Happy Easter! He is risen, He has risen indeed! Our hope in this life and the next is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But how can the resurrection encourage us in our day to day life?
Here are four reasons why the resurrection of Jesus is a game changer for any believer:
1. The Resurrection Gives us the Best Hope for Life.
The resurrection of Jesus means that those who trust in Him will live forever. Death is not an end, but a new beginning. How do the other religious views of life stack up?
Some hold to Materialism or Naturalism which states, “you live, you die, you’re done.” This view holds no real hope or purpose for this life. The focus is all about the physical part of life.
Others hold to a form of Spiritualism which states, “you live, you die and you recycle.” This view is similar to the Greek view of life where the physical world is tainted or evil.
They saw death as freeing the soul from the constraints of the body to cycle back into the energy of the universe to live again as a new form of life. There are various views of this system of belief but generally the focus is on the Spiritual or Immaterial part of us.
Christianity teaches that, “you live, you die and then you really live.” This is where the resurrection of Jesus brings us an eternal hope.
We don’t just live as a spirit or only as body but as we are now, fully physical and spiritual. We retain all our memories, all our experiences, and we have a new glorified body. The resurrection means that we will continue to grow to become all that God designed us to be.
Question: Which one of these systems brings you more hope?
2. The Resurrection Answers the Inner Call of Our Hearts.
Most of us would admit, we were made for something, we were made to live forever. There is a desire for eternity within our hearts.
There is an inner hunger and thirst that our relationships, accomplishments, dreams and desires all crave but can’t fill fully. [See John 4 - The Woman at the Well]
Some have explained that this points to our God-Shaped void which only God can fill.
The resurrection or Jesus fills that hole with hope, purpose and meaning. We can see how our hearts will, one day be filled with more than we could ever dream and desire. One day our hearts will find their rest in God.
Question: What is the inner desire that you simply can’t fill?
3. The Resurrection Brings Us Hope When We Go Through the Dark Times of Life.
We all face dark days of disappointment. Most of us have experienced loneliness. We long for help, wisdom and love during those difficult times of life. We wonder if anyone is there, of if anyone really cares.
Jesus prayed to his Father in the garden for help. He asked his fiends to pray for him, they fell asleep. He understands loneliness. He understands pain and suffering.
The resurrection of Jesus shows us that he broke through the wall of suffering and pain, loneliness and separation, and sin and death. The resurrection brings a new eternal light of hope into our darkness.
No matter how dark the times, we need to remember there is an eternal hope waiting for us. We need to hold on to His promises. Someone has well said, “Don’t Doubt in the Dark What God Has Shown You in the Light.”
Question: Who do you turn to in those dark times?
4. The Resurrection Offers Us Abundant Life Here and Now.
Too often we think of the resurrection as being for “then and there,” not for today. But Jesus said, “I have come to give you life more abundant.”
The resurrection means you can have your current life resurrected today as you begin to explore the promises of God. [There are more than 7,000 promises in the Bible.]
Many times we worry because we have failed to rehearse the promises of God and then we think it all depends on us. But as we look to God and His Word, and His people, we remember His promises. We remember His faithfulness, we find new life daily.
The resurrection tells us we are loved, our lives have purpose, we have been redeemed and God has a plan for each of our lives. As we look for His plan, we find Abundant Life, here and now.
We also are comforted by the hope of eternal life in the future but we experience this new life now.
Question: What are some of the promises of God that speak to your life today?
He has risen, He has risen indeed — to give us life forever, but to give us life here and now, day by day. May you experience the resurrection of Jesus every day of your life — forever! Happy Easter.