By Rameshwar Yadav

“I am the resurrection and the life” – John 11:25

“To Know Christ and the Power of His Resurrection” – Philippians 3:10

“You have brought eternal victory to his resurrection

Jesus came to give us this victory today”- Chorus 1

The words of Christ quoted above, the truths taught by the Holy Spirit by Paul, and the chorus written by the leaders of our own Nepali church illustrate the importance and necessity of Christ’s resurrection.

For us and for generations to come, the “resurrection of Christ from the dead” is a mysterious, historical, and religious fact that has been easily believed and disbelieved throughout history. His resurrection is unknown to most people. But it is very important for the Christian life because it gives us the basis to stand before God. At the same time, our new and changed lives stand on it.

Resurrection and Life

Christ has linked the resurrection to life. He revealed this fact before he raised Lazarus from the dead, and this is confirmed by the life of Lazarus. Jesus has revealed to himself both resurrection and life. This means that Christ Himself is the resurrection and the life. For this, we, the people of God who believe in Him, do not need to go anywhere and look for it.

There is life in the resurrection. This is a good thing because people are willing to do every good deed and every evil deed to get life. The main purpose of breaking every boundary for life is to protect oneself from death. But death swallows them up. Therefore, the life given by the resurrection is the life that has conquered death. And our Christian life begins with victory because Christ has cleansed us from sin and given us a holy life. This life is called eternal life, abundant life, holy life, and the life of God.

The Resurrection and the gospel

Christ lived in this world for forty days after his death. In these forty days he revealed the mysterious power of the resurrection among the disciples and the people of Israel. This truth taught the disciples to believe in Christ and to dedicate their lives. We can see the results in the book of Acts and other books of the New Testament.

The apostles’ Peter, John, Paul, and other followers of Christ focused on Christ and his resurrection in their preaching. Even today, the main theme of our gospel is Christ and His resurrection. Besides, there is no other good news. They are deceiving themselves and their hearers into believing that someone is preaching a different gospel because there is no forgiveness of sins except in Christ, neither in heaven nor on earth.

The apostle Paul says that the gospel is the most important subject. This is what we must understand first. He says in 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, “For I have delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; He was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” After concluding, he linked the subject with God’s grace, explaining the history, mystery, and significance of the resurrection in the verses that follow.

Christ’s Superiority in Resurrection and God’s sovereignty

We are saved by the grace of Christ. Those who have not received God’s grace have not understood the resurrection and its power and will never understand it. That is why Paul asks those who come to the church and those who rejoice in the world, “How can you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” But if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised from the dead.

Our preaching and your faith are in vain if Christ is not raised from the dead. Moreover, we are false witnesses of God because we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead.

Indeed, without the resurrection of the dead, Christ would not have risen from the dead. If Christ is not resurrected, their faith is in vain and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ will also perish. If we only hope in Christ for this life, we will be more miserable than all people.

In fact, Christ has risen from the dead. He is the first-fruit of those who fall asleep, and because death came from man, so also the resurrection of the dead came from man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in its own order – Christ is the first-fruit, then Christ’s own in His return. The end will come when he destroys every government, every authority and power and hands over the kingdom to God, the Father. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Because God has put everything under his feet. But it is clear that “everything is subject to him” does not mean that God Himself is subject to the one who has put everything under Christ. When all things are put in subjection to him, then the Son himself will be subject to him, who puts all things in subjection under him, that God may be all-pervading.

Conclusion

Christ has not been resurrected, nor has there been forgiveness of sins. Without his resurrection, eternal life would not be possible. Christ is not God, nor is he resurrected. If he had not been resurrected, our faith would have been in vain. If he is not resurrected, then God is also a liar. So be careful. Stay awake. Abide in Christ. Let us rejoice in God. Let’s pray constantly. Let him be glorified to the end. Amen.