Why the Easter Resurrection Raises More Than Jesus

The night before Jesus was crucified, he told his disciples that he would be killed and that he would rise. (Matthew 26:32.) They didn’t catch it, apparently didn’t believe it. Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, Peter denied him, just as Jesus had told him he would. Peter hadn’t believed that either.

On and on it goes through the generations, some believe Christ rose from the dead, others deny it happened. Some of those skeptics set out to prove their theories and yet, in the end, concluded that the resurrection was true, becoming believers themselves. Others, not liking the Resurrection story, choose to ‘un-truth’ it for themselves. The modern-day deniers proclaim, "It can't be..."

But He did rise. Too many witnesses saw him, and too much evidence was left as proof. Uncomfortable truth does not cease being truth. That empty tomb validates all that Jesus pronounced about himself, his mission, the kingdom of God, and us.  

That empty tomb is a new beginning. Turns out, we believers have quite a future to look forward to! That glorious new resurrection life will be glorious!

Many who do believe in the Resurrection do not comprehend its power. Even those of us who do.  I didn't. Turns out, the Easter resurrection is more than Jesus Christ coming out of that tomb, for all the wonder that it raises in each human who embraces it. Jesus was the first, the first fruit of all who believe in Him. We, who are found in Christ, shall follow and shall be like him when we do.  Don't take just my word for it!

That ‘first fruits of them that sleep’ you hear quoted in Handel’s Messiah is what comes next, after death, not just a ‘sleep!’  When Christ arose, he was the beginning of God’s business of raising humanity to new life-- first in our accepting His truth for ourselves and receiving life, the work of salvation that Christians talk so much of, then the whole raising of His people, bodies and all at the last day.  More empty graves, our empty graves.

By the way, in this life, those accepting His grace, also have ‘fruit’ of our own. We are to follow the example of Christ.

We are like seeds that live, and then die to bring forth a harvest. When we die, not physically but in our right to rule our life, we bring forth new spiritual life:

We are in the fruit-bearing business in this life, a part of the harvest that God is producing within each of us and with each of His children as planters of the good news to those around us and doers of His work.

Foreseeing the future, Jesus spoke of many things which soon came to pass. And he spoke of that day.  Wouldn’t it be wise to hear and believe His promises to His children?

So, the all-important question is who will be among those raised on that future, last Easter day?

This involves a life-changing move. Those who accept Him are not just giving a mental assent to facts. Perhaps a ‘harvest’ example with help. If you find a summer job picking fruit in a foreign country, could you do that work while still staying at home? (No online possibilities here!) You could call yourself a fruit-picker but unless you left your home and traveled there and began picking, you are not a fruit gatherer by any means.

In Christ, we leave all, and not just for a summer of orchard work, but for life. We believe Him as Lord, know of his provision for us, and follow, knowing we have a future in him-- an eternal future in this case! The type and amount of work we do is not the issue, leaving all and following him is. That submission, that work, like joy, comes naturally as we follow.

Following him means believing that God can save us, that his love and sacrifice on that cross transform us into his dear children.

What do we bring to this new life? Do we have to live a perfect life like Jesus to be saved?

We bring our wrongs, our sins, for cleansing.

Nothing is good enough to offer a holy God. We ask Him to deep-clean our sins, receiving His sacrificial work on the cross, and we repent, refusing to return to that old life of self and sin.  Only then can we see that all we offer are negatives, he does not save us because we are worthy. HE makes us worthy! Then, newly created, we confess Him before others and remain in His love by living for Him.

And living that way is ‘foreign’ in our case. Loving others, forgiving, and serving becomes our new language, our new career. In this world, that is truly ‘alien.’ Though we imperfect humans fail in many ways we hold fast to follow and hopefully, bear a harvest.  For HIM.

What's more, the adventure of faith begins as the Holy Spirit rises within each who 'plants' themselves by faith in God. He resides within, the sap that strengthens and guides us in our new life, tilling and fertilizing us come rain or shine. We needn't think we follow on our own. We learn of God in reading about His life and promises in the Bible, His testimony of all he has prepared for his people. It teaches us to cling to him to avoid the allure of that old life.  No longer is this world our home.

Think of these deep promises this Easter season as you celebrate new life, the power of that resurrection, and yours, if you are His indeed. Not only is life here filled with evidence of His care, but our future ‘resurrection’ awaits. As He was raised, that same power will lift us on that day. Believe it!

With joy, sing with all his children, "Alleluia, He is risen. He is risen indeed!"  

Image by an unknown artist, found on Pinterest.