The General Electric Power Company - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Introduction: Over the past eight years, every RESURRECTION Sunday I have preached what the New Testament teaches us about Jesus’ RESURRECTION. So far, we have walked through the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Book of Acts, the letter to the Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and today on this RESURRECTION SUNDAY we have arrived at what is called Paul’s General Epistles or Church Epistles – they are also called Prison Epistles.

   In Bible College one of the ways, we remembered the General Epistles was by using an acronym – General Electric Power Company.

· General for Galatians

· Electric for Ephesians

· Power for Philippians

· Company for Colossians.

   The RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ is found in all four of the Prison Epistles, but each epistle highlights various aspects of its significance. They teach us that the RESURRECTION isn’t just a past event, but a present reality!

   New Testament Scholar, F.F. Bruce wrote, "The resurrection of Christ is not merely an event of the past, but the dynamic power that energizes the believer's life in the present. For Paul, especially in the Prison Epistles, the resurrection is both the foundation of our salvation and the pattern of our transformation."

  So, we are going to walk through these four books and look at what is taught in each one about the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ. I would submit to you that the RESURRECTION is the central tenant of Christianity.

   The Apostle Paul said,

      And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! (1 Corinthians 15:17).

   Now, are you ready to receive some awesome POWER today? We are going to get plugged into the General Electric Power Company… here we go.

1. The Resurrection in Galatians – Galatians 1:1, 2:20

   The Resurrection was such an accepted fact that when Paul penned this letter, he mentioned it in the very first verse, we read

   Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.

   Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by God the Father. An Almighty God can do that, you know!

   Paul also uses the facts about the Resurrection to validate his apostleship and mission of sharing the gospel message. And remember, there is no Good News if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead.

   But He did – and that is Good News!

   Now, turn in your Bible to Galatians 2:20. Here Paul writes, 

   “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

   Paul saw himself crucified with Christ. This is a key to living a Christian life. You and I must die to self. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Next, Paul speaks of a spiritual RESURRECTION—He states,

   “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

   The RESURRECTION in Galatians emphasizes justification by faith and new life in Christ, rather than works of the Law. No one is saved through keeping rules and regulations – it’s not beads, deeds, or creeds. Salvation is by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).

   This is just GENERAL information that every believer should know and have a handle on. We should know this information:

· That God raised Jesus from the dead.

· That Christians died with Christ and were raised in the newness of life.

· That Salvation is by grace through faith alone plus nothing.

2. The Resurrection in Ephesians - Ephesians 1:19-20

   Paul emphasizes how the RESURRECTIONdemonstrates God’s power and Christ’s exaltation. Talk about being ELECTRIC!

   Look at Ephesians 1:19-20. We read,

   19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

   The RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead showcases God’s mighty power. Listen, I have never raised a person from the dead, but I can only assume that it takes a “God Power” to do so. The God who spoke creation into existence out of nothing surely has the POWER to raise the dead.

   In preparation for this message, I did some research and discovered that throughout the Bible, there are ten specific instances of individuals being raised from the dead, not counting general resurrections (like the "many saints" who rose at Jesus' crucifixion) or the final resurrection at the end of the age.

Here's a breakdown of those Ten Resurrections:

Old Testament (3)

1. Son of the Widow of Zarephath – Raised by Elijah (1 Kings 17:17–24)

2. Son of the Shunammite Woman – Raised by Elisha (2 Kings 4:18–37)

3. Man Raised When Touching Elisha’s Bones – (2 Kings 13:20–21)

New Testament – Jesus' Ministry (3)

4. Widow of Nain’s Son – (Luke 7:11–17)

5. Jairus’ Daughter – (Mark 5:35–43)

6. Lazarus – (John 11:1–44)

New Testament – After Jesus' Resurrection (4)

7. Jesus Himself – (All four Gospels, especially Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20–21)

8. Many Saints in Jerusalem – Raised at Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:50–53)

9. Tabitha (Dorcas) – Raised by Peter (Acts 9:36–43)

10. Eutychus – Raised by Paul after falling from a window (Acts 20:7–12)

   God used Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, Peter, and Paul to raise the dead, but it was God’s RESURRECTION Power that raised them. No one is raised without the power of God.

   There is a verse in Romans 8:11 that empowers me today. It says,

   But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

   Did you realize that the SAME POWER that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us as believers today? That POWER lives in us today! RESURRECTION Power! Man oh’ man we need to tap into that power.

   The song – The Same Power by Jeremy Camp

   God not only raised Jesus from the dead but He also highly exalted and enthroned Him. We read in Ephesians 2:5-6,

   Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

   Scripture tells us that Christ is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven (Matthew 26:64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33-34; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20-21; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 10:12; 1 Peter 3:22). He has been highly exalted and enthroned. This verse also teaches us that as believers we right now spiritually share in Christ’s RESURRECTION.  

