Today’s passage is on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Luke 23:50-24:12). The resurrection does not enjoy the same focus as the crucifixion; yet it is every bit as important. Without the resurrection, we have no way of knowing whether Jesus’ sacrifice actually atones for our sins.
As such, today I want to look briefly at the reasons why the resurrection of Jesus is so important, and so wonderful:
- Jesus’ resurrection shows that Jesus really is who he said he was; the Son of God. The Jewish leadership said he was a fraud and a blasphemer; yet the resurrection vindicates Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.
- It shows that everything Jesus said (e.g. destroy this temple and I will rebuild it) was true. As such, we are foolish to ignore Jesus’ teaching.
- It shows that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice of atonement. We can now know that we stand before God forgiven, through Jesus’ death.
- It highlights that Jesus is now the judge of all the earth.
- It is a defeat of death. Jesus rose never to die again, indicating that death has now ‘lost its sting’. As such, the punishment for sins has been dealt with.
- It has ushered in ‘the end times’; the age of the resurrection.
- It highlights our hope for the future; being raised to live with Jesus forever.
- It is the ground of evangelical mission. We must tell everyone of the hope that is found only in Jesus Christ. So let’s share this good news with others. And
- It is a cataclysmic intervention of God in history, which cannot be ignored. If the resurrection is true, then there is not a single thing in existence that is not profoundly affected by it.
