Section 4: Jesus
Week 4: Jesus Rose from the Dead, Returned to Heaven, and Will Come Again
Day 2: Jesus’ Resurrection Guarantees Our Resurrection
1 Cor. 15:12-20, 50-56
Jesus’ resurrection certainly makes for a great ending to the Gospel stories. But it’s much more than that. We don’t always think of the resurrection this way, but Jesus’ resurrection plays an essential role in our salvation.
Imagine you’re a kid at the fair. You walk past the ring toss game and see a giant teddy bear. It’s so big, it probably weighs more than you do. You look up at your dad and ask him if he’ll win it for you. He tosses rings all day trying to win that bear. But the best he can do is a little plastic key chain. How excited would you be? Not very.
If Jesus had remained in the grave, we would be in a similar spot. A major part of our hope as Christians is victory over death. What victory could we be assured of if Jesus himself hadn’t risen from the dead? If Jesus’ perfect life of obedience wasn’t enough for him to escape the grave, then we have no hope. Thankfully, though, he didn’t remain in the grave. God raised him from the dead. And because Jesus was acting as our representative we win what he won.
So the resurrection isn’t just a nice way to end the story. It’s an essential part of our redemption. Jesus had to die to pay the penalty for our sins. He also had to rise from the dead to ensure that we too would one day rise.
Challenge:
Read John 20:24-29.
Reflection Questions:
Do you understand why Thomas wanted to touch Jesus? Do you think you would have? How should the physical nature of Jesus’ resurrection give you confidence? Do you find comfort in knowing that you will continue to have a body when Jesus returns?
0 Comments