04-16-06-The Power of the Resurrection
Philippians 3:10 (NIV) I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection . . .
Today as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I want to look at the Power of the Resurrection. Like Paul, I want to know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. But, what is that power and can it still affect us today, over 2000 years after Jesus was raised from the dead? If so, what effect can it have upon us?
Eph 1:18-21 (NIV) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, 20 which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
First, we must accept the fact that it is the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead. According to the scripture, God used His power to raise Jesus from the dead. It was not Jesus’ own power, or anyone else’s power, but it was the power of God alone.
Second, this power is available “for us who believe.” The power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is for us—those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So let’s find out more about this power.
Paul believed that the resurrection was a fact that is the basis for our faith. In 1 Cor 15 he discusses at length the fact of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 (NIV) Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
There can be no doubt in our hearts about the gospel, because by it we are saved. The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose from the grave on the third day, and ascended to heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. That is the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is the gospel.
There are 4 aspects of the Power of the Resurrection:
1. Salvation
2. Life
3. Healing
4. Hope
1. Salvation: Paul tells us in Romans 1:16 that the gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes it.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. . .
The gospel we have said is the good news about the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. So we could read this verse as follows:
I am not ashamed of the resurrection, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. . .
If there had been no resurrection, there would be no gospel. Therefore, there would be no power of God for salvation. Let’s go to 1 Cor 15:14, 17 (NIV)
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
Do you realize how important the resurrection really is to us? There is NO salvation without the power of the resurrection! Without the power of the resurrection, we are all lost in our sins and cannot be saved. But thank God that through the power of the resurrection, there is salvation to all who will believe the gospel.
2. Life: There is a passage in Matthew’s gospel that has always fascinated me.
Matthew 27:51-53 (NIV) And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
The death of Jesus brought life to those who had already died in faith. They had life in their dead bodies which had decayed a long time ago. Not only were their bodies raised from the dead, but they walked around and appeared to people. After the resurrection they were able to move around the city of Jerusalem and appeared to many people. Can you imagine what that must have been like to be walking down the road and all of a sudden Noah appears to you? How about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. Imagine what the Jerusalem Times must have had for headlines: “Moses Worships In The Temple!” or “King David Dances On The Streets!” What a wild time that must have been. Now friends that is POWER!
In the Old Testament, we are told that the life is in the blood (Lev 17:11, 14). While that is still true in the physical world, we can also see that because of the gospel (death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus) there is now life in the resurrection. In the day that Jesus was resurrected the power of the resurrection brought life to dead physical bodies. Today, the power of the resurrection can bring life to those who are dead spiritually. We can walk in “newness of life” (NASB).
Rom 6:4 (NASB) Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
(NIV) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
3. Healing: A verse that I discovered many years ago, is one you will often hear me say when I am praying for the sick.
Romans 8:11 (NIV) And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Can you imagine what power it took to bring life back into the dead body of Jesus? It took the Spirit of God Himself to come into the body of Jesus. Now, don’t miss this—if the Spirit of God lives in us (as we saw last week Jesus said He would do after Jesus was gone back to heaven) then that means the same power that raised the physical body of Jesus from the dead lives in us. If the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, that same power will make our bodies alive! The Spirit of God will heal our mortal decaying flesh, just as He did the dead body of Jesus. When we need healing, the power of the resurrection to heal is already inside us—all we have to do is tap into it and allow it to flow through our bodies. Why do we anoint with oil when someone is sick? According to James 5:14-15 (NIV)
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, so it is the Spirit of God that brings healing to our bodies through prayer offered in faith.
4. Hope: My friends, the last aspect of the power of the resurrection is hope. This is not a small thing, but vital to our lives.
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
Let me tell you the story of a man who had lost his hope but through the power of the resurrection found it again. He had lost his wife and a teenage son due to a car accident. He blamed himself for the deaths because he had fallen asleep at the wheel. He began the dark journey of grief and was in depression when the opportunity of a life time was offered to him—to go to Israel.
While in Israel, he saw all the great sights but he still was a man without any hope for the future. Then one day, he visited the garden where the Jesus’ tomb was. As they approached the tomb, he listened to the guide telling the story of how Jesus’ body had been placed in the tomb and all the facts and details about the construction of the tomb. Then he was invited along with others to enter the tomb and see the place where Jesus had lain.
When he entered the tomb, he saw the place where the body of Jesus had been placed, but it was not there. He remembered the words that Jesus had spoke to His disciples at the last supper (John 14:1-3 NIV), “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” A door had been placed at the entrance to the tomb, since the stone that covered it was gone, and on it were the words “He is not here-for He is risen.” (These were the words that had been spoken by the angel to Mary on the resurrection morning). Suddenly, hope sprang alive in his heart. Because Jesus’ body was not there, then there was hope for the future! Jesus would come back for him and he would go to be with Jesus and his loved ones.
He came out of the empty tomb, with an assurance in his heart that God was not finished with him. He knew that he still had work to do before he would go home to be with Jesus. He knew that because the tomb was empty that Jesus’ words were true and there truly is power in the resurrection to bring hope to the hopeless!
Friends, the man in the story is me. I am the one who can tell you today that Jesus is not in a tomb, but that He lives! Because He lives, I have hope for the future.
Jesus Christ has been declared with power to be the Son of God by the Resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; (John 11:25 NIV). Yes, today the power of the resurrection can still work in our lives. It can bring salvation through forgiveness of sins, life to the spiritually dead, healing for our sick bodies, and hope for our future. All we have to do is believe in the gospel and we will be saved because it is the power of the resurrection and it is available for all who believe—today!
In the words of the old hymn “HE LIVES”
(Verse 1) I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever foes may say.
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
and just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
(Chorus) He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.