I daydream a lot. Sometimes I call it Mental Creative Exploration.
Lately, I've
been thinking about the resurrection.
Recall Romans 10:9 - "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will
be saved."
Pondering this, I asked myself why the Resurrection is so important.
Isn't it Jesus' death - the one sinless person becoming sin for the
rest of us - that makes us right with God? Why do we celebrate Easter?
Like the voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism, "You are my dearly loved
Son, and you bring me great joy," (Luke 3:22 NLT) - the resurrection is
God's stamp of approval on all the Son is, all he said about himself,
and all he accomplished.
Jesus predicted his own death, and said he would be raised to life on
the third day. "After he was raised from the dead, his disciples
recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the
words that Jesus had spoken," (John 2:22 NIV). It was the risen Jesus
who walked with two disciples along the road to Emmaus, explaining to
them what all the Scriptures said concerning himself. "Wasn't it
clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these
things before entering his glory?" (Luke 24:26 NLT).
Ah, how our hearts burn within us as we discover how Jesus fulfilled -
and will fulfill - all that God has ordained. Without Easter, would I
have a glimpse of Glory? Would I long for increased devotion to Christ?
My mind can't wrap around all that the risen Christ is and does even
now, this moment. He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). He
is the one Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). He lives
forever to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). "All glory, majesty, power,
and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond
all time!" (Jude 25 NLT).
Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus "proved to the apostles in many
ways that he was actually alive," (Acts 1:3 NLT).
Here in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul tells us the two "most important" points
of the Good News that he preaches: (1) Christ died for our sins, and
(2) he was raised from the dead on the third day (verses 3 and 4).
Sorry to say, I sometimes forget the importance of the resurrection,
even though I look forward to that time when I'll see my risen Lord.
Realizing this, I've been revisiting the preaching of the apostles in
the book of Acts.
I find that the resurrection is at the heart of the salvation message.
For example, Acts 4:33 says, "With great power the apostles continued
to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was
upon them all," (NIV).
Peter and the other apostles, from Acts 5 - "The God of our ancestors
raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him... God exalted him to
[the place of honor at] his own right hand as Prince and Savior, that
he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins..." (NIV/NLT).
It sounds as though the resurrection of Christ is an integral part of
God's provision as he reconciles us to himself.
Peter writes in his first letter, "Praise 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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -
kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power
until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the
last time," (1:3-5 NIV). Wow! Try underlining all the important words
in those two sentences!
We find similar teaching in many of Paul's letters, as well:
"He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to
life to make us right with God," (Romans 4:25 NLT).
"Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was
raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach," (2 Timothy 2:8
NLT).
"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life [will]
live for Christ, who died and was raised for them," (2 Corinthians 5:15
NLT).
What's so important about Easter? Today's reading says it plainly - "If
Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are
still guilty of your sins," (Romans 15:17 NLT).
Death is not a friend, it is an enemy - the last enemy to be destroyed
when Jesus comes to reign. "Christ has been raised from the dead. He is
the first of a great harvest..."
Hallelujah! We are Easter people!
Deetje Wildes
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