The work of Jesus Christ is finished. The work of Jesus Christ is unfinished. What He accomplished on the cross for our redemption is completed. The good news of what this means to the world is not. The propagation of this message on earth will be fulfilled by Jesus Christ replacing Himself with Himself via the Holy Spirit indwelling believers. It started with the apostles in the historical narrative we read in the book of Acts. In the next several posts we will look at thirteen words which will describe this sovereign strategy of incarnation. It all begins with the resurrection (anastasis) of Jesus Christ. “He showed Himself to be alive and real after His suffering by giving them (apostles) many convincing proofs.” Some implications of this vital event are as follows:
- If this resurrection occurred, it changes our lives completely.
- If Jesus rose from the dead, we have to accept everything else that He said.
- If He did not rise from the dead, how do we explain the empty tomb and the hundreds of eyewitnesses? Most of them suffered and were martyred for what they testified.
- The resurrection provides us with a sense of wonder, astonishment, surprise, and holy reverence. It catches us off guard, it is beyond our control, and it challenges our assumptions.
- Jesus was radically re-configured and re-defined in His body after the resurrection. He is the prototype of what will eventually be true for all believers.
- Living a holy life, the equivalent of revolution, begins with the resurrection. It provides the energy and the conditions for us to live this life.
- If there was no resurrection, how do we account for the conception and continuing existence of the church, the God-defined community of believers?
- The power that tyrannized the old creation has been broken and overthrown. God’s kingdom has been launched on earth as it is in heaven.
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us an infinite hope and a reason to pour ourselves into meeting the needs of the world.
- Even if one believes that there was no resurrection, that one should want to believe that it is true!