JESUS HAS RISEN!
JESUS HAS RISEN!
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” —Matthew 16:1-4
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. —Matthew 12:40
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. —Matthew 16:21
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection “our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith. In that case, we are also exposed as false witnesses about God. For we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead, but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…” (I Corinthians 15:14-20).
Jesus “through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:1-4). “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth” (I Corinthians 15:3-8).
Yes, Jesus arose and because He lives we also live in Him who have called on His Name. We live for Him now and forever. Hallelujah! Jesus rose from the dead!
Dear Father I am so grateful for what Jesus has done for me at the cross and through His resurrection. Out of thankfulness may I be faithful and live this life in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. May it be so!