oday is the special day we set aside to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection is an interesting topic in many Christian circles because while almost everyone will agree that they believe it happened, it seems that its importance is often minimized. There is a great deal of focus placed on the cross – which is obviously crucial to Christianity, but relatively little focus, it seems, placed on the resurrection – which I would argue is equally crucial to Christianity.
For this reason, I want to take our time together this morning to examine the topic of the resurrection biblically. More specifically, I want us to examine the reason the resurrection is so important. In short, my thesis – based on the biblical evidence – is that the resurrection is an absolutely necessary and non-negotiable part of the Christian faith. If a person does not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, they are not a Christian, and they have no hope for salvation. If we speak the gospel to a person without mentioning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have not shared the whole gospel with them. To use Paul’s own words to the Corinthians, “…if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14). The resurrection is that important. But this begs the question – “why?” Let us look at the Biblical answer to that question.
The first reason that the resurrection is absolutely necessary for the Christian faith is because it is the clear demonstration that Jesus is the supreme authority over all other authorities. Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost, after speaking of the resurrection and David’s prophecies regarding that resurrection, says, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Paul, in his introduction to the Romans, says that Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead…” (Rom. 1:4). This is a clear statement that when Jesus was raised from the dead, it was proven that He was the exalted Son of God spoken about in Psalm 2.
The resurrection is the proof that Jesus not only possesses all authority but has actually earned all authority. The resurrection is the proof that Jesus has overcome all other authority – death and Satan in particular. The author of Hebrews writes, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb. 2:14-15). How is it that through death, Jesus destroyed the one who had the power of death? It is because He was raised to life! He overcame the one who had the power of death by not staying dead. He has been exalted to a position of supreme authority because he defeated the opposing authority. Paul told the Ephesians, “…he [God the Father] raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:20b-21). God has put Jesus in the place of ultimate authority over all other authorities because He has earned it. This is the reason that Jesus can declare, in the truest sense, “ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18).
Now, in making this point, we must be precise in what we are saying. Jesus has always been the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity. Because of that, He has always been the supreme authority since before the beginning of time. However, though He has always occupied such a position, the position was supremely validated at the Resurrection. Jesus’ status as King of Kings and Lord of Lords was justified and vindicated by His resurrection from the dead. Now, He is not merely the champion by birthright but in reality because He has actually overcome Satan and death. He has won the victory.
The second reason the Resurrection is absolutely essential to the Christian faith is because of its intimate relation to our salvation. Most Christians know that salvation involves repenting of sin and believing on Jesus Christ. However, Scripture is even more explicit that the faith in Jesus Christ must include faith that He was raised from the dead. Paul told the Romans, “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). There must be belief in the resurrection in order to be a Christian. Moreover, Paul also makes clear that if Jesus has not been raised, then faith in Jesus is useless: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). The Resurrection is a non-negotiable part of the Christian faith because if it is not present, there is no faith.
But that leads to the question, “why?” What is it about the resurrection that makes it so crucial for our salvation? The answer is found in realizing that salvation is, in large measure, being joined together with Jesus Christ so that what happened to Him is true of us. Listen to the way Paul speaks about salvation to the Ephesians, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” (Eph. 2:4-6). You see here that salvation is described as being made alive together (i.e. resurrected) with Christ. Likewise, Paul tells the Colossians, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col. 2:11-12). Again, Paul’s point is that we have been buried with Christ as well as raised with Christ. Salvation truly is a “new birth” as described in John 3, and a new birth involves new life. Jesus was raised to “new life” at the resurrection, and when God works in our hearts to bring us to faith in Jesus Christ, we are raised to the same “new life.” The only reason we can be made alive is because Jesus was made alive. The only reason we live is because He lives. And if He does not live, then we do not live. The two are inextricably linked.
