The Passionಮಾದರಿ

When Peter and Paul preach about Jesus in the book of Acts, the one fact they always include is that Jesus was raised from the dead. They talk about it even more than they talk about His death on a cross!

Why is the resurrection of Jesus so significant to Peter and Paul? Firstly, people in the first century AD weren’t naive: you don’t just come back from the dead. The resurrection is evidence that the life and death of Jesus were much more significant than people thought.

It proves that Jesus is who He says He is. He really has dealt with our sin, just as He said He would. It declares that death isn’t the end of our story: Jesus is the beginning of God making ‘all things new’.

Last week, I was confronted with death. In three separate events, three faithful sisters in Christ went to be with the Lord. That they ‘went to be with the Lord’ is not just a delicate way of saying they died. It’s the reality of our hope in Christ and our greatest comfort. Because Jesus is alive, we also are alive in Him. Jesus’ resurrection is the guarantee that those who belong to Him will live even as He lives. And just as Jesus’ body was raised, so too will the bodies of my blessed sisters.

This really is good news. The women at the tomb of Jesus left “with fear and great joy” (Matthew 28:8, ESV) knowing their Lord and friend was alive. In this world, we will grieve death. We will feel the effects of our own bodies aging and ailing. But this isn’t the end of our story. Jesus is alive forever, and in Him we too will live.

Today, ponder this: Where do you feel the effect of sin and death around you? We might struggle to feel the certainty of our new life amidst the fatigue and grief of this world. As you read today, take some time to meditate on the reality that Jesus is alive. May this fact be an anchor for your soul, reminding you that death and decay do not have the final say.