"To live literally, physically and spiritually, enveloped in that EXACT moment of His resurrection every day all year long engulfed by the power that raised Him."
The foundation of the Christian faith is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything centers on a real Man (1 Timothy 2:5) that walked this earth some 2,000 years ago. From the three mentioned, the most powerful without a doubt is His resurrection. Some have pondered the question, "What if there was no resurrection?
My response is, well, the "life" of Christ alone and what He did was beyond amazing, selfless, and powerful. The miracles performed, His teachings, His bravery and authority, amazing! Worthy of being called a role-model at the least. The "death" of Christ, based on the premise He proclaimed, that Him dying for our sins to satisfy God the Father once and for all is unparalleled in the world and any religion that ever existed. The idea that His death is payment for our sins allowing us to go to heaven after we die is beyond profound, immeasurable, unearnable even. No one could repay such a price paid. Worthy of being called a hero, may I say, "Savior", at the very least.
But what gives the Christian faith true power, giving us dominion over any man-made religion, as well as life-altering abilities over our sinful nature, is the "resurrection" of our Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection is directly tied to our hope. I challenge you in saying that without the resurrection, our hope is empty, without power, and mere wishful thinking.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26 NKJV
The Lord Jesus was at the height of His ministry when He said this to Martha. Lazarus, His friend and Martha's brother, had just died many days prior. He told Martha this powerful message just before He was to raise Lazarus from the dead. Shortly after, the Lord Jesus commanded that the stone covering Lazarus' tomb be removed, prayed to God the Father, and uttered the words, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43) Lazarus did just that. He got up and came out of the tomb, alive!
Sometime later, just BEFORE the Lord Jesus would be murdered on the cross, He said to His disciples:
"'For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.' But [the disciples] understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken." Luke 18:32-34 NKJV (clarification mine)
AFTER the Lord Jesus was murdered on the cross, and then rose from the grave, He appeared to His disciples:
"And [Jesus] opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. '" Luke 24:45-47 NKJV (clarification mine)
Again, consider the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, specifically the resurrection. Not only did the Lord Jesus say He would come back from the grave before He died, but actually did so and was afterwards seen by His disciples and hundreds of other people. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) This is the power of the Christian faith. Oh, to be physically present at the moment of His resurrection. For our hearts to desire to be present at that very moment in front of the tomb with earnest expectation of the stone being rolled away by the angel and our Lord Jesus rising again, stepping out on that beautiful first Easter morning. (Matthew 28:2-3) To live literally, physically and spiritually, enveloped in that EXACT moment of His resurrection every day all year long engulfed by the power that raised Him.
The Apostle Paul said longingly almost in anguish:
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," Philippians 3:10 NKJV
Pray for this enlightenment and gift. Ask, and the Lord Jesus will come and whisper to your soul, "[Your Name Here], come forth!"
God bless you in Christ Jesus the Lord, always.
* Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
* Article itself Copyright © 2021 by WordwaswithGod.com
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