JESUS' RESURRECTION COMPLETED OUR SALVATION

Commemorating the death of our Lord Jesus on Good Friday is the beginning of Easter Sunday. Jesus died on the cross to pay for the penalty of our sin, which is death. Jesus took our place on the cross. We were the ones who were guilty of sin and deserved to die on the cross, but Jesus took our place so that we may live. However, Jesus' death on the cross is not the end. Jesus said these words about Himself to His disciples before His crucifixion, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man (Jesus) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day, he will be raised to life!" (Matthew 20:18-19). Jesus rose from the dead indeed! Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, and this is the reason we have Resurrection Sunday. His resurrection is very important for us as Christians because without the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, our faith is meaningless. 

We are forgiven of our sins because Jesus died on the cross, and we have a new life in Him because He rose from the dead. The death of our Lord Jesus is the beginning of our salvation, and His resurrection completed our salvation. Romans 10:9 says, "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." We never lose hope because our Lord Jesus is alive. He is now sitting at the right hand of our Heavenly Father, always praying for us. Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf." Our Lord Jesus will keep on praying for us and helping us until we are with Him forever. We must recognize that our Lord Jesus is always with us because He has risen from the dead.

No matter what we are going through today, we need to remind ourselves that Jesus is alive today, and He is with us, praying for us. He understands what we are going through, and we must trust that He is taking care of us. We may be going through tough times right now, but we will hold on because our Lord Jesus is alive.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Why is Jesus’ resurrection important? Where is Jesus right now? What is He doing on our behalf?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I will be celebrating the resurrection of my Lord Jesus this coming Sunday. I praise you for my Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. I have hope because He is alive. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for always being with me and praying for me. I believe that I will never be defeated, no matter how difficult my circumstances are, because you are always with me, taking care of me. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.