   We are pictured as having been already raised with Christ and having already been seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

   All of this is possible because God raised Jesus from the dead. This is what we celebrate today!

3. The Resurrection in Philippians – Philippians 2:8-11; 3:10-11, 20-21

   We read in Philippians 2:8-11,

   8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

   Though not directly mentioning the RESURRECTION, this passage implies it—Again, God exalted Jesus after His death, which includes His resurrection and ascension.

   Next, I want to draw your attention to Philippians 3:10-11,

   10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

     If the Resurrection of Jesus never happened, then why does Paul have so much to say about it? Here he says that he wants to know Christ and the power of His Resurrection. But Paul wanted to experience so much more. He writes about…

· The fellowship of His sufferings,

· Being conformed to His death,

· If, by any means, I may attain to the Resurrection from the dead.    

       Bible Scholar Gordon D. Fee wrote, "For Paul in Philippians, the resurrection is not merely a past event but a present pursuit. Knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection means a life shaped by hope, humility, and heavenly ambition."[1]

   Paul understood that without Christ’s Resurrection, there is no Resurrection for the believer, but because Christ arose, we too shall rise!

   Now, let’s read Philippians 3:20-21,

   But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

   The resurrection guarantees bodily transformation for believers. I wrote a book years ago entitled: The Resurrection Chapter based on 1 Corinthians 15. It is about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection of the believer in the future. When you and I die the very next chapter for us is the Resurrection of the just.

   In Philippians, the Resurrection emphasizes knowing Christ, transformation, and future glory. Thank God for His POWER!

4. The Resurrection in Colossians – Colossians 1:18, 2:12; 3:1-2

  In the letter to the Colossians Paul focuses on believers’ participation in Christ’s resurrection. We read in Colossians 1:18,

   And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

   Jesus' RESURRECTION makes Him LORD over all creation. He was the first fruit from the dead, which signifies that others will follow. The word “preeminence” means to love first place. Christ is to have our heart – our whole heart.

   In Colossians 2:12 we read,

   buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

   Baptism pictures death to sin and resurrection to new life. Jesus was both baptized and resurrected! Water baptism is a picture of our death, burial, and resurrection. And in Christ, we are to walk in newness of life.

   Finally, look at Colossians 3:1-2,

   1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

   Believers have already been spiritually raised with Christ. We belong to a great COMPANY!

   And speaking of being raised with Christ. Douglas J. Moo wrote, “The resurrection in Colossians is both positional and practical: we are raised with Christ and therefore must live in light of this new reality, seeking the things above.”[2]

   Believers are called to live in light of their resurrection identity.

   Colossians teaches that the RESURRECTION unites believers with Christ, calls them to a higher life, and secures their eternal hope.

   God help us to get our eyes on things above and not on things here on earth. Set your sights on heaven – that is our eternal destiny!

Conclusion:  The RESURRECTION is not just doctrine; it is our POWER source for all believers today.

   We’ve taken a journey today through the heart of Paul’s Prison Epistles—Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians—the General Electric Power Company, and what a journey it’s been! Each letter provided us with a unique perspective on the RESURRECTION, not as a distant event in history, but as the living power that shapes our present and secures our eternal future.

· In Galatians, we are justified and made alive in Christ.

· In Ephesians, we are empowered and exalted with Christ.

· In Philippians, we are transformed and filled with hope through Christ.

· And in Colossians, we are raised and called to live a RESURRECTION-centered life in Christ.

   Paul didn’t just teach the Resurrection—he lived it. And now, we must choose to do the same.

  How do we live the RESURRECTION Life today? Here are some practical suggestions:

1. Die to self, daily – Like Paul in Galatians 2:20, declares, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

2. Tap into God’s power – As Ephesians teaches, the same power that raised Christ lives in you. Live boldly!

3. Pursue knowing Christ deeply – As Paul longed for in Philippians 3:10, seek to know Him and the power of His resurrection.

4. Set your mind on things above – Like Colossians 3 urges, lift your eyes to heaven. Live like you're already raised with Christ.

5. Share the Good News – The Resurrection is not just good news for you; it’s good news for the world. Don’t keep it to yourself.

   I want to close with this final reminder:

   "If you’re plugged into the Power, live like you’ve been raised!"

   RESURRECTION POWER changes lives!

[1] Gordon D. Fee, Philippians Commentary, NICNT

[2] Douglas J. Moo, Colossians and Philemon Commentary, Pillar NT Commentary