The Importance Of The Resurrection

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

INTRO.- ILL.- A Sunday School teacher was explaining to a group of small children about the death and resurrection of Jesus. She made a crude cross out of some sticks and explained how Jesus was nailed to the cross. And little boy responded by saying, "Oh, that’s too bad."

In the very next breath, however, the teacher told how Jesus rose from the grave, coming back to life. And the little boy’s eyes got real big and he said, "TOTALLY AWESOME!"

Brethren, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus is totally awesome even though many people of the world don’t know this.

For many people, Easter is just another holiday, a 3-day weekend of fun and sun. Or doing something. For others, it’s bunny rabbits and hunting Easter eggs with no other meaning than these. For others, it’s just another so-called ghost story, which they do not believe. BUT WE KNOW BETTER!

For believers in Christ, Easter means the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!

It means the promise of life after death because Jesus conquered the grave! It means hope of a better life. It means joy, not sorrow.

ILL.- Dr. Henry Morrison of Institute for Creation Research said, “The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity. Everything else that was said or done by Christ and the Apostles is secondary in importance to the resurrection. If the resurrection did not take place then Christianity is a false religion. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth.”

“All other men, even the greatest men and the holiest men, have died. Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Caesar, Marx—men who made a profound impact on the world in one way or another—are all dead.

“But Jesus Christ is alive! It is true that He died and was buried, in common with all other men, but unlike other men He returned from Hades, resurrected His own dead body, made it henceforth immortal, and emerged from the tomb, alive forevermore! This was the greatest of all miracles since the creation itself, and could have been accomplished only if Jesus indeed is God, as He had claimed to be.”

Brothers and sisters, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important thing about the Christian religion. Without the resurrection we are no different than anybody else and we are no better off than anyone else!

But the resurrection remains. It stands true.

ILL.- Someone put it this way. The empty tomb has a message for us.

- To science and philosophy it says, "Explain this event."

- To history it says, "Repeat this event."

- To time it says, "Blot out this event."

- To faith it says, "Believe this event."

The Resurrection of Christ stands true and will as long as this world stands.

PROP.- If the resurrection of Christ is true then it should give meaning to our lives.

1- It means that we have an all-powerful God

2- It means that life cannot get us down

3- It means that there is life beyond the grave

I. THE RESURRECTION MEANS THAT WE HAVE AN ALL-POWERFUL GOD

What is the greatest demonstration of power in the world today? Scientific power? Human power? Athletic power? Intellectual power? Political power? Military power? Medical power? You name it and they all fall short of the power of God.

ILL.- At a party one time, a surgeon was watching the host carve the meat. The host said, “How am I doing, doc? How do you like my technique? I’d make a pretty good surgeon, don’t you think?”

When the host finished and the meat slices lay neatly on the serving platter, the surgeon spoke up: “Anybody can take them apart, Harry. Now let’s see you put them back together again.”

Brothers and sisters, God can take them apart and He can put them back together again. God can take a life from this earth but He can also restore life. He can raise the dead.

Here are some examples in Scripture:

- When Jesus was resurrected, some other saints who had died and been buried were raised out of their graves and appeared to many people (Matt 27:52,53).

- Peter prayed life into Tabitha (Acts 9:40), and Paul prayed for Eutychus who came back to life. (Acts 20:7-12).

- In the Old Testament, Elijah raised the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:17-24), and Elisha prayed life into another young boy (2 Kings 4:18-37).

- Jesus, of course, raised Lazarus (John 11), the widow’s son in Nain (Luke 7:11-15), and the daughter of the synagogue ruler (Luke 8:40-46).

God’s power is totally awesome! God can raise the dead! God speaks and things happen.

Gen. 1:3 “God said, Let there be light and there was light.”