What is the Significance of the Resurrection of Jesus?

In preparing to celebrate Resurrection Sunday, I decided to dig into the Word with the intent to study and meditate on Scriptures focusing on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

On that note, this post addresses 2 key questions,

1. What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
2. What does it mean to live the resurrected life?

 

This article is not exhaustive. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to pick your Bible and do a personal study on the topic.

 

As you read through my article and study the Word, my prayer for you (and also, me) is that we would know Christ more intimately, experience the power of His resurrection, and be willing to participate in suffering for Him (Philippians 3:10-11). Amen!

 

What is the Significance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

 

1. The Resurrection Proves that Jesus is the Messiah

Jesus was not a mere human being. He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, showcasing Him as the one true Messiah (Romans 1:4). He told His disciples multiple times before He was crucified that He would die and rise again (Matthew 12:40; John 2:19). There is no other person in history who openly declared that He had the power to rise from the dead and kept his promise. Jesus is the only one who has ever done that and will ever do so.

 

His Physical Body Resurrected

After Jesus rose from the dead, He was seen at various times by multiple reliable witnesses. Apostle Paul records that more than 500 of His followers saw Him at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6-7).

 

He did not appear in the form of a ghost or a phantom. It was His same body that died and was buried that was resurrected by the power of God. To prove this point, He invited His disciples to touch and feel Him when He appeared to them (Luke 24:36-39; John 20:27). He even ate with them (Luke 24:41-43).

 

Out of His love for them, Jesus took the time to explain the significance of His resurrection to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus.

 

“He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:44-47

 

2. Our Christian Faith Hinges on the Resurrection

The Gospel or Good News is based on three crucial experiences of Jesus: His death, burial, and resurrection. Without these three core experiences, there is no Gospel message and no Christianity. Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is central and of “first importance” to our Christian faith.

 

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

 

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we are all wasting our time, believing in vain and spreading fables (2 Peter 1:16).

 

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.” 1 Corinthians 15:14-15

 

3. Our Salvation is Dependent on Jesus’ Resurrection

By His resurrection, Jesus proved victorious over sin, its power, and all its consequences. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we would still be held captive to sin (1 Corinthians 15:17).

 

The requirement for receiving salvation involves openly declaring Jesus as Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).  Therefore, anyone who does not believe in the resurrection cannot be saved and is not a Christian.

 

The resurrection is crucial to our new birth experience into the family of God. From a spiritual standpoint,  our born-again experience is such that when Jesus died on the cross, we also died with Him. Our sinful nature was crucified on the cross with Jesus. When He rose, we rose with Him as new creatures empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for God. Sin no longer has dominion over us. (See Romans 6:2-4; Colossians 2:12-14.)

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3

 

4. Our Justification is Dependent on Jesus’ Resurrection

We are justified, declared righteous, “not guilty” by God. The simple definition of justification is that God credits Jesus’ righteousness to the accounts of those who believe in Him. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God treats us “just as if we had never sinned.”

 

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Romans 4:25

 

5. Jesus Resurrected to take His blood into the Throne Room of Heaven

God ordained that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).

 

Jesus died and shed His blood on the cross for our sins. After resurrecting, He took His blood into the Holy of Holies and offered it once and for all to God, thereby paying for the penalty of our sins.

 

“He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12

 

6. Jesus Resurrected to Give Us Eternal Life

By His resurrection, Jesus showcased His victory over death (Acts 2:24; Revelation 1:18). He is the author of life. No one took His life from Him. He voluntarily laid it down and picked it up again (John 10:18).

 

Death came into this world and to all men through Adam when he chose to sin against God. Sin brought death as its consequence (Romans 6:23). But Jesus came, lived among us, died on the cross, shed His blood for us, was buried and resurrected that we may have and enjoy His life (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). He defeated death and gave us His eternal life (John 10:10).

 

Eternal life is the God-kind of life. It refers to both the quality and quantity of life enjoyed by those who believe in Jesus Christ. Eternal life begins at salvation and continues for eternity.

 

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;” John 11:25

 

7. The Promised Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit would not have come if Christ did not resurrect. While on earth, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit. If He did not rise from the dead, He would not have been able to keep this all-important promise.

 

Jesus, while speaking to His disciples before His crucifixion, said, “very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7

 

Jesus made it clear that He would not send the Holy Spirit until after His resurrection.

 

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:38-39

 

8. Because of His Resurrection, Jesus Forever Lives to Intercede for Us

Because Jesus is alive, He remains our High Priest who intercedes for us at the right hand of God. Through Him, we enjoy direct access to God. No more sacrifices are needed to be offered for our sins.

 

“but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25

 

9. Because Jesus Resurrected, We Will Also Resurrect

We have God’s promise that because we are in Christ, God will transform our mortal bodies into immortal ones. Just like Jesus resurrected in a glorified body, we too will be resurrected to receive a body just like His (1 John 3:2). Therefore, as Christians, we do not mourn and grieve over our lost ones as though we have lost them forever. God has promised to unite us with them in His presence.

 

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14

 

10. His Resurrection is Proof of His Coming Judgement

Christ’s resurrection is a clear warning to us that God will keep His promise of judging the world according to His righteousness.

 

“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:31

What Does it Mean to Live the Resurrected Life?

Because we are in Christ, we 100% share in His victory. We can now live the Christian life because the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is permanently resident within us.

 

“and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:19-21

 

As those who have received the power of Christ’s resurrection, we must choose to run our race with purpose, live with eternity in mind, and remain intentional about witnessing for Christ. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ who died for us and was raised to life (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

 

Like the apostles who yielded to their calling, our primary assignment in life is to be witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:15). The author of life gave Himself for us that we may enjoy His life to overflow. We shouldn’t keep such Good News to ourselves.

 

Conclusion

As believers, it is our responsibility to share the message of the cross. The best place to start is with those who are in our immediate environment, our family, friends, co-workers. So, commit to starting today.

 

If you have read this far and know that you do not have the power of the resurrection in you, I am inviting you to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.

 

You can pray in your own words or use the prayer below as a guide.

 

Father, I ask You to forgive me of my sins. Specifically, I repent for rejecting Jesus as my Savior. Today, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I wholeheartedly believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead to give me eternal life. I lay my life down, and I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I commit to follow Jesus and obey Him all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

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Except indicated, all Scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV).

Photos by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash and Pisit Heng on Unsplash.

© 2021. Chizobam Idahosa @Beautiful in Jesus.