Blessed Assurances Of The Resurrection

Here we are on Easter Sunday to celebrate the risen Savior! Today is the day we celebrate the most significant day in the history of the world. Just 72 hours earlier to the great morning of His resurrection, Jesus was betrayed by one of His trusted followers and captured by Roman soldiers. He endured much suffering through beatings and torture we can only imagine. He was mocked and ridiculed by not only the Romans, but also His own people. He was ultimately crucified on a cross and once dead, buried in a borrowed tomb.

One can only imagine how His disciples must have felt as they helplessly watched Him die. Think of their feelings sorrow, disappointment, confusion and sense of emptiness. Their hopes were dashed and their futures were uncertain. I’m sure they thought it all over. But the truth is…it was really just beginning…

Listen as I read Matthew’s account of what happened on Easter morning.

“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come see where his body was lying.’” Matthew 28:1-6

He is risen from the dead!

On several occasions Jesus told who He truly was and what would take place, but no one fully believed or understood Him.

In Mark 10:33-34 Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence Him to die and hand Him over to the Romans. They will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him with a whip, and kill Him, but after three days He will rise again.”

Just as He said, Jesus arose from the dead and everything changed. Despair turned into hope and fear was replaced with joy. The painful sting of sin and death was crushed and defeated. The victory was won by Jesus and today we celebrate because we know the victory is ours!

Neither the cross nor the grave was a surprise to Jesus. In obedience, Jesus willingly suffered and died on the cross. He gave His life for the world knowing He would triumphantly arise from the dead!

He is risen!

The question for today is, “What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to us today?”

>>>The resurrection of Jesus offers us 3 blessed assurances:

1. The resurrection assures our forgiveness!

The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the old, “I have some Good news & I have some bad news” scenario. Both can be presented in one scripture – Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The bad news: Because we are not perfect and can never live up to God’s glorious standard, we are condemned to death.

The good news: Grace. Because of God’s love for us, He offers us eternal life through Jesus Christ.

God knew that we couldn’t keep the laws He gave us, so He sent His only begotten Son to take our sins upon His back and pay the price for all of our sin and shame.

Our pasts are forgiven. No matter how sinful we might have been, Jesus paid the price for us and now we are forgiven. Our slate is wiped clean and we justified. We are made right with God.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ offers us the blessed assurance of forgiveness.

2. The resurrection assures our transformation!

The resurrection isn’t simply an erasure for our past, but is God’s way of making all things new right now. The power of the resurrection assures us with new life. It works into our everyday as it transforms us and makes all things new. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

We are able to experience revival, renewal and rejuvenation in our lives because we have been given the gift of a new life. We have been resurrected!

What a blessing it is of knowing that your old life of sin and destruction is gone and having the assurance to know that you have been born again with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.