I will be out of the office Friday through Sunday evening. God bless our great nation with a return to what made us great.

Updated for this first question:  Which is more important,  the empty cross or the empty tomb  (you can answer the question without denying the other). 



Question: "Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important?"

Answer: The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, it witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, He has power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not a God worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting that is death and the victory that is the grave’s (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.

Second, the resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike all other religions, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. All other religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul explains in detail the importance of the resurrection of Christ. Some in Corinth did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and in this chapter Paul gives six disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: 1) preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14); 2) faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14); 3) all the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15); 4) no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17); 5) all former believers would have perished (v.18); and 6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on the earth (v. 19). But Christ indeed has risen from the dead and “has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (v. 20), assuring that we will follow Him in resurrection.

The inspired Word of God guarantees the believer's resurrection at the coming of Jesus Christ for His Body (the Church) at the Rapture. Such hope and assurance results in a great song of triumph as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

How do these concluding verses relate to the importance of the resurrection? Paul answers, “...you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (v. 58). He reminds us that because we know we will be resurrected to new life, we can suffer persecution and danger for Christ’s sake (vv. 29-31), just as He did. We can follow the example of the thousands of martyrs through history who gladly traded their earthly lives for everlasting life via the resurrection.

The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scripture. And, He is coming again! The dead in Christ will be raised up, and those who remain and are alive at His coming will be changed and receive new, glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important to salvation? It demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It proves that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that those who believe in Christ will not remain dead, but will be resurrected unto eternal life. That is our blessed hope!

Recommended Resources: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Logos Bible Software.

Make Easter that time of year that finds you in agreement with Peter. I am off the remainder of the week. See you Monday. "God bless," even to you who think I am full of nonsense as to this Resurrection business.

Note:  This is a reprint of last years article.  Normally, a 40 share as I count attendance to an article,  is our goal.  The is article has garnered a 261 share since its writing.    

 If you have heard of the "Eucharist" or the "Lord's Supper,"  tonight, Thursday,  some 2000 years ago,  Jesus,  the man/God from Nazareth,  dedicated the emblems of this supper.  The next day,  he was betrayed by nearly all who followed him and had attended that Thursday meeting.

Peter's denial , that "next" day,  Friday, was not about fear at the Nazarene's trial, as some suppose.   Rather,  it was about Peter's own sense of humanity.  He stood in the shadows and watched as they beat his friend.  He knew that, this time,  there would be no escape.   He watched,  not actually believing in a resurrection,  "knowing" that this was the end of a wonderful,  three year dream.  His denials (there were three of them) was an admission,  that hope had come to an end and reality had set in.  

Some 30 years later,  this same Peter,  would die by crucifixion,  for the very thing he denied years before.  What happened to change his mind?  Does anyone believe that this man,  Peter,  would die for an unproven dream? I do not.  His denials prove, to me,  that he was a man willing to face reality,  no matter how unpleasant.  It proves,  to me,  that he would die for reality  (as in the garden,  at The Arrest,  when he drew his dagger,  willing to fight a Roman command).  Again,  understand that on Thursday,  in the garden,  he was willing to fight an impossible battle (one man with a dagger against a troop of Roman soldiers),   one that he knew he could not win,  only to deny Jesus,  24 hours later  . . . . . . .  only to die for that reality some 30 years later.

With Peter,  it was all about reality,  not visions or wild claims of resurrection.  He was not willing to die for a much desired but fantasy belief.  THAT is what we know about Peter.

We are about to celebrate the Resurrection.  I believe  that  this event, the "resurrection,"    turned Peter's intellectual decision to deny,  into a life of faith that demanded of him,  the strongest of validations  -  his own death.

Personally,  I believe because of Peter.  Other reasons abound,  but that is mine.

(Updated for additional comment) Make Easter that time of year that finds you in agreement with Peter. I am off the remainder of the week. See you Monday. "God bless," even to you who think I am full of nonsense.

261 share

  

If you have heard of the "Eucharist" or the "Lord's Supper,"  tonight, Thursday,  some 2000 years ago,  Jesus,  the man/God from Nazareth,  dedicated the emblems of this supper.  The next day,  he was betrayed by nearly all who followed him and had attended that Thursday meeting.

Peter's denial , that "next" day,  Friday, was not about fear at the Nazarene's trial, as some suppose.   Rather,  it was about Peter's own sense of humanity.  He stood in the shadows and watched as they beat his friend.  He knew that, this time,  there would be no escape.   He watched,  not actually believing in a resurrection,  "knowing" that this was the end of a wonderful,  three year dream.  His denials (there were three of them) was an admission,  that hope had come to an end and reality had set in.  

Some 30 years later,  this same Peter,  would die by crucifixion,  for the very thing he denied years before.  What happened to change his mind?  Does anyone believe that this man,  Peter,  would die for an unproven dream? I do not.  His denials prove, to me,  that he was a man willing to face reality,  no matter how unpleasant.  It proves,  to me,  that he would die for reality  (as in the garden,  at The Arrest,  when he drew his dagger,  willing to fight a Roman command).  Again,  understand that on Thursday,  in the garden,  he was willing to fight an impossible battle (one man with a dagger against a troop of Roman soldiers),   one that he knew he could not win,  only to deny Jesus,  24 hours later  . . . . . . .  only to die for that reality some 30 years later.

With Peter,  it was all about reality,  not visions or wild claims of resurrection.  He was not willing to die for a much desired but fantasy belief.  THAT is what we know about Peter.

We are about to celebrate the Resurrection.  I believe  that  this event, the "resurrection,"    turned Peter's intellectual decision to deny,  into a life of faith that demanded of him,  the strongest of validations  -  his own death.

Personally,  I believe because of Peter.  Other reasons abound,  but that is mine.