In the days after the celebration of Easter it is very easy to get back to “regular life.” Or is it? The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has power and brings power to a believer’s life as never before. Is that something we can just ignore in the effort to get back to a life of no purpose and mediocrity. NOPE!! Whether you sang the latest, greatest songs of the last few years, heard your pastor preach a spirited message like never before, or just went back to church for your yearly pilgrimage, it doesn’t make any difference. The real difference is found in the power of the resurrection. Look at Matthew 27:49-53 49 But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. They mocked Jesus while he was on the cross, but they couldn’t stop the great thing God was doing through Jesus death. The dead were raised to life when Jesus was resurrected and they were seen walking around Jerusalem by many. So, the grave could not hold back the resurrection power of God. This super powerful act of God was not the climax and ending of all Jesus did on the cross. It was just the beginning. God’s power over death, hell, and the grave was on full display in Jesus, His Son. His resurrection power was not something they would talk about maybe happening. It was seen and experienced by all involved, including you and me many years from there. That resurrection power has not diminished, as some have tried to explain it away, but it is just as strong and it is the power source for our lives.
So the celebration and remembrance of what happened when Jesus came out of that tomb is to be a fresh, current reminder of where our power comes from to live the life Jesus has called us to live. I believe God’s Word is true and that there is power in His Word and so the next verses really mean something to me. Even if they didn’t mean anything to me or to you, they are still real and alive and lasting. Look in John 14:11-14 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
So if you doubt the credibility of this verse, which part is not true? The part where Jesus claims that He and God are one, or the part where Jesus says if we believe in Him we will do even greater works than He did? Or maybe it is the part where He says if we ask for anything in His name He will do it? Just pick one. But know that picking one nullifies the others, because now we are picking the scripture we can get our brains to accept. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying, but ALL of God’s Word is true. The power of God’s Word and the power of the Resurrection are real power that is God working in our lives and in the world. Defeat is no longer a part of a believer’s life once we experience the resurrection. So….if you are living a defeated life then you are not experiencing the true power of the resurrection. You are living off a worldly viewpoint of how to handle the problems in your life. Jesus either is your “wonderful counselor” or He is not. Your choice, but choose wisely and choose Jesus. If you are a pentecostal or church of God, you believe you have something special that a Methodist doesn’t have. If you are a Church of Christ you are confused by the Southern Baptist stance on not being able to lose your salvation. If you are a Methodist, you might believe that liturgy and reverance is the best example of how to worship. And on and on and on it goes…. None of those denominational examples mean anything when it comes to the power of God though. Resurrection power is the power of God to do great and mighty things through His people because His people are alive. How so? Well, before you accepted Christ. YOU WERE DEAD!! You just weren’t in a tomb. Colossians 2:13 says 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, When you accepted Jesus by faith, you were born again or born anew. In John 3:4-8 the scripture says 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
When we are born again we experience resurrection power or “come alive.” Well, we better or it’s going to be a sad day when we die. Resurrection power not only brings us back to
life spiritually, but helps us live a victorious life every day of our lives. @ Corinthians 5:17 says this about the salvation experience. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. What is the new? It is the Spirit of God in our lives. The Holy Spirit changes everything for each of us. We receive the power to do great and mighty things and that power comes from our heavenly Father, by which we have access through the blood of Jesus. It’s amazing how all of this fits together if we don’t put our own spin on it to make it palpable for our faithless minds. You may say, “I don’t have a faithless mind!!” Then that means you experience Resurrection Power every day and it is constantly changing you to be more and more like Jesus and that is great. Keep it up and keep it real. But, for those who filter everything they believe about the Bible through a denomination or a family stance on the Word of God, you need to experience this resurrection power. We all do!!
In summary. The power of Jesus’ Resurrection was real and is real today. If you have been born again, you have this power and you are living in it right now. It comes back to your “faith.” If you have this power then your life is no longer your life. It belongs to God and He is ready to use you for His good. Suddenly the message of the gospel has tremendous meaning and power in your life and your belief in that salvation begins to refresh your attitude and purpose and the rest is what God wants for your life. Paul wrote to the church in Rome in Romans 1:16-17 and said this 6 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Resurrection power is more than just celebrating the Easter “holiday” once a year. It is the essence of who we are and how we live. Tap into that power and God will show you He means what His Word says. That is Resurrection Power and we need it!! Even Benjamin Franklin knew there was more for each of us. Read his story below.
In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn’t profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul’s teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here’s what he wrote: The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believ’d, Appear once more In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended by the Author.
The Pilgrimage continues…
David Warren
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