Why the Resurrection?



The Bible tells us that Jesus rose from the
grave on the first day of the week, three days
after his death and burial (John chapter 20). 
Why is this important?

Easter is fastly approaching.  Kids are on spring break, easter egg hunts are being organized, parents are scrambling to put together easter baskets, and many folks are making plans for get togethers or easter dinner.  But why do we celebrate this holiday?  Easter is actually an ancient holiday, at least 2000 years old, and was originally celebrated at the time of the Jew's passover feast.  Easter was known as a celebration of spring and fertility, hence the easter bunny.  But today, it now more commonly known to be a celebration of Jesus rising from the dead.  But what is so special about Jesus Christ's resurrection?  Certainly it is significant.  People just don't raise from the dead. 

I Corinthians 15:1-8 tells us that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   The word gospel simply means good news.  So what is this good news?  In the text to follow, I want to briefly share with you five facts straight out of the Bible, and explain why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most significant event that has ever been accomplished for mankind (Bible Fact #3).  It really is good news!

The Bible declares that no sinner will be
allowed in God's presence in heaven.
Our sin keeps us from God.

Bible Fact #1: We are all sinners (Romans 3:10, 23):
Only a fool will tell you he's not a sinner. There is universal agreement that all of us, at some point in are lives, have sinned. We may have disobeyed our parents, or lied, or taken something that did not belong to us (even if it was small or worthless).  Our sin displeases God. The smell of our sin stinks in his nostrils, and the Bible declares that no sinner will be allowed in God's presence in heaven. Our sin keeps us from God. There is no way to get rid of the sin ourselves.  Try as we might to remedy our errors, there is no way to take back sins. We try to make up for it our sins by doing good works and doing religious things, but the Bible declares that good works and religion won't take away our sins.

Bible Fact #2: God will Judge our sin:
The Bible states in Romans 6:23 that "the wages of sin is death..." God will one day judge our lives and, as a just God, he must punish those that sin.



God's love will never violate his justice.
That would make him unjust. The

 Bible states all who sin will be convicted and

the sentence is eternal damnation in a place

called hell.

Imagine for a moment that you robbed a bank. A few days later, after spending some of the loot, you feel bad and go back to the bank. You return the rest of the money to the bank owner along with some "IOU's".  You tell the owner your really sorry and to make it up to him you'll clean the bank everyday, without charge, for however long it takes to pay off what you spent and the trouble you've caused him. Without question you'de still be arrested. You would be charged with robbery and appear before a judge.  Even though you're really sorry and you've done many good things to make up and cover what you've done, the judge would still rightfully judge you and convict you of robbery and sentence you with prison time. God is the Righteous Judge. There is no error in his judgement. His justice is perfect and he will judge our sin. Though he loves us, our sentence will not be any lighter.  He will not let us off with a warning or probation. God's love will never violate his justice. Anything less would make God unjust. The Bible states all who sin will be convicted and the sentence is eternal damnation in a place called hell.  This includes you and me.  It's not at all what you might think.  You will burn forever. There will be no light. There will be no parties or keggers in hell.  You will burn, but will not be consumed, and you will remain forever apart from the presence of God.

Bible Fact #3: God judged Jesus on our behalf:

Jesus paid it all. Instead of you standing before the great and

terrible Judge, Jesus stepped in your place. He took all of your

sins, past, present and future, and was judged of God Almighty.

God cares about you and loves you so much that he decided to do something about your sins. I Corinthians 5:21 states, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Instead of you standing before the great and terrible Judge, Jesus stepped in your place. He took all of your sins, past, present and future, and was judged of God Almighty. He sacrificed himself for you.  He came to this earth not to condemn you, but that He might be condemned for you!  He took your conviction, your sentence and your punishment so you wouldn't have to.  He paid it all.  Not only did he pay for your sins, he gave you his righteousness, so when God would look at you, he wouldn't see a sinner, but the righteousness of his Son Jesus.

So why the resurrection?  When you go to the store to buy something they give you a receipt with your purchase as evidence that you paid for your stuff.  The Bible teaches us that the resurrection of Christ is like a receipt.  It is the evidence that Christ paid for our sins!  His victory over the grave also revealed that death was a defeated foe.  Though we may die, those in Christ will one day be reunited with their resurrected, glorified bodies, and those who are alive at Christ's coming will never taste death.  Without the resurrection, we would be without hope, and Jesus' claims that he was the Son of God would have been nothing more than a claim without any evidence.

God desires to give you eternal life.

He holds the gift out to you, but

in order for you to gain possession,

you must reach out and receive it.

Bible Fact #4: Eternal life is a gift we must choose to receive:
Jesus did for us what we couldn't do: he made a way for us to go to heaven. He did this by sacrificing himself. Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Eternal life is a gift to be received.  God wants you love him and receive the gift he offers you, but he will not force himself upon you.  God desires to give you eternal life. He holds the gift out to you, but in order for you to gain possession, you must reach out and receive it. This is why the John 1:12 says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

Bible Fact #5: We receive Jesus Christ and eternal life by faith:
How do you receive Jesus?  Religion will tell you that in order to receive Christ you have to be baptized, or you have to join the church, or you have to take communion, or you have to go through a religious class, or you have to get confirmed, or you have to believe and then do some or all of these things.  But the Bible says something different.  Would you make someone work for a gift?  Of course not, and neither does God.  Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."  We don't receive Jesus by doing good works, even religious works like baptism or communion.   Romans 4:5 says, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."  Faith is simply believing what God has said. This type of belief is not just knowing about God.  This type of believe is an unwavering, unmoveable trust seated in your heart.

We don't receive Jesus by doing good

works, even religious works like baptism

or communion. The Bible says that we

receive Christ by putting our complete

trust in what Jesus did for us on the

cross and simply ask him to save us,

believing that he will.

So how does a person receive Christ? The Bible says that we receive Christ by putting our complete trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross and simply ask him to save us, believing that he will.
Romans 10:9,13, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.


Are you trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation, or are you trusting in some of your own good works or religious observances?

Don't be like this person:
Romans 10:3, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselved unto the righteousness of God."

Choose to trust that God will save you by simply trusting in him and believing that he alone can save you:
John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

John 6:47, "Verily, Verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

I John 5:12-13, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life...
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was for you dear reader!  So what have you done with Jesus?