Benefits of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Today we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, the day Jesus Christ raised from the dead, not Easter, which has nothing to do with Jesus Christ, the Resurrection, or anything Holy no matter how people try to spin it. Easier is a pagan celebration. Read my sermon “What are you celebrating Resurrection or Easter” online. Resurrection Sunday decrees and declares who Jesus is, according to Romans 1:4 “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. The Resurrection proved that Jesus Christ was divine. The fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross does not prove in itself that He is God manifested in the flesh, but the resurrection does. Jesus proved His divine nature by fulfilling the predictions of His death and by His Resurrection from the dead. John 2:19 says, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”.
I received a phone call from a Pastor in Jacksonville Florida on Friday, and we were discussing Good Friday and what is so good about Good Friday, sure Jesus died for our sins on Good Friday, but He was beaten, mocked, scourged, crucified, but if it had not been for the Resurrection early on Sunday, the first day of the week, Friday would have been in vain, that’s why Friday is so good because of Sunday.
Today I want to talk about the benefits of the Resurrection.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept”.
The Benefits of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Resurrection confirms that Jesus is who He claimed to be. Remember Romans 1:4 decrees and declares Jesus to be the Son of God - “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”.
In our text today there are some things that would be useless if the resurrection had never happened.
Verse 14 says, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also in vain”. Let me say right now that our preaching is not in vain. If our preaching was in vain we would not be able to reach people all over the world. If our preaching was in vain souls would not be delivered today. Because Jesus is risen our preaching is not in vain. Let me say to you today since we are all ministers of reconciliation your preaching and I am not necessarily talking about being in the pulpit or on Facebook giving a sermon with a text, prayer, and a hoot & holler, but your preaching, the life you live, the testimony you give, the Love you show is not in vain, and your faith is not in vain. Your hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Like the song says “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future my life is worth the living because He lives”. Because of the Resurrection it’s not all in vain, your praying, your fasting, your believing is not in vain. That’s a benefit of the Resurrection, it’s not in vain.
If Christ be not risen Verse 15 says, “Yea, and we are found false witness of God, because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not”. If Christ had not been risen then we would be false witnesses, our testimony would be a lie, but because He is risen the words that comes out of our mouth about Him are true. So, when we say He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think – it’s true. When we say He is a way maker and a burden bearer – it’s true. When we say He is a promise keeper, He is light in the darkness – it’s true. Like the Mighty Clouds of Joy said “If God is dead what makes the flowers bloom. If God is dead what make summer come in June. If God is dead who answers prayers. I know he lives. I can feel Him moving through the trees in the wind and the breeze. That’s a benefit of the resurrection.
If Christ be not risen Verse 17 says, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins”. Because He is risen, I’m no longer bound but I’m free. Because He is risen the chains have been broken. Because He is risen, I can say like Martin Luther King Free at last Free at last Thank God Almighty I am Free at last. Old things have passed away and behold I am a new creature. The benefit of His Resurrection is I’m not what I used to be. I used to be a sinner, but now I’m saved by Grace. I was dead in my trespasses and sins I walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, a children of disobedience, but now me and you have been raised up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
If Christ is not risen Verse 18 says, “Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished”. But since Christ has been raised, the dead in Christ have not perished but sleep and in the resurrection they shall rise first putting on incorruption then in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Verse 19 says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are all men most miserable”. But since Christ rose early on that Sunday morning, we have this benefit of the resurrection Colossians 1:27 says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. The benefit of the resurrection is the Hope of Glory, which is confident, Assurant, expectant, joyful knowledge that we are being changed by God and will one day see Christ face to face, having been conformed to His image and likeness. This is the benefit of the resurrection which includes our bodily resurrection Romans 8:11 says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you”. This benefit of the resurrection includes our heavenly inheritance 1 Peter 1:3:4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”.
CLOSING: - The benefits of the resurrection proved Christ’s power to forgive sin. By rising from the dead, Jesus proved His authority and power to break the bonds of sin and to assure forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept His gift of salvation. Securing our victory over death as well and has caused me and you to have been raised up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The resurrection also benefits us because it affirms that our labor in this life are not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord”.
The Resurrection defeated God’s enemy Satan. From the time that Lucifer got lifted up in pride until the day of the cross, the devil fought to overthrow the kingdom of God. At the crucifixion, Satan felt as though he had delivered the knockout punch. But early on Sunday morning when the earth began to quake and the stone was rolled away his power over sin and death was shattered and Jesus rose with all power in Heaven and Earth in His hand and in Him we live move and have our being and that’s the benefit of the resurrection.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
