Why Jesus Rose
The importance of Christ’s resurrection will be seen when we consider that if he rose the gospel is true, and if he did not rise it is false. Jesus resurrection is a promise of the resurrection of all believers. As he lives, they shall live also.
It proved him to be the Son of God, in as much as it authenticated all his claims.
Before the resurrection, Jesus was limited by his mortal body; after his resurrection, Jesus could be experienced without limit by all his believers. Before his resurrection, Christ could dwell only among his believers; after his resurrection, he could dwell in his believers. Because Christ became spirit through resurrection, he can be experienced by those he indwells. The Spirit of Christ now makes Christ very real in experience to us.[1]
"God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts. For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." (1 Peter 1:20-23, NLT)[2]
"Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honour next to God, pleading for us." (Romans 8:32-34, NLT) [3]
The resurrection provides proof, a receipt as it were for Christs payment of the redemption price. It shows God’s acceptance of payment of the penalty that was due for our rebellion and rejection of God.
Story - Sales and redemption report - receive a receipt for full payment.
Watchman nee also tells a story explaining the resurrection. Crime requires a gaol term. But he is very sick with kidney disease, brain disease, and lung disease, so his innocent friend takes his place. Does not have assurance that his case is closed and the punishment paid until he sees his friend, free and released from prison. The same is for us and Christ’s death and resurrection.
The resurrection is a public testimony of Christ completing all that was necessary to restore a relationship with Him. Our justification was secured by his obedience to the death, and therefore he was raised from the dead.
"[He] was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25, NKJV)[4]
Showed that He was God- the Son of God
" In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs." (Hebrews 1:1-4, NIV) [5]
As a young man, D. L. Moody was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He hunted all through the Four Gospels trying to find one of Christ’s funeral sermons, but searched in vain. He found that Christ broke up every funeral He ever attended. Death could not exist where He was. When the dead heard His voice they sprang to life. Jesus said, I am the resurrection, and the life (John 11:25). [6]
Showed that the claims about Himself were true
"Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish.”" (John 11:25-26, NLT)[7]
"Then Jesus began to tell them that he, the Son of Man, would suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and three days later he would rise again." (Mark 8:31, NLT) [8]
Showed His power over death - we can be sure in our hope of eternal life in God’s presence - we also will be raised
It is a victory over death and the grave for all his followers.
"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave." (Revelation 1:17-18, NLT) [9]
"But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will be raised." (1 Corinthians 15:20-23, NLT)[10]
The point is that Christianity is good news about how God sent his Son to be our Saviour. But if Christ did not really rise, then we have no assurance that our salvation has been accomplished.[11] But we can be sure and have a hope that there is more than just this life to live.
"Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Saviour. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere." (Philippians 3:17-21, NLT)[12]
"All honour to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while." (1 Peter 1:3-6, NLT)[13]
Showed His power over Satan
"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ." (Colossians 2:13-15, NLT)[14]
Showed that He was successful in completing His purpose on earth - all that was required to make it possible for a restored relationship between us and God
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:8-11, NLT)[15]
Showed God’s power of regeneration - the power to bring new life to our sin dead lives by His Spirit
The same power that brought Christ back from the dead is operative within those who are Christ’s. The resurrection is ongoing.[16]
"When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptised. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead." (Colossians 2:11-12, NLT)[17]
"You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.) Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:8-11, NLT)[18]
Regeneration is not possible without Christ’s resurrection. The Scripture plainly says that we have been born again through the resurrection of Christ.
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We can really know Christ and become more like Him because he is alive in us.
At the end of Shusaku Endo’s book “ A Life of Jesus” the final chapter is entitled “The Question” and discusses the claims of the resurrection. He writes: ’ ..the disciples were a group of people hardly different from the rest of us. Like us, they were happy enough to hear good stories, but they lacked firm convictions and their dispositions were self-centred enough to sacrifice the master to their own gut fear. They were average human beings, strong-minded only in their vanities and worldly ambitions.
To put it gently, poltroons like these possessed no powerful convictions. Therefore, after Jesus died, how did they manage to wake up, to regain their footing, to realise for the first time the true merit of Jesus?
How were they able to bring off this interior conversion, changing themselves from mere disciples into apostles?’
"Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah! " (Romans 5:9-11, The Message)
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[1] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. 2001. Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library . Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, Ill.
[2] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[3] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[4] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[5] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Zondervan: Grand Rapids
[6] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopaedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible Communications: Garland TX
[7] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[8] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[9] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[10] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[11] Wood, D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. 1996, c1982, c1962. New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove
[12] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[13] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[14] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[15] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[16] Wood, D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. 1996, c1982, c1962. New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove
[17] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[18] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997. Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[19] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. 2001. Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library . Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, Ill.
[20] Peterson, E. H. 2003. The Message : The Bible in contemporary language. NavPress: Colorado Springs, Colo.