By Revealing His Victory Through The Resurrection

“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” John 17:4 (ESV)

Death is ruthless, relentless, and indiscriminate. Even the sound of the word strikes terror into hearts, wrapping them in the chains of despair and finality. We cannot escape this reality—it comes for everyone. But in the days following Jesus’ crucifixion, this harsh truth felt crushing to those who had put their hope in Him. They believed He had come to redeem Israel, to break oppression, and bring freedom and justice. Instead, He hung on a cross, and now three days later, His lifeless body lay in a tomb. Their hope seemed as dead as His body and fear drove the disciples into hiding, back to the ordinary routines of their former lives.

Perhaps you, too, have trusted God for something, but now it feels like you’re stuck in your own ‘third day’ with no response from heaven. Maybe your hopes were unmet, even after a period of prayer and fasting. Our fleshly desires, demanding immediate gratification, deceive us, even when it comes to serving God and fulfilling His calling. We long for dramatic manifestations—thunderous signs from the heavens, earth-shaking miracles—yet God often chooses to reveal Himself in ways our eyes do not recognize (Luke 24:13-16). Our expectations of how God should act and His actual ways often differ profoundly.

Jesus’ followers had their own vision of what He should have accomplished and what they wanted to get from Him. When things didn’t go as planned, they ran, and their faith crumbled into nothingness. We can be the same. We often look for blessings and measurable results in ministry, focusing on the number of disciples, groups, teams, and churches, rather than prioritizing our pursuit of Him. We desire His gifts more than Himself, crave answers rather than the intimacy of His presence. And when prayers go unanswered and when trials come, discouragement sets in, and we forget that the cross wasn’t the end of the story. Jesus didn’t just die— He rose! He conquered death, and that changes everything.

His death was not a defeat but a divine necessity, the means by which we are reconciled to God and by which He is revealed to us as the risen, victorious Lord. Jesus is not in the grave—He is alive! And because He lives, we are embraced as sons and daughters of the Most High God. He rose to a new, glorified life, and in Him, we are called to rise as well. Though our earthly bodies will still await resurrection, we are invited to live the resurrection life here and now, tasting its power and walking in its newness (Philippians 3:8-11).

Jesus rose so that we might pass from death to life, a life overflowing with purpose and eternal vision (Luke 24:44-48; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). We cannot shrink back and live for our own pursuits, building kingdoms destined to crumble. No, we are called to preach the Gospel to every creature and to build His eternal Kingdom. His resurrection empowers and equips us to fulfill this mission.

“Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” Mark 16:14-15 (ESV)

“Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve let doubt overshadow my faith. Help me to live every day in the reality of Your resurrection. Teach me to know the power of Your victory over death and to walk boldly in the mission You’ve given me. Thank You for always being with me, guiding me, and empowering me. I’m ready to fulfill the work You’ve called me to. Amen.”