The Power of the Resurrection

Although the death of Jesus, which we celebrated on Good Friday was certainly a momentous and highly meaningful event (as demonstrated in my previous hub on the 7 Last Words of Jesus on the Cross). And, His sacrificial death was the initial requirement needed to purchase our eternal salvation. Yet if it ended there, we would still not be saved or have any hope of eternal salvation. As Pau l puts it in I Cor.15:17 "If Christ be not risen from the dead, we are of all men most miserable." But he goes on to say "But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep." In Romans 4:25, he says that Jesus was "delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification." In other words, the resurrection finished the job which the cross started. And in Philippians 3:10 he says that his goal is "to know Him and the power of His resurrection."

Thus, with Easter just around the corner, I'm making this page about the power of the resurrection to show the importance of Jesus' resurrection and what it can mean in our lives.

Before you can know the power of the resurrection, you must believe that Jesus really did raise literally from the dead. Dead men don't usually get up. But the new Testament records several instances of them doing so, the most prominent being that of Jesus. His disciples were slow to believe at first. In fact Thomas, who wasn't there when he first appeared to the disciples, said "I will not believe unless I place my finger in his side and his nail scared hands." He did and he did. In addition to the gospel accounts, the Apostle Paul recounts in ICor.15:3b-6 "that He rose again from the dead the third day, according to the scriptures: and that He was seen by Peter, then of the twelve: after that He was seen by above 500 brethren at once..." Can the Apostle's statement and the other New Testament records of the of the resurrection of Jesus and other miracles really be trusted?

As believers, we take it by faith but is there real historical evidence to back it up, so we can convince others?

The power of the Holy Spirit is seen powerfully in the lives of Christians following Jesus' resurrection, as recorded in the book of Acts and throughout church history.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

A great song which gives another account of what happened the third day as told by the apostle Peter, who had earlier denied Him. Accompanying photos.

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Yes, the resurrection of Jesus seals for us the forgiveness which His death on the cross purchased, but the power of the resurrection is initially manifested in our initial acceptance of His salvation, as Paul points out in Ephesians 1:19-2:6. Spiritually speaking, we were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and thus unable to even ask for forgiveness or salvation. But God raised us up (Ephesians 3:5) by the same power with which he raised up Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 2:20). Peter also speaks of this in I Peter 1:3, saying that God has "begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."

To give lip service to the resurrection of Jesus as a cardinal doctrine of the faith and even that it plays a crucial part in our salvation is one thing--and a great start. But we must delve further and ask what the resurrection of Jesus means to us in our everyday lives. Paul spoke of the Power of the resurrection. In Romans 8:11, he says that the same Spirit which raise up Jesus from the dead will also quicken our mortal bodies. It was the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, who raised up Jesus and we too can know the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I think this is what Paul meant when he said in Phil.3:10 that wanted to know the power of Jesus' resurrection. That power is initially manifested in our salvation, but it is further manifested in our sanctification, as he points out in Romans chapters 6-8. (You really should read that entire passage). Basically what he says is that since in our salvation (previous module) we died to sin and became alive to God, we should so account ourselves and yield ourselves daily to the Holy Spirit and He will help us to live daily in His resurrection power (triumphing over sin and evil).

For more, check out the book below which offers a deeper understanding of the glorious, joyous dimensions of the resurrection, with the goal of revealing the living Lord at work in your daily life--the first step to fully knowing and experiencing the peace, joy, power, purpose, and confidence that God promises you through the resurrection of His Son..

Having accepted Jesus and experienced His great salvation, we are still powerless to serve Jesus. We need to also experience the power of the resurrection in our service to Him. This is brought about by the same Holy Spirit who raised Him from the dead in the operation of Spiritual gifts in the church, as Paul points out in I Corinthians chapter 12. The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out was 50 days after Jesus' resurrection (It happened that the resurrection of Jesus took place on the day of the harvest feast or feast of first-fruits, [the feast of Passover and harvest overlapping], and the feast of Pentecost was 50 days later). It was on this feast day, with Jews from every nation gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate, that the Holy Spirit was initially poured out upon the waiting disciples and the visitors each heard them glorify God in their own language (See Acts 2:1-13). In his sermon on that occasion, Peter, who just days ago had denied Jesus, now spoke boldly of the resurrection of Jesus and said that it was the resurrected Christ who was pouring out the Holy Spirit, the evidence of which they were witnessing (Please read Acts 2:23-33 and then, visit my hub on The Baptism with the Holy Spirit or check out the book I recommend below:).

Chuck Smith's book, "Living Water" has changed my life: It's a wonderfully balanced approach to the subject of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts for service. It is one of the most understandable and accessible works on the Holy Spirit published in several decades and splendid reading for all Christians from recent converts to experienced theologians.
There is a vast difference between being filled with the Holy Spirit and having the Holy Spirit flow forth out of your life like a torrent of living water. Pastor Smith will lead you step by step into this rich and intimate relationship with God which is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. You will experience the refreshing streams of living water filling your life then flowing forth from your life unto a thirsty world.

2014 Best Quotes and Poems to celebrate the resurrection. Find the best resurrection quotes and poems here.

I'm listed in Sermons Outlines, Free Pentecostal Bible Studies, Topical Sermons, Podcasts - Sowing Seeds of faith by Ken Birks.