The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”’ Matthew 28: 5-6A
“If Christ rose, everything changes,” writes Father James Martin in a recent Wall Street Journal article. “In that case, you cannot set aside any of His teachings because a person who rises from the grave, who has definitively proven His divine authority needs to be listened to. What that person says demands a response. The resurrection says, ‘Listen!’”
So, what exactly does the resurrection say about Christ, about God, about us?
- In predicting both His death and resurrection, not raising from the dead would have made Jesus a liar, a fraud. The last person on earth you would want to believe. But, Jesus kept His word. His resurrection makes Him unique. It means everything He says is true. He is trustworthy.
- A Picture of Love. If a man can rise from the dead, then that same man has the power to rescue Himself. He doesn’t have to face the brutality of the cross. And yet, because of His love for us, Jesus willingly fulfilled His Father’s plan and payed the penalty for our sin.
- Forgiven & Unafraid. Trusting in Jesus, we embrace the forgiveness of all our sins and the reality that death has been conquered. Death, which causes so much heartbreak, has been defeated. One day, all His followers will be reunited, worshipping the Lord forever and ever.
- Requires Action. What could be greater news than Christ conquering death so we can live? Therefore, we are called to action – to go and tell others.
It all comes down to this – If Christ rose from the dead, nothing is impossible. If Christ rose from the dead, rejection, work problems, relational disappointments, all the seemingly impossible challenges we face, pale in comparison to the power of Christ. Because of the resurrection, we can find the strength to face any challenge.
Because Christ rose, everything changed. Because of Jesus, has everything changed for you?
