“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; 4. And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to scripture.”
I am really not trying to be an old “killjoy” when I tell you that I think that we put too much emphasis on eggs and bunnies during this season of the year. We celebrate a miracle, but the miracle is not that rabbits somehow lay eggs at Easter time. (Try to see the humor here) The miracle is that Jesus was crucified and that three days later He arose. Paul wrote about Christ’s resurrection as a historical fact: “He was dead and He arose again the third day…” On March 31, 2013, we will celebrate the fact of Christ’s resurrection. We have good reason to celebrate, for His resurrection brought/brings good news. What is the good news that we celebrate? We celebrate the fact that Christ is still alive. Christ really died on the cross. Some scholars, who had nothing better to do I guess, came up with the idea that Jesus only “swooned” and did not really die. (Ironically, it is called the “swoon theory.”) Others have said that the whole “resurrection thing” is just a myth. The fact is that Christ really died on the cross and was buried in a borrowed tomb. Christ’s resurrection is not a myth, and He did not merely “swoon” – Christ died. The miracle is that He rose on the third day. He broke the bonds of death and came forth from the grave. Christ was not the first person to be raised from death in the Bible, but He was the first to be raised without outside intervention. The miracle of Christ’s resurrection took place in the heart of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christ Himself defeated death on the cross. This is important, for if this didn’t happen, Christ is still dead. If this is true, “We are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19b) Furthermore, Christ is still alive today. In Matthew 28, just before Christ ascended, He told His disciples that He would be with them to the end of the ages. The Bible teaches that Christ ascended to the right hand of the throne of the Father and is there making intercession for us. Christ is not a dead Galilean, as some would have us believe, but He is the Living Savior!!! The Bible also teaches that He is coming again. If Christ is dead, He certainly can’t be with us, and He certainly cannot come again. Jesus Christ is alive! Celebrate! We celebrate the fact that we are alive in Christ. The Bible teaches that before Christ saved us, we were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath He quickened (made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins.” We were not physically dead, of course, but we were spiritually dead. Christ’s entrance into our lives brought us to new life in Him. People who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ are still dead in trespasses and sins. You might disagree with me on this, but you are disagreeing with the Bible, not me. Those who are not alive in Christ have nothing to celebrate, for the resurrection has no personal meaning to them. But we who are no longer dead in trespasses and sins have every reason to celebrate. Christ is alive in us!!! I’m sure that you have heard the line from the hymn He Lives: “You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart…” We celebrate the fact that Christ is alive in us. If Christ is alive in us, we are aware of it as much as we are aware that we are still alive in 2013. It doesn’t end there, for the Bible teaches that we will live with Christ throughout eternity. Eternal life is the ultimate benefit of having Christ alive in us. Eternal life begins the day that we accept Christ as Savior and culminates in Heaven – which is another good reason to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Let the celebration begin!!!!! Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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