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Today we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, the day that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The importance of resurrection for Christians cannot be underestimated. The Word of God made us understand in 1 Corinthians 15:14 that “if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” In addition to this, as Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:18-19 “those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” So, without resurrection the whole basis of our faith falls like a pack of cards. We however give all glory to God, who raised His Son Christ Jesus from the dead. He is the firstborn of the dead and is vindicated by God in His glorious resurrection. Christ rose and we have hope that we shall also rise with Him. We look forward to the coming of the Lord when all who died in Christ will rise to live when they hear His voice.
Practical Christian faith growth and maturity has been well articulated in the book of James. However, without the resurrection of Christ, where will our faith be? The Resurrection of Christ is a huge cornerstone for our faith. The idea of the resurrection is so important that we who are Christians depend on it for everything we are and believe. Colossians 2:13 tells us God has made us alive in Christ. We cannot be made alive if Christ Himself is not alive. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If He has not been raised, then what is our saving grace? The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ also comes with great power. In our efforts to grow our faith to maturity, we must continue to rely on that power. The power of the resurrection can mold us in a Christ-like fashion. It is not a day’s job, but God will continue and will carry it to completion. The power of resurrection is able to convict us, confront us, and ultimately conform us. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” – 1 Peter 1:3-4.
Christ’s resurrection is an event that happened about two thousand years ago but is not over yet. In other words, it is not just another history lesson. The power of that event is still working today. Aside from the centrality of our faith in the resurrection, it continues to impact our life today because of the power that is inherent in it. For this reason, Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10-11 said, he wanted to know Christ and also “to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” In Ephesians 1:18-20, Paul also prayed that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us and also know the incomparably great power He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. Our whole faith and Christian journey sits firmly on the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Christ is risen and this is the centerpiece of our faith. There is power in His resurrection, and that power is so very relevant today in in our lives. Today, we all need the resurrection power to experience healing, deliverance, to overcome family problems, to overcome financial problems and so many other trials of life that we face daily. So, as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection today, I want you to remember the importance of this event to our faith and like Paul, let us pray that we begin to experience the resurrection power in our lives and that this power will help us persevere as we go through all of life’s travails, so that in the end our perseverance will finish its work and we will become mature and complete (James 1:4).
April 17, 2022 – Pastor Simbo Odunaiya
