Just a "little" sharing from the blessing I got from my church earlier. Hope it can be of a blessing to you too. Happy Passover
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The Resurrection of Christ
1 Corinthians 15 (NLT)
Jesus truly went through the Via Dolorosa, died on the cross and came to live again. There were too many witnesses to deny the story. It couldn’t be untrue (unless you want to deny 500+ people who told the same big story of Jesus came back to life, though with rather different little details). (1 Cor 15:5-8)
Because Jesus was resurrected, we can believe that there is resurrection of the dead. And before Jesus Himself showed how He overpowers the sting of death, He had previously showed the same power to Lazarus when He rose Lazarus from the death. And with the belief of the resurrection of the dead, we can break free from fears of death.
If you do not believe in the resurrection of the dead (and thus denying the stories of 500+ people who saw Jesus came back to life), then what use your faith is? Then how do you lay your belief of “Jesus takes away my sins” upon?
Jesus’ death and resurrection are the true foundation of our faith:
· That His way to the Golgota showed how tremendously heavy our mistakes and sins are
· That His death on the cross showed how He brought all our sins to die with Him
· That His RESURRECTION showed how He won over death and brought us all free from our sins and chains
Death does not own us believers of Jesus Christ, because in Him we have victory over death. Those who die in this world will be resurrected and be given a new heavenly body, and those who live will be transformed and be given a new heavenly body.
We will not "die"!
“Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.” (1 Cor 15:42-44)
“...We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!... For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” (1 Cor 15:51-53)
And as we believe in the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ, we also believe that we will be resurrected to join in His glorious new world when He comes back for the second time: both for the deceased and the living.
“... Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.” (1 Cor 15:23-24)
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So what does Easter mean (to me)? >> It means everything: to my past, to my present, to my future!
… My sins have been taken away to the cross
… I have been bought with a dear price of precious blood by the One who loves me dearly
… I have been set free from eternal punishment through His resurrection
… And as such I should tell this wonderful story to others
… And I should not fear of death
… Knowing that though I will die on the earth, but I will live forever with Him
Happy Passover!
