n The resurrection of Christ from the dead is the foundation of the Gospel. Without the resurrection we have nothing.
Through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:4
n The resurrection of believers will one day unite us with Christ forever.
n The resurrection power of God is available today to change lives.
1. The Power of the Resurrection Changed History.
a. Matthew 28:1-7 – The tomb is empty.
b. Jesus forever proved Himself to be the One with His resurrection.
c. Jesus is unlike any other “god” or religious leader in that He didn’t remain in the grave.
d. Jesus literally got up from the grave. It is not just a good story. It is undeniable truth.
e. To deny the resurrection is to deny the Gospel all together. You cannot have one without the other.
f. The physical resurrection of Christ is God’s stamp of approval for His work on the cross. If the cross would not have been sufficient to the task of delivering us from our sin, Jesus would have never been raised. But, since He was raised from the dead, we know His work was sufficient and complete.
Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1:17-18
2. The Power of the Resurrection Will One Day Change Everything.
a. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – The believers will one day be resurrected to join Christ for all of eternity.
b. Do not fret. Do not despair. There is coming a day when all things will be made complete.
c. This life is not all there is. This is just the beginning.
d. In a flash, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye we will all be changed and caught up into eternity (1 Cor 15:42-57).
e. As the disciples stood watching Jesus ascend to Heaven (Acts 1), the angel of the Lord declared to them that they would see Him return in the same way He was taken.
3. The Power of the Resurrection Can Change Lives Today.
a. For the sinner:
i. 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. 1 Peter 1:3
ii. Because Jesus raised from the dead, He forever defeated the power of sin. Sin’s power in your life is broken by His resurrection as you embrace the living Christ.
iii. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares old has passed away and all things are made new for those who are in Christ.
b. For the believer.
i. That same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is alive in the believer.
ii. The same resurrection power and life that Christ experienced can be experienced in our lives today.
iii. Resurrection is not just a future thing, resurrection is now.
iv. Paul declared that he wanted to know Christ in the power of His resurrection (Phil 3:10). That should be the prayer and cry of every believer.
v. Why wait for the manifestation of the resurrection of the future and not live in resurrection power today?
