Jesus
is alive! Thank God He is Risen! This is the crux of His Passion story, If
Christ had not risen, His death would mean nothing.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that
grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in
it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him
through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through
the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we
have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall
also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self
was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with,
so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from
sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die
again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died
to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so
consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6: 1-11 NASB
But
if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if
Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 1
Corinthians 15: 13-14
But
now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that
slept. 1 Corinthians 15: 20 NASB
If
Christ had not risen, our faith would be in vain. The power that raised Jesus
from the dead gives us the power to live. The death and resurrection is His whole
Passion.
What
does it mean for us as believers? What did the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ do for us? First, the Bible tells us that because Jesus died we have
power over sin and death.
Therefore, having
been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in
which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Romans
5: 1-2 NASB
Much more then,
having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we
were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more,
having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the
reconciliation. Romans 5: 9-11 NASB
Because
of the atonement, we have peace with
God; Jesus is our advocate to the Father.
For there is one God,
and one mediator also between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus
1 Timothy 2: 5 NASB
But now He has
obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a
better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. Hebrews 8:6 NASB
Jesus
is all we need, He is the One that died and was raised up from the dead to reconcile
us to the Father.
In the Tabernacle in the wilderness, only the
high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and atone for the people of Israel;
not a Levite or any other priest. In the
New Testament, the Word tells us,
Therefore, He had to
be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the
sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has
suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Hebrews 2: 17-18 NASB
but Jesus, on the
other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore,
He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since
He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7: 24-25 NASB
Jesus
suffered so that we have access to God. Let us not take it in vain by praying
to anyone other than Jesus; He is all we need for strength, healing, or any
other need we may have. Jesus is now our High Priest and is always interceding
on our behalf.
Therefore, since we
have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence
to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in
time of need.
Hebrews
4: 14-16 NASB
When
Jesus died on the cross there was a great earthquake, the curtain in the temple
between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two. This was performed
by God to illustrate the veil is gone! There is nothing now that is separating
us from the presence of God. Jesus Christ is the sacrifice, He is the mediator,
He has now satisfied the debt we owed for our sins. We may now boldly come
before the throne of grace, and Jesus will help us with every need.
When
Adam and Eve sinned, we became separated from God. The Bible tells the story
from the fall to the arrival of the advocate, the Messiah, the Redeemer of all
people, Jew and Greek, male and female. He is the only mediator the Bible spoke
to us to wait for.
I
am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and
they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. John 10: 14-16 NASB
In
this verse we see the meaning of the words know,
knew and kneweth are the same Greek word ginosko. It means to know very well but pertains to intimacy. It is
the same word used in Luke 1: 34. Mary asks the angel how it can be true that
she will conceive, for she has known not a man. The same word is used in Matthew 1: 25;
explaining that Joseph did not know Mary until she had given birth to Jesus;
and again it is found in Matthew 7.
Not
everyone that saith to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is heaven. Many will say to me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name? And in thine name
have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I
will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that worketh
iniquity. Matthew 7: 21-23 NASB
He
wants to know us in an intimate way, and we take His death in vain when we go
to anyone other than Jesus Christ. Go to Him and pray; worship Him. He is expecting
you.
Thank God He is RISEN!
