Low in the Grave he lay
Jesus Christ is risen today
Come, ye Faithful, raise the strain
Heart to heaven and voices raise
Because he lives
Take the name of Jesus with you
Be This while life is mine
22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Romans 6:5-115 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:14-23
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
Around this time of year things seem to pop up about why the Resurrection seems hard to believe. People have a hard time believing that a dead person can indeed rise from the dead. They like to see it as a metamorphical rising.
But we believe it was a true happening.
People wonder though...Do we really have to believe it? Can't we just do the good things of our faith?
But we need to rest in the historic truth of Jesus's death and Resurrection. It is foundational to our faith.
1. because our being right with God rests in it. If Christ was not raised from the dead then preaching, teaching, and believing in him is in vain and we are still in our sins.
2. When Jesus said "It is finished." His resurrection proves the end to sacrifices. Sacrificed lambs never return to life, but Jesus did. His sacrifice proved to be different.
3. Jesus paid the price. We deserve death. We sinned against a holy God. We deserve death for that offense. Jesus paid it for us. Once paid it is done. The price is paid. Jesus could not held by death. It is impossible for death to hold the Lord Jesus Christ. Know this. Christ is our head. If death cannot hold the head it will not hold the body.
4. Christ died for us while we were still weak, still sinners, Christ died.
5. Because Jesus lived post death so can we. We are saved completely. His new life is in us. Romans 6. We are joined in him. Like Jesus we live to God.
6. Living in Jesus means we also live a heavenly life, a Godward life. Jesus helps us to do this.
7. We have this assurance. This life is not the end. We have something to look forward to. We have Christ as our head. We too shall rise. This life leads to a new one, this life we have in Christ. We have something more awaiting us.