By David Faust
Jesus Christ is risen indeed! Aren’t you glad? The miracle of Jesus’ resurrection is the turning point of history, the backbone of biblical theology, and the foundation of the Christian faith.
Resurrection Consequences
If Christ didn’t rise from the dead, the New Testament wouldn’t have been written, the gospel wouldn’t have spread around the world, and the apostles wouldn’t have given their lives as martyrs. Without the resurrection, Christians wouldn’t gather and worship on the first day of the week, baptism would be an empty ritual, and the Lord’s Supper wouldn’t involve communing with the living Lord. If the resurrection didn’t happen, we would be fools for believing and perpetuating a colossal hoax. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).
But the reality of the resurrection changes everything. Jesus himself stressed its significance. He taught plainly “that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31). The apostle Paul’s driving passion was “to know the power of [Jesus’] resurrection and participation in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). What did Paul consider “of first importance”? “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The resurrection is “of first importance” because it validates Jesus’ truth claims, fulfills his messianic mission, and gives his followers purpose in life and hope when we die.
“The resurrection is the supreme vindication of Jesus’ divine identity and his inspired teaching,” writes former unbeliever Lee Strobel in The Case for Christ. “It’s the proof of his triumph over sin and death. It’s the foreshadowing of the resurrection of his followers. It’s the basis of Christian hope. It’s the miracle of all miracles.”
Do We Give It the Attention It Deserves?
Do we make it clear that Christ’s resurrection is “of first importance” in our preaching, teaching, and worship services—not just something we sing about and think about at Easter? The fact of the resurrection profoundly impacts the way we deal with death, grief, and loss. What we believe determines how we grieve.
Recently I wrote a book to encourage adults to keep serving God as we grow older. I interviewed Bill Gaither, who was in his thirties when he and his wife, Gloria, cowrote their well-known song, “Because He Lives.” I asked Bill, “What do those lyrics mean to you now, in this later season of your life?” (He is in his late eighties.) Here is his response:
“A great old hymn called ‘He Lives’ talks about the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. But we added the adverb because, which answers the question, ‘OK, this happened, but why does it make a difference to me on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? How is it going to make any difference to me tomorrow when I go back to the house and ‘she’s gone’ or ‘he’s gone’ and they are not coming back? In our song, the lyrics say, ‘Because he lives, I can face tomorrow . . . all fear is gone . . . and life is worth the living.’”
Because Jesus is “the resurrection and the life,” we can live in peace and security after we die (John 11:25). What could be more important than that?
Personal Challenge: Do you know the song, “Because He Lives”? Sing it out loud and thank the Lord that you can say, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.”
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David Faust’s new book, Not Too Old: Making Your Later Years into Greater Years, was released April 10. It is available from College Press and Amazon. To read an article/excerpt from Not Too Old, click here.
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