WE SERVE A POWERFUL GOD

Hallelujah! He is risen … He is risen indeed! Who but God Himself could raise Jesus, the Son of Man, from the gates of hell to life eternal, now seated at His right hand? Who but God Himself could tear the heavy temple curtain from top to bottom, allowing access to Him so we, too, can have life eternal with Him?

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

 

The Power of Resurrection

I love spring when warm winds and rains melt the snow. Seeds buried beneath are resurrected into beautiful flowers. Last autumn’s cocoons morph into colorful butterflies. Human spirits are lifted from winter’s doldrums. How can such power make that happen? Though science can explain it, the human heart is awed by it.

Speaking of the human heart, sometimes resurrection happens to it, also. Patients have returned from death through heroic efforts of medical personnel, ordinary citizens, and even supernaturally.

The Bible gives several instances of people resurrected from death. A widow's only son was brought to life by Elisha the prophet. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after the body had lain in a tomb for several days. He also raised the daughter of a synagogue ruler named Jairus. Eutychus fell out of a third-story window as he listened to Paul preach, and revived from death.

These people eventually died a second time, proving that though their resurrection constituted a miracle of God, it was not permanent.

Jesus' death on the cross, however, was not final. His resurrection proves He truly is the Son of God. His resurrection assures believers of their future inheritance in heaven and their own resurrection when Jesus returns. He appeared to many people for 40 days following His resurrection and prior to His ascension to heaven.

God is a God of powerful and mighty acts, the resurrection of His only Son being the most power-filled of all. The substantiated truth of Jesus’ resurrection has kept Christianity alive through centuries. Faith in His resurrection has brought about—and still brings about—the death of countless Christians who are willing to suffer and die for their Savior. All but one of Jesus' 12 apostles went to their death for His sake.

The apostle Paul spent his life spreading the Gospel of Christ. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10-11)

Christians are called to do the same today. When we have the hope and promise of being resurrected from the dead and given a new, incorruptible life with Christ, it becomes incumbent on us to share that good news. No other religion offers such a hope and promise. Like Jesus' apostles and His followers throughout history, we can rejoice in the power of His resurrection.

Lord, we rejoice in Your resurrection power. We thank You that we can declare, "He lives!" Bless us as we share the good news of Your resurrection. In Jesus’ name, amen.