Daily Devotional
The Resurrection of Jesus
The Story of Salvation: Day 6
Through this new eight-day devotional series based on the short iBIBLE film The Real Story of Jesus, explore Jesus’ presence in all of God’s Grand Narrative. If we are to believe in Jesus and share Him with others, we must first understand the foundational elements of our faith.
Why Does the Resurrection of Jesus Matter?
Easter is approaching quickly, and spring with it. We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord in the same season that life returns to the earth. What a wonderful reminder the changing seasons are of the resurrection from death to life!
Jesus’ full, physical resurrection is such a crucial foundation of our faith that Paul says that if Christ did not rise from the dead, we are still in our sins and our faith is worthless. Paul writes on this topic at length to the Corinthian believers, some of whom are mistaken in believing that there is no resurrection from the dead.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. —1 Corinthians 15:12–14, ESV
May we read and understand, as Paul did, that Jesus’ resurrection on the third day was the completion of His saving work, and that all who believe in this resurrection will one day be resurrected with Him to eternal life!
May we read and understand, as Paul did, that all who believe in Jesus’ resurrection will one day be resurrected with Him to eternal life!
The Resurrection of Jesus in Scripture
Christ’s resurrection is the most impressive historical event in history, being witnessed by over 500 people at once, all of His disciples, and many more besides (see 1 Corinthians 15:3–8). It could have been enough for Jesus to rise from the dead, save us from our sins, and ascend straight into Heaven, taking the souls of His followers with Him.
But God’s plan is more gracious and comprehensive than we could ever understand, because not only did Jesus’ resurrection prove He could save us from our sins, it proved that we would one day also be physically resurrected. Jesus came not just to redeem our souls that were dead in sin, but our bodies that crumble to dust here on a sinful earth.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
—1 Corinthians 15:20–23
Paul calls this a great mystery, and indeed it is! We struggle to understand what our resurrected bodies will be like. We are so entrenched in sin that a perfect body seems like an impossibility! But Jesus has proven that with God, all things are possible, even things like resurrection.
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel. . . . There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.
—1 Corinthians 15:35–40
Jesus has proven that with God, all things are possible, even things like resurrection.
When Lazarus had died, and his sister Martha came to Jesus looking for comfort, Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). Martha’s reply shows how strongly she believed in Jesus and His power over death, even though He had not yet died and been resurrected Himself.
Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” —John 11:24–27
Martha is better known as the woman who complained that her sister Mary was letting her do all the work of serving Jesus and His disciples, choosing instead to listen to Jesus teach (see Luke 10:28–32). Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen a good thing, and it seems that Martha also learned to listen to Jesus, displaying great faith in her reply.
Martha did not hesitate to believe everything Jesus said about the resurrection of those who believe in Him, even though she had not yet seen her brother or her Lord raised from the dead. May we follow the example of Paul, Mary, and Martha and believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus has been raised from the dead and will return to raise our earthly bodies to eternal life!
Looking Forward
Jesus’ message of salvation is for everyone who will hear and believe it, and those of us who hear it are instructed to share it. In this interim time as we study and believe God’s Word and wait for His second coming, what are we believers to do? Next week we will look at Jesus’ Great Commission to understand what and how we are to share Jesus’ message of salvation.
Prayer for This Week
Lord of life, thank You for promising to not only save our souls from sin, but giving us the inexplicable gift of redeemed bodies in the world to come. Your thoughts and ways are truly higher than ours, for we could never accomplish this on our own. Help us today to live in anticipation of the coming resurrection and remember that what You have promised, You will fulfill. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.