On Good Friday the human courts wrongly accused Jesus, the leaders and rulers conspired together, declared Him guilty and handed Him the death sentence. For a moment Satan thought that He was victorious. But then in the courts of Heaven Jesus stood before God the Father and His righteous Law, there He was declared innocent, sinless and victorious over all. Its no surprise that Death could not hold him; the grave could not stop him. HE IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is indeed a Historical event that took place in the Past, it can be verified and defended through various arguments. But the resurrection is not just an event, it is beyond that. It is a reality that impacts and shapes our lives, our nature, our being, our character. Since the Resurrection is real this impact in our lives too is real and is evident and tangible.
Therefore today Morning as we Meditate on the Fact that He is risen we also look that the blessings that flow from His resurrection and how it impacts us now here today.
Redemption, Intercession, Sanctification, Empowerment, New Life
A. The Blessing of Redemption
The resurrection of Jesus declares and assures us, that we have been redeemed. As Christians we must know this truth because it sets the tone for our lives here on earth. The Greek word for redeem means to free by ransom, to release on receipt of ransom. It means to be bought back, to be bought back with a price, setting a captive free by paying a price.
So does it mean that we were Slaves, We are held captives?
We were all captives: The Bible tells us that everyone who is born in this world is born as a slave to sin and is captive to death, slaves to those who by nature are not gods, offering parts of the body in slavery to impurity and ever increasing wickedness, under the power and dominion of the devil. The end of this captivity is eternal damnation. It is because of this captivity we are not able to see the light of the Gospel of the Glory of God which is Christ Himself
The only way to get out of this is for us to be redeemed, for the price to be paid.
Jesus redeemed us
In Colossians 1:14 we have a clear picture of what happened because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son He loves, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins. The transaction is clearly stated: from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of His son. This is exactly what Redemption is.
The son of man came to give his life a ransom for many Mat20:28, Who gave himself as a ransom for all 1Tim 2:6, in whom we have redemption through his blood Eph 1:7, You were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:18,19
Jesus Christ paid the ransom to set us free, the price: His precious, sinless blood, therefore we are no longer slaves and captives to Satan, Sin and Death
This entire act of redemption, the act of Jesus paying our ransom price is described in Hebrews
Jesus Christ our High priest walked into the true holy of Holies, into the presence of God, He appeared for us or on behalf of us in God’s presence. He entered it once and for all, by His precious blood, having obtained eternal redemption. He died as a ransom to set them free.
• No wonder in Heaven, people from very tribe, language and nation are singing a Song. These are people who Jesus purchased by His blood for God
• When we understand this truth we realize that as Christians we can be sure of our Salvation. The price has been paid, Who paid it: Jesus Christ, the currency: His precious blood, its validity: its eternal
Rejoice my dear Christian we are set free, yes you and I are free indeed, from the power of sin, from the dominion of the devil, from the beggarly principles of this world, for the fleeting desires and passions of the flesh. Now since we are free let us not desire to go back, let us not live like those who want to get back to Egypt and find Egypt more attractive and desirable. Let us live in the power of Resurrection
B. The Blessing of Intercession
The Resurrected Christ is not sitting idle, even though His work on the Cross is complete; the Resurrected Jesus is still working for His people. The resurrected Christ is sitting at the right side of God interceding for us. The Lords care for His redeemed Children will never be finished. What a comforting truth for all of us
• Rom 8:33-35 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Because of His intercession no one can bring a Charge against us, no one can condemn us, No one and nothing can separate us from the love of God. There will be different moments in our life when due to varied reasons we will find ourselves being separated from the love of God. But Jesus makes sure that we are not separated from God because He intercedes for us
• 1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Whenever we sin, Jesus Christ speaks to the father in our defense. Remember Moses and His role, how He spoke for the Israelites. In Spite of the fact that we are loved by God we commit sins and usually they are not out of ignorance. No wonder we need Jesus Christ to speak on our behalf
• Heb 7:23-25 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them
It is because of His intercession our salvation is complete and sure, because He always lives to intercede for us. Our Guarantee and Assurance is in Jesus Christ.
C. The Blessing of Sanctification
Paul says “We are being transformed into His Likeness, with ever increasing glory” What is the Resurrected Christ doing? The resurrected Christ is busy working in us. Ephesians tells us He is making us Holy, He is cleansing us, He is washing us. He makes sure that we are without stain, wrinkle or blemish, He is making us Holy and Blameless. The Risen Christ is make us more and more like Him.
While He is preparing a place for us He is also preparing us for that place
• God’s ultimate goal for us, is that we be truly conformed to the likeness of His Son in our person as well as in our standing… Jesus did not die just to save us from the penalty of sin, nor even just to make us holy in our standing before God. He died to purify for Himself a people eager to obey Him, a people eager to be transformed into His likeness…
• For everyone else the Resurrection is just a Historical event but for the Christian the Resurrection is a Transformational Reality. The nominal Christian shouts He is Risen, He is risen indeed, the true Christian shows, He is risen, He is risen in deed.
• Oswald Chambers puts it this way Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the disposition that ruled Him will rule us. Jesus has prayed that we might be one with Him as He is one with the Father.
Therefore Paul says it no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. The primary reason for this indwelling is to make us more and more like Him. Is Christ risen from the dead? Yes He has. Then He is surely working in His own.
The Risen Christ lives in Us and makes Himself more and more desirable to us, more than anything this world has to offer. That is why a Saved Christian desires Sanctification
D. The Blessing of Empowerment
Why do I believe that the Resurrection is True? I believe it is true because the Resurrected Christ has Empowered His people and His Church since her inception. Paul commands us to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power and the same Paul tells us that I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.
History is a witness to this fact, the fact that a handful of people turned the world upside down. The Fact that people were willing to take on Emperors, Rulers and Kings along with their armies, weapons and wild animals. The fact that people gave up their lavish homes and lives to languish in sickness and disease so that those in darkness could see the light of the Gospel. The fact that men who were tied to the stake to be burnt alive, smiled and sang hymns rather than being rattled and shaken. And it is not at one moment in History that this has happened, this continues to happen and will happen.
The resurrected Christ empowers us. This empowerment is a blessing to us and enables us to be a blessing to others. We need this because Christian lives are a battle, it is a battle against the principalities and powers of darkness. The Reeducated Christ is our strength in this battle
E. The Blessing of Newness
The resurrection of Jesus paves the way for new blessings in our life. It begins at new birth with the blessing of new life, a new heart, a new spirit, we are now a new creation, a new man, a new self with a renewed mind. We now serve God in the new way of the Sprit under the new Covenant. The Resurrected Jesus makes us completely new.
The Fact of Resurrection is accompanied with the Act of Transformation in our lives. We serve Christ who is Risen and Alive and a major proof of this fact is this transformation. If it is not evident in our lives then Christ is surely not living in us. The Christian cannot and should not be like the old person He/She used to be.
