Easter is not about bunnies, eggs, or chocolate things. It is celebration of a cornerstone of our faith. The Resurrection proves our faith is true, that Jesus is God and conquered death! Without the Resurrection of Christ our faith would be folly, “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, 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, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-23). I love how Paul calls our Lord’s Resurrection the first fruits, and that at Christ’s Second Coming all who belong to Him, that is believe in Him shall be raised from the dead as He was.
The Resurrection is unique. Jesus raised Himself from death, “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded. I and The Father are One.” (John 10:18, 10:30). This is different than Ezekiel speaking to the dry bones that rose from the dead by the power of the Lord. Miracles of a prophet via the Lord are one thing, but raising oneself from dead has only been done by Jesus our Lord! No one has resurrection power but Christ to rise up from the dead on His own! For we shall be raised by His power at the last day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17), but we cannot raise ourselves as Jesus did.
Our spiritual enemies claim we worship a dead man. But we do not worship a corpse, no we worship the One who was dead and is now alive, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18). When the apostles visited the Tomb the qngels said of Jesus, “He is not here, He is Risen!” (Matthew 28:6). Our Lord is not a skeleton, he is not a martyr whose bones are now ash. He is alive! The Risen Christ dwells at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34), and He dwells inside all of us who believe in Him,
“For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” (Colossians 1:27).
Jesus is not a ghost, a spectra, or disembodied spirit. No Christ rose in a human body and proved He was tangible, “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.” (Luke 24:36-43). Our Lord went out of His way to prove He was Risen in the flesh! There are heretical groups that claim the spirit of Jesus, but refuse to acknowledge the Truth that Jesus came in a body and rose from the dead in a body! The apostle John mentions that anyone who denies Christ came in a body is an antichrist, “every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:3). I argue that in addition anyone who denies Jesus rose from the dead in a body is also an antichrist.
I want to share that most newer translations of the Bible have removed “come in the flesh,” in 1 John 4:3, and now just put “does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus.” This is yet another sign of tampering with Scripture, removing the truth! John makes it clear in the original text the issue is “confessing Jesus came in the flesh.” The modern translators have become antichrists by removing “come in the flesh.”! If you still want the true text you have to get a NKJV (New King James Version) or KJV, or any translation before 2020. You are best off getting Bibles that are 1960, 1970, 2000, 2001-2015. The attack on our Lord is always either on His divinity or humanity, the truth is Jesus is God in a human body, God Man.
Our Lord Jesus is risen. He did not stay dead, but on the third day He came back from death. For Jesus is the Resurrection and Life, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”(John 11:25-26). Nothing can stand in his way, not death or anything! This Easter lets resound that He is Risen! Our God is not still in the tomb, His bones do not dwell in a grave but are clade in flesh! He is alive and well, living in Heaven and in us, and is soon to Return in the flesh! Amen.
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