Why the Resurrection is Important

I have been looking forward to this day for some time. Today is the celebration of the single, greatest event that ever happened: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Millions of people will gather today to remember and celebrate this great event that took place about 2,000 years ago.

Introduction

I have been looking forward to

Easter Sunday

“Why the Resurrection is Important”

! I have been looking forward to this day for some time. You’ve heard me talk about it over the past few weeks. Today is the celebration of the single, greatest event that ever happened: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Millions of people will gather today to remember and celebrate this great event that took place about 2,000 years ago.

This one event is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without this event, we have nothing. Our hope is in vain, and we are wasting our time. But with this event taking place, everything has changed.

The Millennial Generation (those born between 1980 and 2000) have about 79 million persons to their generation. This makes them largest generation in America. This generation likes to ask the question, “Why?” We have talked before that this is not a bad question, but one that is seeking to understand the reason behind the things we do and believe.

It is this question that I want to raise this morning. Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so important? To some that may seem like a silly question, but I truly believe that it is one worth asking and even more important that we answer.

4 Reasons The Resurrection of Jesus is Important

1. The resurrection confirms the identity of Jesus. ()

Luke 24:1–12 CSB

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’ And they remembered his words. Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went away, amazed at what had happened.

In , we have an account of some women coming to the tomb to finish the burial customs of the day. They would apply spices to the body to honor the person and to keep down on the smell of decay. When these ladies arrived at the tomb, they found the stone rolled away and the body gone.

In verses 6-8, we see that the angels told the women that Jesus had risen just as He said He would. They returned to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem and shared the message. Peter and John ran to check it out and found it just as the women had said.

The resurrection of Jesus was an exclamation point on Jesus’ identity. He said many times that He was no ordinary person but God the Son, the Messiah. Some could have just shrugged Him off as another religious nut. The resurrection causes us to realize that Jesus was exactly who He said He was. This makes us go back and realize that everything He said was not just a man or good teacher saying statements, but it was God’s word.

2. The resurrection restores hope. ()

Luke 24:13–27 CSB

Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing him. Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged. The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked them. So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.

In , we find two followers of Jesus on a journey to a village called Emmaus. This could have been their hometown, and they were returning from the Passover celebration that took place in Jerusalem. Jesus joins these two on their journey and talks with them. He asks about their apparent “intense discussion.” They share about what had happened to Jesus. They wondered if this stranger to them had been under a rock somewhere.

them. He asks about their apparent “intense discussion.” They share about what had happened to Jesus. They wondered if this stranger to them had been under a rock somewhere.

In verse 21, we see that these two travelers had hoped that Jesus was this Messiah they had been waiting for. The events that had transpired though had shattered their hope. Life has a way sometimes of shattering our hope. People that we trust turn around and stab us in the back. The promising job falls through. The tests come back with not-so-good results. We can relate to these two travelers, can’t we?

In verses 25-27, Jesus reminds and teaches them about what the Old Testament shared about the Messiah. He would to many miracles. He would have to suffer. Jesus used the Bible to show these two that everything that God said would happen did happen. God’s plan, though it might not be the way they wanted it, was still on course.

We can rest assured that God is still sovereign. He is in complete control. Though there are times in our eyes that it seems that everything is spinning out of control, they are not. Everything that God has planned is being carried out fully. We can find hope in the living word (Jesus) and the written word (the Bible). Jesus used the Bible to restore these two travelers’ hope.

3. The resurrection renews the fellowship. ()

Luke 24:28–31 CSB

They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight.

Luke 24:28–31 CSB

They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight.

We see in that they had arrived in Emmaus. Jesus acted as if He was going to continue going on. The two travelers urged Jesus to stay with them because it was getting late. This was a sign of hospitality. Jesus agreed and joined them for a meal.

Luke 24:28–29 CSB

They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

It was at this meal that Jesus reveals His identity to the travelers. As they watched Him bless, break, and serve the bread, their eyes were opened to who He was. The scene that plays out here is strikingly similar to the scene in the upper room the night Jesus was betrayed.

Because Jesus had risen from the dead, He now is at work renewing the fellowship of those who trusted in Him. The sin in our lives breaks us off from God, but the death and resurrection of Jesus provides a renewing of the fellowship between man and God. It is only through the work of Jesus on the cross and rising from the grave that makes this possible. Without the resurrection, there is no way for us to have a relationship with God. Since the resurrection has happened, that is now available to all who will come to Jesus in faith.

4. The resurrection gives us a message worth sharing. ()

Luke 24:32–35 CSB

They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

After Jesus disappears, the two travelers immediately make the journey back to Jerusalem to share what they had experienced. They talked about how their hearts burned within their chests as Jesus spoke with them.

The journey back to Jerusalem could have been inconvenient. They had already gotten home from a long day’s journey. This did not stop them from sharing the good news that Jesus had indeed risen.

The resurrection of Jesus gives us a message that is worth sharing. It is the message that hope is alive... God is still in control... we can be with Him! That is news worth sharing. It may not always be convenient to share about what Jesus has done, but that is a message that should be shared with everyone. It is that message that gives hope to the hopeless... peace to the weary... love to the unlovable. Those of us that have experienced this good news about Jesus should be quick at every opportunity to share it with others.

! The resurrection of Jesus gives us a message that is worth sharing. It is the message that hope is alive... God is still in control... we can be with Him! That is news worth sharing. It may not always be convenient to share about what Jesus has done, but that is a message that should be shared with everyone. It is that message that gives hope to the hopeless... peace to the weary... love to the unlovable. Those of us that have experienced this good news about Jesus should be quick at every opportunity to share it with others.

Conclusion

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just another event in history. It is one of, if not the main point, in history. It is a big deal. It confirms to us that Jesus was exactly who He said He was and draws us to examine more closely what He had to say. It restores our hope and renews our fellowship with God. Without the resurrection, none of this would be possible.

What we celebrate today is good news that is worth sharing. To keep this message that Jesus has indeed risen to ourselves would be one of the most tragic things that could ever happen. This message of Jesus is one that we must first accept ourselves and then take to others so that they might experience it, too.