Ten Benefits Of Christ's Resurrection Power

Ten Benefits of Christ’s Resurrection Power

(Phil. 3:10) "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection."

Illustration: The Shepherd’s Home in Wisconsin has a problem with dirty windows. Although many of its residents are severely disabled, they love Jesus and understand that He has promised to return someday and give them new bodies. "Every day," said the superintendent, "some of them go to the windows and press their noses against the glass, looking for Him."

The expectation of those precious people is genuine. Their irreversible mental and physical limitations fuel their longing for the day when they will be perfectly whole and free.

The Holy Spirit enables us to keep alive that same hope. And it is a sure hope because it rests on two events, one past and one future--the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20), and the reality that He will return to this earth someday (1 Th. 4:13-18). Paul united both truths in today’s key verse (v.14).

When the going gets tough, we must resist the temptation to give up on life, or to find morbid pleasure in complaining. Instead, we must stay obedient to the Lord, renounce sin, and keep our eyes on the future (1 Cor. 15:33-34). Then we can rejoice in the certainty that in the world to come our painful trials will be no more.

Here are ten exciting benefits of knowing the resurrected power of Christ:

1. Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance that all things done in the name of Jesus and for His purposes, will be victorious. Even though many Christians realize this truth they still live in with self-doubts. Many people wonder where they can get the power to witness to their friends? Others wonder how they can overcome their discouragement, troubles and fears? Peter states an outstanding fact when he says, "Men of Israel, Jesus was a man accredited by God to you miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you." (Acts 2:22) Not only were these works a sign that the Messiah had come, but that God would work great ministries through those who trusted in Christ’s power. Ask the Lord to help you to fully appropriate ALL the power, purposes and plans that the Lord has for you and your people.

2. Christ’s resurrection shows how God’s purposes, processes and plans are always perfectly fulfilled. Peter resisted the temptation to point a finger of judgment at the Jewish elders and teachers of the law in this passage. Instead, Peter focus on Christ’s sufferings and subsequent resurrection proves God’s prophetic plan. Often, people need to have someone to interpret history for them before they are able to learn the most important lessons. Ask the Lord to help you correctly understand all that God’s purposes for your life, relationships and ministries through the struggles He allows you to experience.

3. Christ’s resurrection is used by Peter to explain the mysterious ways that God’s will unfolds. If you really want to learn how to know the will of God, just follow the exemplary life of Jesus Christ. The Jewish elders rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah because He did not fulfill THEIR expectations. Consequently they missed out on the greatest opportunity of their lifetime. Christ’s resurrection has a way of showing all people that we may be rejected by men, but approved by God. Ask the Lord to help you to fix more of your emotional, mental and spiritual energies on following the footsteps of Jesus regardless of perplexing pathways.

4. Christ’s resurrection is used by Peter to show all ethnic groups of the world that we have Christ as our common way to truth, life and heaven. There are many religions and even theologians who would have us believe that finding God’s will is complicated. On the contrary, as we trust and obey what the Lord has revealed to us in Christ, we are clearly shown what to do on a day by day basis. Ask the Lord to help you bring all people groups toward Christ as a way of overcoming differences of opinions. Jesus is the key to all wisdom and knowledge. Jesus helps each sincere seeker find the true answers to the most perplexing problems of this life and the one to come.

5. Christ’s resurrection is used by Peter to show how even David, the Old Testament King, looked forward to the power of Christ to conquer conquer sin, death and eternal judgment. Peter said, "David was a prophet who knew that God had promised him that He would place one of his descendants on the throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ." (Acts 2:30,31) This sense of gladness and triumphant hope gave David the courage to overcome all kinds of adversities. Ask the Lord to help you gain greater insights into the hope that David garnered in His Psalms because of His great faith in Christ’s coming resurrection power.