He is risen! What an encouraging truth! As Christians, our hope rests in the reality of a risen Savior. And though the world questions and even scoffs at the thought of someone rising from the dead, we have the promise of God that it is indeed absolute truth. The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote, “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (I Corinthians 15:16-17).
Can we know for sure that Christ has risen? Absolutely. In addition to the Word of God that has recorded the resurrection we also have the testimonies of the apostles; not to mention the thousands throughout church history who gave their lives defending the reality of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This blessed event is celebrated on the day we call Easter. However, as Christians we should celebrate this glorious truth every day. The first century church gathered weekly to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. In other words, they celebrated Easter every week! And so should we! In fact, we should have a daily celebration of His resurrection during our quiet time with Him. Why wouldn’t we constantly rejoice in such a glorious truth? After all, without a resurrected Lord we have nothing more than a martyred Jew who failed to do what He said He would do. In his commentary on Mark’s Gospel, R. Kent Hughes writes, “Jesus came right through His grave clothes, in His sacred human body, glorious and radiant, and the angels’ cheers rose to the stars!” What a magnificent thought!
This year let’s remember to celebrate our risen Savior daily and not just on Easter Sunday. After all, our hope in His resurrection is for eternity; not just annually. Such a daily celebration will also help us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
By His Grace,
Pastor Johnny