Moreover, aside from the new birth being directly tied to Jesus’ resurrection, Scripture also makes clear that our justification is directly tied to that same resurrection. Paul told the Romans that “[Jesus] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). Justification is when a person is declared “not guilty.” They are treated as if they had never sinned, and they are declared and considered righteous. Amazingly, Paul makes clear that Jesus’ resurrection brings about our justification. The reason for this is what we just saw: in salvation we are joined to Christ so that much of what happens to Him is true of us. At the resurrection, Jesus Christ was justified – He was declared innocent. The central reason that Jesus was raised is because the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Since he had no sin, it was not possible for death to hold Him because it had no rightful claim on Him (Acts 2:24). Amazingly, since we are joined together with Him by faith, His justification is our justification. Because He is declared righteous at the Resurrection, we are counted righteous by our faith in Him.
And even on top of these glorious realities, our continued salvation depends on the fact that Jesus has been raised from the dead. The author of Hebrews writes, “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:23-25). The point here is that because Jesus lives, he is continually making intercession for us. We can have hope that God will not cast us off because of our sin since Jesus is at His right hand interceding for us. But once again, the only way that He can be in that position to intercede is because He has been raised from the dead. If he has not been raised, we do not have a mediator, and there is no one interceding for us.
It is clear from all of these various angles that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, we have absolutely no hope for salvation. Our salvation is inextricably linked with Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
The final reason the Resurrection is absolutely necessary is because it plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. The Resurrection is necessary and relevant to your life today.
First of all, if you are not a believer, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you today because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. In Acts 13, after speaking about the Resurrection of Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, Paul proclaims, “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39). Today, because Jesus was raised from the dead, your sins can be forgiven. No matter how grievous (murder) or innocent (lying) in the eyes of the world, all sin is a violation of God’s law. But through Jesus Christ, no matter how young or old, no matter your race or economic status, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9). If you do not believe, there is no hope for you and God’s wrath remains on you (John 3:36).
For those of us who are believers, the Resurrection is crucially important in our lives today in two main ways. First of all, it reminds us that we have died to sin and ought not to live in it anymore. In Romans 6, Paul spends the first half of the chapter arguing that those who have been raised with Christ ought to consider themselves dead to sin! He writes, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:1-4). Paul’s point is that we who have died to sin ought no longer to live in it because we have died to it! Just as we saw earlier that by faith we are joined together with Christ in His death and resurrection, Paul’s point is that Jesus died to sin and now lives to God. In the same way, because we have died with Him and live with Him, we “must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). Because of the Resurrection of Christ that foreshadowed our own resurrection from the dead by faith to new life in Christ, we should “present ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and our members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Rom. 6:13). Because of the Resurrection, we ought to fight sin diligently and fervently.
Finally, for those of us who are believers, the Resurrection is the ground of our hope and the source of our steadfastness and courage from day to day. First of all, we must recognize that the Resurrection gives us an incredible hope for the future. Jesus made clear to His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them and that He would come and get them rather than leaving them as orphans (John 14:1-4, 18). The only way this promise can be fulfilled is if Jesus is raised from the dead. Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Paul presses the limits of language in an attempt to describe for us the incredible hope that awaits us on the last day when the resurrected Christ returns to gather His people. The New Testament is clear that our hope in the future rests on the fact that Christ has been raised from the dead.
But, even further, Paul closes 1 Corinthians 15 by making clear that this hope in the future should radically affect our lives today. After just describing the glorious day of Christ’s return, he writes, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). Because of the hope we have in the future, we should be resolute and steadfast and immovable today. Whatever our position, we should always be abounding in the work of the Lord because we know that the risen Christ is going to return and judge both the living and the dead. We should always be abounding in the work of the Lord because we know that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. Because of the hope we have in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we should be faithful and diligent today because we know that He is alive and He is coming again.
As we come to the table, we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes – and we know that He will come because He has been resurrected from the dead! He is alive, and we wait expectantly for Him. Let us remember the body of Christ that was broken for us and the blood of Christ that was shed for us. And let us praise our God and exalt the Savior who died for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Amen.