If you are part of a church family, you spent last weekend celebrating the most important event of our Christian faith – the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Definitely worth celebrating!! Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. Without the resurrection, Jesus was just a man who taught and did magnificent things and then died a gruesome death on a cross.
The purpose of His willing sacrifice was to reunite, or reconcile, us to God. The need for reconciliation begins with God’s holiness. God’s holiness is beyond our human comprehension. The Bible tells us that our self-righteousness is like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 46:12). It is God’s complete holiness, and our sin, that would separate us from Him forever were it not for the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus, who chose to cover us with His righteousness before God by paying with His life. “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20)
The resurrection proves the plan of God. He provided a way to cover our sins so that we could have an earthly and eternal relationship with Him once again. That provision was Jesus. Now, when God looks at us – those who have chosen to accept Jesus’ gift - He sees His perfect, sinless Son. We can stand in the presence of our holy God, clothed in the righteousness and holiness of Jesus.
The close followers of Jesus, His disciples, were willing to die – and they did - for what they saw and what they believed – the resurrection of Christ. He appeared to hundreds of followers over the 40 days that He was alive on earth after rising from death. He did so to demonstrate to them that He was alive. He also prepared them for the task of telling the world about what they had witnessed.
After they watched Him ascend into heaven, the disciples were filled with Holy Spirit power as Jesus had promised. They could not stop telling everyone they encountered about what they had witnessed. With the power they were given, they performed miracles and shared the miraculous thing they had witnessed – the risen Jesus.
We Christians, too, have access to the resurrection power. From the moment we give Jesus our whole heart, His Holy Spirit becomes a part of us. Now that Easter is over, how will you respond?
The apostle Paul encouraged the early church of Philippi to continue to “work out their salvation”. This didn’t mean do good works as payment for the salvation of Jesus. He emboldened them to respond to Jesus’ love and sacrifice by acting in accordance with God’s good purpose for their lives. (Philippians 2:12)
Brothers and sisters in Christ, are you thankful for Jesus’ love and sacrifice and what that bought you? Are you seeking to work out your salvation in appreciation? What’s your purpose? It might be talking to a friend, family member or co-worker about how your life is better and your eternal future is secure because of the gift of Jesus. It might be getting more involved in the work of the church. It might be any number of things that God would ask of you to bring Him glory and to grow His Kingdom.
Scary? Maybe . . . but you have the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit within you – a gift of the resurrected Jesus. Walk it out!
Sylvia Gaston
Family Ministry Pastor
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