Resurrection Assurance (Jn 20:1-31; 1 Cor 15:1-4)

by Pastor Cesar Crisostomo |  April 21, 2019

John 20:1-31; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are both required for the salvation of humankind. If Jesus had remained in the grave, His death would have only been the death of a martyr. Without the sacrifice of His death, His resurrection would have presented no saving power. The resurrection of Jesus demonstrated that He was indeed the Son of God. Paul wrote, “…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead…” (Romans 1:4). Jesus resurrection proved that His death was sufficient to cover all the sins of humanity. In the resurrection, God demonstrated that Jesus Christ was and is the perfect Son of God “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation stone on which the church is built. The Apostle Paul described it this way, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Familia, when it comes to Easter Resurrection morning and we hear the talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are talking about a pretty major event. This is about Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to this world for you and me. When it comes to hearing afresh our Savior’s death and resurrection, we need to respond with thanksgiving in our hearts about all the assurances that are made available to us because Jesus lived, died and rose again.

Resurrection assurance

1. Because Jesus lived, died and rose again in resurrection life and lives today, we as believers are now assured of necessary power for life, for serving God and to transform our lives. The Apostle Paul wanted to know the resurrection power of Jesus for his own life. “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10). He also prayed that the believers at Ephesus might know God’s amazing power (Ephesians 1:18-20). This power that is made available to those who love Him and received Him as Lord was the power that defeated death and is sufficient for every day life and every emergency.
2. The resurrection is an assurance that there is hope for you and me. Easter is a reminder that Jesus is at work accomplishing things in our lives and in the lives of the people we love. It gives us hope that God can turn things around especially when life situations looks so hopeless.
3. The resurrection guarantees that there is God’s help for you and me. Otherwise, if Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead then we would be left to our own selves, to our own ways which leads to destruction.
4. The death and resurrection of Jesus assures us that we have an advocate, a representation in heaven. 1 John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” When Satan lays out all the accusations against you and me, Jesus will answer on our behalf. Because of His death, the shedding of His blood and rising from the dead, He has covered all of our sins and the Father sees no fault in us. There is great assurance of the forgiveness of sins. The resurrection gives us as believers confidence the God was satisfied with the sacrifice Christ made on behalf of all sinners. Peter wrote that the new birth is accomplished because of Christ resurrection: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
5. Because Jesus lived, died and rose again in resurrection life, I too will die but have an assurance that I will rise again. All who believe and who are identified with Christ by faith will be raised at His second coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes through another man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”