Denny answers:
Jesus' resurrection proves His victory over sin and death. Because He lives, believers can have new life in Christ!
Resurrection means to come back to life after death. Jesus died on the cross for sin, but He came back to life three days later. Jesus' friends found His tomb was empty, and then they saw and even touched Him. For 40 days, Jesus proved He was alive and taught His followers (Acts 1:3). Then, Jesus rose up into heaven to sit at God the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3).
But why is Jesus’ resurrection important? Why couldn’t Jesus pay for sin by dying on the cross and then stay dead? Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? Below are five reasons why Jesus’ resurrection is important:
1. If Jesus had only died and never been resurrected, His death would have been like the normal death of a human. But Jesus is not only human—He is also God the Son! The resurrection shows Jesus is the Son of God with the power to come back to life (John 10:17-18; Romans 1:4).
2. If Jesus had stayed dead, He would still be under the punishment and power of sin—death (Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57). But Jesus Christ proved His victory over sin and death by becoming alive from the dead.
3. The resurrection proves God the Father accepted Jesus and His saving work on the cross (Acts 17:31). As God gave Jesus new life, He also gives new life in Christ to believers who were dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1-6). God saves believers who turn from sin and trust the Savior and Lord Jesus Who died for sin. Believers can be sure they have new life in Christ because of Christ’s resurrection (Romans 4:25, 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Peter 1:3-4).
4. The resurrection shows God will give believers life again after they die (2 Corinthians 4:14). As God gave Jesus a resurrected body, God will one day give all believers perfect, resurrected bodies to live forever with the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:35-57).
5. The resurrection assures believers that their obeying, serving, and suffering for the Lord will be rewarded one day in heaven (Romans 6:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:32, 58).
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’” (John 11:25).
Bible Truth
- “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…he was buried…he was raised on the third day…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
- “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…for since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:17, 20-21).
- “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
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