Jesus is Alive! Why the Resurrection is Important

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history. It split time in two, as seen in the designations BC (Before Christ) and AD (anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord”). I refuse to use BCE/CE. The universe changed forever that first Easter Sunday.

Paul says that without the resurrection, nothing else matters. 

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)

If Jesus didn’t rise, then Christians are just wasting our time. The death of Christ and the teachings of Christ are vital, but without the resurrection, all our faith is in vain. 

Here’s a snippet of what happened that first Easter Sunday:

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. (Luke 24:1)

Several of the women went to the tomb to complete the preparation of the body for burial, but they didn’t find what they expected. 

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24:2-3)

Instead of seeing Jesus, they saw two angels, who said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 2:5-6). 

He has risen! 

All four Gospel writers tell us that Jesus rose from the dead. Matthew and John both saw Jesus alive after his death. Mark wrote Peter’s eyewitness account. Luke wrote his history based on eyewitness accounts. He spent years traveling with Paul, who saw Jesus alive on the road to Damascus. 

The biggest skeptic of all may have been Jesus’s brother, James, who didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah until he, too, saw the risen Jesus. He later gave his life for claiming that Jesus was alive. Jesus was seen by and interacted with hundreds of people after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). 

So why is it so important? What were the results of this historical event?

First, because Jesus rose from the dead, we can be justified. Paul wrote about Jesus:

…who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:25).

We’ve discussed how the death of Jesus was the propitiation for our sins. Jesus died as our substitute and bought our justification. We were declared “not guilty.” So, if his death provided our justification, how did his resurrection do the same?

Paul is saying in Romans 4:25 that our sins are the reason Jesus had to die, and his resurrection assures us that we have been forgiven. The resurrection proves to us that the death of Jesus was effective in paying our penalty. It’s how we know that we’re justified. The resurrection is God’s public declaration that he accepts the death of Jesus as full payment for our sins. Jesus no longer needs to stay dead because he paid the full penalty. There is no penalty left to pay. Jesus paid it all.

Another result of the resurrection is that because Jesus rose, he is alive and well and with us. His presence and power are always available to us. 

I need his strength to make it through every day. I’m not talking about physical strength. When our son was little, he said, “Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be big and strong, just like you.” All I could think was, “You might want to aim a little higher, kid.” 

Maybe the strength you’re looking for is the ability to live like God wants you to live. We all need this strength. 

There’s the old story about the person who prayed, “So far today, Lord, I’ve done alright. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy. But in a few minutes, I’m going to get out of bed, and then I’m going to need your help!” 

The power to live the life God calls you to is there for you. None of us has the ability within us to do this. We all need our Father’s power to grow in holiness. That power is there for you. 

We also need his strength to make it through life in a world filled with suffering and pain. Paul says in Ephesians that he wanted us to know…

…the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:19-20)

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you! When you’re afraid or worried, God’s power is there for you. When you don’t know how you can get through tomorrow, his power is there for you. When there’s a new challenge in your life, when you’re waiting on the doctor’s test results, and even when you doubt your salvation and the future scares you, God’s resurrection power is always there for you.

When you’re in pain of any kind, you’ve experienced a great loss, you’re heartbroken, or you’re in physical pain, know this: no amount of pain is more powerful than God and his power to both comfort and heal you. The same incredible power that brought Jesus out of that tomb is there to get you through anything life throws at you.

No matter what you face, Jesus is alive and well and with you, and you never have to go through life alone. 

There are more reasons why the resurrection is important, and we’ll look at those next time.

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