HE is the RESURRECTION!

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies, and he who lives and believes in Me will never die." John 11:25,26

I think the main truth that has stood out to me in the MANY past Easters of my life is this: "Jesus has risen from the grave and He is alive! Therefore He is WITH ME, helping me. He will never leave me." THAT, however, is NOT the main point of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It IS true, and it is a precious truth. But it is more ME centered than Christ-centered.

WHY is Jesus' resurrection so important? There could be many reasons listed, but the GRAND reason His resurrection is important is that it demonstrated HE IS THE RESURRECTION. Not just the One who was resurrected and not just the One who resurrects, but the RESURRECTION itself! Jesus is LORD over the resurrection and He is JUDGE of the resurrection.

"God...has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." Acts 17:30,31

Being resurrected and exalted as Lord of the resurrection, Jesus POURED OUT RESURRECTION LIFE on His church: Acts 2. He sent the Spirit to bring resurrection life into His people. This is RESURRECTION NOW: spiritually. He will complete the RESURRECTION THEN of His people at the last day when He raises up our decayed bodies and gives us glorious, made-for-heaven and eternity bodies: 1 Corinthians 15.

Therefore, since Jesus is Lord and Judge of the Resurrection and is THE RESURRECTION Himself and has given us NOW resurrection life in our souls: how are we to live this resurrection life on earth in ways that will glorify Him who is the Resurrection and in ways that look forward to our final, bodily resurrection?

Here are 4 ways:

• We are to live HOLY LIVES, victorious over sin. See Romans 6:5-13. We have been raised with Christ and therefore the ruling power of sin in our lives is BROKEN. We can say NO to sin and YES to our Resurrected Lord.
• We can face the future with UNSHAKABLE CERTAINTY. See 1 Peter 1:3-5. Our future in Heaven with the Father and Son is absolutely guaranteed because Jesus is Lord of the Resurrection, of the last days, of the final judgment. When life is full of disappointment and even suffering, we can authentically say, "This is NOT my home. Heaven is. I am on my journey there. I will live while I am here by Christ's resurrection power, but I will not forget that THIS IS NOT HEAVEN. The absence of tears and evil and temptation and aches and pains and failure and sin IS NOT FOR THIS LIFE. But it WILL BE for Heaven. And HEAVEN IS MY HOME. And my RESURRECTED LORD WILL take me there."
• We are to give ourselves to RADICAL SERVICE TO CHRIST. See 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10. Because Jesus is the Resurrection there will be REWARD for our service to Him. That investment of our lives in faithful stewardship will reap rewards ALL OUT OF PROPORTION to what we have done. AND...those rewards will last forever. There will be no taxes, no recession, no inflation. If your bank were to guarantee you that for every $1 you invested you would received a return of $1,000,000.00, how would that affect your savings strategy? You'd watch every dime closely and invest every dollar you didn't use for absolute necessities! You'd be a fool not to. The NT gives us a similar guarantee, but the return is even greater. Our labor is NOT IN VAIN in the Lord. It will reap reward. See Luke 6:35; 1 Corinthians 3:14.
• We are to WAGE WAR FOR LOST SOULS. See Daniel 12:2,3. There WILL be a resurrection of the wicked and the righteous. Jesus will be LORD over that resurrection and He will be JUDGE over that resurrection. Those apart from Christ will be resurrected to shame and everlasting contempt. But there will be some who are WISE, who TURN many to righteousness, and who will shine like stars in Heaven. Don't you want to be one of those WISE EVANGELISTS who is resurrected to life and has the joy and REWARD of seeing many in Heaven because God used your stammering words and "weak" prayers to bring MANY to righteousness? May God give us ALL that kind of wisdom.

Jesus IS the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. And because of that we have resurrection life NOW and can live for HEAVEN in our personal pursuit of holiness, our facing the future with unshakable HOPE, our tireless labor, and our evangelism. This WILL glorify Him now and it will store up rewards that we will enjoy FOREVER in our Heavenly inheritance. HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!