Today is a celebration! It is resurrection Sunday. A day that Christians all over the world can rejoice in. It is when God proved His everlasting love for us. In Hebrew, the word everlasting is defined as: time out of mind, no vanishing point, past and future, eternity, always, ancient, and perpetual. God’s love for us has always been and always will be. He planned our redemption before creation. He knew Adam and Eve would sin, and His love made the way for the crucifixion and resurrection. Wow! What a God!
Today, multitudes will flock to churches to celebrate what happened over 2000 years ago. They will buy new clothes to wear to church. Pictures will be taken, and celebratory meals will be eaten. Children will receive baskets of candy and treats. Some will talk about what the mythical bunny rabbit brought to their children. It will be a day like no other, but what will this special day mean to you?
The title Resurrection Sunday says it all for me. The word resurrection means coming back to life and being raised from the dead. In John chapter 11, Jesus’s friend Lazarus had died and had been in the tomb for 4 days when Jesus arrived. Martha told Jesus that if He had been there, Lazarus would be alive. Jesus proclaims in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” She did not understand, but when Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth,” it all became clear. Jesus proved He had power over life and death.
Jesus showed His power when He raised Lazarus, but He showed ultimate authority over life and death when He raised Himself from the dead. If they had only paid attention, the disciples would have known what would happen after Jesus was crucified. When the women went to the tomb to anoint His body on the third day, the angel said in Matthew 28:6, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” The angel reminded them that Jesus had told them He would rise again.
Matthew 16:21 “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
Matthew 20:18-19 “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
Because of resurrection Sunday, I am no longer condemned!
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
I will pass from this life to eternal life, not eternal death in Hell.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I have a promise that He will never leave me. I have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I do not have to live in fear of what man can do to me.
Hebrews 13:5-6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
I have the promise of justification, which allows me to have peace with God. I am justified before the Father. He looks at me just-as-if-I-never-sinned. Therefore, I have peace, that deep-seated feeling that God is in control and I do not have to worry.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Because of the resurrection, I have the power to have victory over sin.
I Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
I have the promise that my Father will forgive me and restore me to full fellowship when I sin, after I am saved. I John 1:9 was written to Christians.
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I have the promise of a home in Heaven, a promise that He is coming back to take all those who place their faith in Him to a home He has prepared for them.
John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
I have the promise of eternal life, where there will be no pain or sorrow. I will live forever with the one who died and rose again for me.
Revelations 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
As good as all of these promises sound, we cannot imagine what it will be like in Heaven. These blessings are ours because Jesus suffered, died on the cross, and rose again. To this, I say, “Hallelujah, what a Savior.” I pray you are right with God and will celebrate our risen Lord today. If you are not, today is the day to do so.
I Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
