Do You Live By Faith In The Resurrection?

The stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty, and the burial clothes of Jesus were lying there, but Jesus was not there — He had risen from the dead!

He appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb, to the other women as they ran back into Jerusalem, to Peter, to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, to all the disciples on numerous occasions, and even to more than 500 brethren at once. Angels proclaimed His resurrection, and Jesus’ own followers finally came to understand and believe that Jesus really was alive — He had risen, as He said!

But what about you? Do you believe that Jesus rose bodily from the dead on the third day — that He really is alive? Like Jesus’ first disciples, we too may be “slow of heart to believe what the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25).

As the Scriptures say, “It was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).

The Scriptures foretold how Christ Jesus would suffer and die and bear the iniquity of us all, and how He would rise again in triumph and establish His everlasting kingdom (cf. Isa. 53; Ps. 22). Jesus truly did die for the sins of the whole world, and He truly did rise again from the dead on the third day!

So, why is it that we often live our lives as though He were not raised from the dead — as though He were still in the tomb?

Why do we go about our lives as though God were unwilling to forgive us? The Bible assures us that “Jesus our Lord … was delivered for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification” (Rom. 4:24,25). Jesus paid in full for our sins — “it is finished” ( John 19:30). He was raised that we might look to Him in faith and be accounted righteous. God reaches out to us with open arms! He calls us to repent and offers to us forgiveness and life through faith in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus!

And finally, why do we live our lives as though Jesus is not with us? He is risen from the dead, ascended to the right hand of God the Father, and rules over and fills all things (cf. Eph. 1:15-23). The risen Jesus is with us always, “even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

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Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. More of Moll’s devotional writings can be found at www.goodshepherdrogers.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.