It is wonderful to remember and appreciate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the foundation stone upon which our faith and hope is secured. Christianity is based on a relationship with a risen Savior.
Our Savior is not in the tomb. Our Savior is not in the grave. “He is not here. He has risen!”
“Why seek ye the living among the dead?” This could be said of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful truth this is—the Lord Jesus Christ is alive!
Let’s begin by considering two Scripture passages.
“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:1-3
Notice the phrase: “To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering.”
This is significant: our blessed Lord Jesus presented Himself alive. He actively and intentionally showed Himself to be risen.
Remember what He said in John 10:18:
“No one takes My life from Me. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
In the resurrection, the Lord Jesus presented Himself alive—and He did so with many infallible proofs.
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
In 1 Corinthians 15 we see how foundational the resurrection is to the Christian faith.
The first 19 verses illustrate the importance of Christ’s resurrection. Then the rest of the chapter discusses how His resurrection affects us as followers of Jesus Christ.
The gospel message is this:
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
The “Scriptures” here refer primarily to the Old Testament. Prophecies such as Isaiah 53, Psalms 22, 69, and 88 all point to His suffering and death.
But not only was His death prophesied—His burial, and resurrection were foretold as well. Scripture presents the full gospel in this way.
Without the resurrection, the work of salvation is not complete.
If we preach the gospel and leave Christ on the cross, it’s incomplete. If we preach the gospel and leave Him in the grave, it’s still incomplete.
The gospel is this:
Christ died according to the Scriptures. He was buried. And He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
Now, let’s consider how the Lord Jesus Christ is know in resurrection:
Consider Revelation 1:18, where Jesus says:
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
In His resurrection, He declares, “I am He who lives and was dead.” He is no longer suffering. He is no longer in the grave. The Bible says that God the Father would not allow His Holy One to see corruption. He raised Him up on the third day. The face that was once marred by the crown of thorns, by the spitting and striking, is now radiant with glory.
He is a living Savior, glowing in glory, and His resurrection proves it.
Satan did his worst. Men tried to seal the tomb—with Pilate’s authority and with heavy stone—but death could not hold Him.
As the hymn writer says:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes.
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
He nullified death’s power. He destroyed him who had the power of death—that is, the devil. He passed through the tomb in triumph. The stone was rolled away not to let Him out, but to let us in—to see that He is not here; He is risen. Now, where is the Lord Jesus Christ? He is seated at the right hand of God.
As Hebrews 10:12–13 says:
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.”
He is the Victorious Christ.
In John 20, we see the tenderness of the risen Christ. Mary Magdalene’s heart is broken. She doesn’t recognize Jesus and thinks He is the gardener. When He asks her, “Why are you weeping?” she replies, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Then He says her name—“Mary.” The Good Shepherd called His sheep by name.
That moment is so powerful. She immediately recognizes Him and replies, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
This tender encounter is repeated in various forms throughout the 40 days after the resurrection. Think of the road to Emmaus (Luke 24), where two disciples were downcast. Jesus appeared and opened the Scriptures to them. Their hearts burned within them as He spoke. He was patient. He was caring. Then in John 21, He restores backslidden Peter. Again, we see Him as the Caring Christ.
Dear friend, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?
Why not bow to Him today? Confess your sin. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you shall be saved.
Romans 10:9–10 tells us:
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
I encourage you today: Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if you’re already a believer, praise the Lord that you have such a wonderful Savior.
He is your Living, Victorious, and Caring Christ!