ight words that changed everything: “He is not here: for he is risen…” (Matt. 28:6)
Although Jesus’ death on the cross had been earth-shattering enough, there was still more to come. The full triumph of God’s plan was not revealed until the dawning hours of the third day. When Jesus rose from the grave, He won many victories for His people.
Here are just 5 of those amazing victories won on Easter Sunday.
1) Jesus has conquered death for us.
The Son of God willingly walked to the cross, drank the bitter cup of death, and lay dead in a cold, stone tomb. But, just a few days later, He threw off the chains of death and came back to life. As Paul writes, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept…For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22)
Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that He is stronger than death. Because He rose, death is not the final page of our story. If we have believed on Christ for salvation, He will raise our bodies from the dead to be with Him forever.
2) Jesus has freed us from the chains of sin.
From the cradle to the grave, we are held prisoner by our sin nature. Jesus told us in John 8:34, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” No matter how much willpower, determination, and courage we have, we cannot break free of the chains of sin.
But Jesus continued, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) He rose from the dead so “that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4) Join us at our prison ministries to learn how you can have freedom from sin’s power and overcome addictions and bad habits.
3) Jesus’ Father will judge every sin someday.
Although it often seems that evil wins and good people suffer, justice is coming. Someday, God the Father will judge every sin. Acts 17:31 tells us, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
The resurrection assures us that God has not turned a blind eye to sin. He sees the Hitlers and Stalins and John Does and Jane Smiths of this world. He searches the hearts and weighs the motives. Nothing is hidden from His searching gaze. The good news is that, because Jesus died to pay for our sins, anyone who turns from sin and believes on Him will not be punished for his or her sins. Contact us at our prison ministries to learn more.
4) Jesus can work all things together for your good.
When Jesus hung on the cross, the devil must have been overjoyed. After all, Jesus hadn’t been crowned as King or overthrown the Roman government. His own people hadn’t even accepted Him! Even His own disciples had panicked and deserted Him. Now that Jesus was dying, the devil could reign on earth without any competition.
Yet the darkest hour of history gave birth to God’s greatest triumph. After defeating the power of sin, death, and hell, Jesus rose from the grave. When all hope seems lost, remember this. God loves His children, and He can work even the difficult, scary, and painful things together for our good.
5) Jesus will restore all that was stolen and destroyed by sin.
Ever since Adam and Eve’s first sin, Creation has groaned under the curse of sin. People get sick and die. Floods, tornadoes, and famines ravage the earth. War shatters nations into a thousand tiny fragments. Sin poisons the hearts and minds of earth’s people. Will it always be this way? Will we always struggle under sin’s curse?
Yet God promised in Isaiah 65:17, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” The triumph of Easter Sunday proves that, someday, God will make things right again. In His mercy and grace, He will prepare a place for us…a place without sickness, sorrow, or sin. Just like Jesus rose from the dead, we too will rise from the grave and walk in everlasting life.
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Are you searching? Jesus has the answers for addictions and stubborn habits. For more information, send the Crossmans a private message here on Facebook or come to a church service at Prince Albert Baptist Church. Take the first step in a walk of freedom!
For more information, call (306) 940-9554 or email anchorofhopeheb@gmail.com
