He Is Risen
“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” Luke 24:5 – 6
I love the Easter story of the two women going to the garden tomb where Jesus had been laid after he was crucified (Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8, John 20:1-10). When they arrived, they found that the stone which covered the entrance had been rolled away and an angel appeared and spoke with them. He said, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” (Luke 24:5-6).
While Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is a documented and historical fact, the impact of his resurrection is much more than simple history or an often-told story between two women and an angel.
God was up to something great!
You see, while the Roman government was crucifying Jesus, God was up to something great! He was accomplishing an overwhelming victory for you and for me. God counted Jesus’ death as the payment for our sin. When Jesus died, our old sinful selves were crucified with him so that sin might lose its power in our lives, and we might be set free. Because of Jesus’ death, our debt and the consequences of our mistakes and failures was paid in full! Sin lost its power over us and therefore it is no longer our master. When Jesus died, he broke the power of sin!
And, then to prove the point that the power of sin was broken, he rose from the dead! The first people to see this miracle were these ladies. The first to hear the Good News were these two women. But we too need to see this miracle and hear the great news that HE IS RISEN for ourselves.
We can live new lives!
Here’s the facts: If freedom and victory come to us because of Jesus’ death, even more great things come to us because he was raised to new life. “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” (Romans 6:4).
When we are united by faith with Jesus’ death, we get a BONUS: We are also raised to life! We are now alive to God. Our friendship with God has been restored. We have a wonderful new relationship with God. Not one based on trying to be right, but one based in a gratefulness that Jesus makes us right with God. Jesus died to set us free and rose to make us friends with God. We can come to him. We can approach Him. He loves us and wants to fill our hearts with His love.
Believe, Receive, Alive
He is Risen! And, because he has risen, we too are raised to new life when we trust Him. Believe God loves you. Receive the forgiveness and freedom offered us by Jesus’ death. And live in the newness of life and the friendship with God his resurrection offers us. Because he lives, you are alive to God. Enjoy it!
I love you. I’m praying for you!
Pastor Todd
