Resurrection
Study
Study the following passages and consider what they teach concerning Christ’s resurrection from the dead and what that means for our resurrection:
Read
The glory of the Gospel is that, while Christ died for sinners and was buried to demonstrate the certainty of His death, the grave could not hold Him. He was raised from the dead demonstrating His victory over sin and death. While many attempts have been made to explain away the resurrection of Christ, the Scriptures clearly teach that God raised His Son from the dead. This is crucial for, had Christ not been raised from the dead, He would be no different from any other man and therefore could not be our Savior. But God has raised Him to life which constitutes incontrovertible proof that His death was completely successful for forgiving our sin and removing the wrath of God.
And for us who are in Christ, the great hope we possess is that we will be raised from the dead with Him. To be united with Christ in His death also means that we will be united with Him in His resurrection. This is our hope as believers! Death is not the end for us…death is simply that which ushers us into the presence of Christ for He is the first fruits from the dead. It is the resurrection of Christ that secures our resurrection from the dead and ensures that God will raise us up by His power also. Thus, we can say with Paul, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin…but thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Consider
Consider the following questions:
- Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 and note the many things that would not be true had Christ not been raised from the dead.
- Read Romans 6:4-10 and meditate on the profound implications of being united with Christ in His death and resurrection.
- Write down some ways the resurrection of Christ and the guarantee of your resurrection brings joy and comfort to you.
Pray
Praise God for the power He demonstrated in raising His Son from the dead and thank Him for the hope that brings you as you anticipate your own resurrection.
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