life and death of the Savior can be found on that day when his followers arrived at the tomb to find that it was empty and that “He is Alive!”  Now for more than 2000 years that victorious message has resounded from the hills of Jerusalem to throughout the world.  “He is Risen” is a phrase of true belief, to be distinguished from those who have a spiritless dead faith whose only aspirations are to do good and bring “social justice.”

Here is a truism:  One cannot call themselves “Christian” and not believe in the Resurrection from the dead – the literal dead body that hung on a cross being in a tomb for three days then receiving life again and walking out. As Paul then says if you don’t, “…your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

What do you believe? You see, when you receive the power of the Resurrected Jesus in your life, then you have all the power in the world to do God’s will if you would only believe.  Christian friend, remember that when you consider the day. If you would like the Jesus who rose from the dead to be your friend, then He is just a prayer away. He will come for He is Alive!

“He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!”