Christ Is Risen!

Alba 3-31-24

CHRIST IS RISEN

Romans 8:34

A story was told about a Biology I test in which the students were asked: "Suppose you could take to Mars any of the laboratory equipment used in this course. How would you determine if there was life on Mars?" One student responded: "Ask the inhabitants. Even a negative answer would be significant." The student got an A.

Well, I'm not sure that there is life on Mars, but there is life here on earth. And there is life after death. We know that because Christ Is Risen!

Throughout the pages of the New Testament that message rings out loud and clear. But of course, that very statement tells us even more. If Christ is risen, we know that first He died and then was buried. But then, He rose from that grave victorious over sin and death! Indeed, Christ is risen!

While that truth is recorded in various places in Scripture, today we will turn to Romans 8:31-34. Here's what it says: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. ”

Verse 34 gives us the good news of our salvation as simply as it can be stated. Each part of that verse outlines the means by which we can be saved from the penalty of our sins. The very first thing it tells us is “it is Christ who died.” The fact that He is risen means that:

1. He Has Conquered Death.

And what a cruel death it was. The cross itself was pure torture. It was meant to be that. It is amazing what evil the mind of man can conceive. Jesus knew that would be the way He would offer Himself as a sacrifice for us. No wonder there were sweat drops of blood from His brow even before they put the crown of thorns on His head.

The journey to the place of crucifixion was not an easy one either. The Romans made sure that those who were about to die would suffer not only physical pain but also humiliation.

Before the finality of death came, condemned prisoners had the upper beam of the cross tied to their shoulders and were paraded through the streets until they reached the final destination of the crucifixion.

The distance from the point where Jesus had received His cross to Golgotha's Hill is said to be about a forth of a mile. As prisoners labored under the weight of the beam of the cross, the crowd mock them, spit on them and threw things at them. It was a time of final persecution, humiliation and rejection before the agonizing death that was before them.

Then came the agonizing pain being nailed to the cross. That is what Jesus endured for us in order to open the door to heaven. It was so that we, who because of our sin and unrighteousness do not deserve to enter, would be welcome in His heaven.

Salvation is not cheap. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe because we had a debt that we could not pay. He died the death that we all deserve, and He was raised to new life to offer us a hope we could not imagine.

This was no accident! This was no miscarriage of justice. Oh, the men who put Him there were accountable for their actions, of course. As Jesus was standing before Pilate, hundreds of voices were crying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"

They nailed him to a cross, and He hung between heaven and earth until He died!

But at the end of the day, the cowardly Roman governor and the jealous Jews and the cruel soldiers were no more responsible for Christ on the cross than any of us. We put Him there with our sin. Our sin cost Jesus His precious life.

But the next thing verse 34 tells us is “furthermore, He is also risen!”

2. He Rose From the Grave

Yes, after three days the angels announced, "He is not here; He is risen as He said!" (Luke 24:6) The stone had been rolled away, and the victory had been won!

There is a story in which a little 3 year-old girl got right the meaning of this day. She was so excited about the coming of Easter, and she and her mom went to the store to buy her some new shoes. She said, “Mommy, I can’t wait for Easter!” Her mom asked, “Do you know what Easter means, honey?”