The Resurrection: What Difference Does it Make?

Did you know that tomorrow in most places of the world, people of all ethnicities will celebrate Easter? In fact, Easter is one of the most celebrated events in history. But it’s more than just a holiday. Easter is an extraordinary historical fact. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central element to everything that’s happened in our world to date. But why is it so important to us? The Apostle Paul can answer this question for us.

1 Cor. 15:14, 17

“14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

The resurrection is the cornerstone of Christianity. There are over a hundred references in the New Testament to the resurrection. Paul says, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, we have nothing to believe, there is nothing to preach, all the martyrs died in vain, all the money we spent building churches is a waste, and anything called Christianity is also a waste of time. We might as well close up shop and go to the beach. There is no reason to be here if the resurrection didn’t happen. Paul says the resurrection is the cornerstone, and if Christ did not raise from the dead, we have no hope.

1 Cor 15:20

“20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

This verse means Jesus is alive today and He has not changed.”

Hebrews 13:8

“8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

This scripture reminds us that Jesus is still alive, and He hasn’t changed. But what difference does the resurrection of Christ make to us? What is the big deal? Why should we care? First, the resurrection is a big deal and can make a difference in our lives. Let me give you three ways we all can benefit from the resurrection of Jesus today.

BENEFIT #1: HIS PURPOSE IS STILL UNCHANGEABLE.

Many people think that Jesus said, “I have come to you that you might have religion.”

John 10:10

“10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Jesus did not come to make religious people. He said, “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus Christ is still in the same business He’s been in for 2021 years. The life-giving business.

Most people are not living. They exist on the treadmill of life, doing the same thing every day. Wake up in the morning, go to school, play games, go to bed, and wake up the next morning, go to school, and go to bed. They think that’s living, but they’re only existing!

Jesus said, “I came to give you life.” We’re not living unless we know God in our lives. God made us for a purpose. I meet many people who say, “One of these days, I’m going to start living!” or “One of these days I’m going to start enjoying life!” It seems many are always getting ready to live. We can find the word “life” over 200 times in the New Testament. Jesus came to give us life to the fullest — abundant, meaningful life. His purpose hasn’t changed. Giving us abundant life was His purpose then and is still His purpose now. Today I want to invite you to come to know Jesus so you can start living a meaningful and abundant life.

John 3:17

“17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Thank God Jesus didn’t come to condemn us. He came to change us and relieve the guilt caused by our committed sins, not keep us guilty. Jesus wasn’t just a teacher; He was and still is a Savior, and we need a Savior to take our sins away. We need someone who can pay the penalty for our sins and absolve our guilt. Only Jesus can remove the propensity to sin forever from within our hearts. Sometimes young people think if they give their life to God, their friends will view them as religious and fanatic. Jesus doesn’t want to make you religious. Religion alone cannot change us. Jesus wants to take your sin away, change you from the inside out, and give you a purposeful, abundant life.

BENEFIT #2: HIS POWER IS AVAILABLE TO US.

Everybody is looking for power to help them, and Jesus says, “My power is available.”

Ephesians 1:19,20

“19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”

Jesus said the same power that caused the resurrection 2021 years ago is available to us. Did you ever feel powerless to change yourself or a bad habit? Nothing is beyond God’s power, and Jesus’s resurrection makes this power available to us. Sometimes we need the power of God to start over. Maybe we have made mistakes and no longer think we can stay on this Christian way. We need God’s power, and it is available. If Jesus raised the dead, He is capable of working miraculously in your life.

Have you ever gotten halfway through a project and run out of energy to keep going? Maybe you are in the middle of doing your schoolwork, and you feel like you can’t finish? Sometimes we need the strength to keep going. God not only gives us starting power to get our life in order and make something of ourselves, but He also gives us staying power to hang in there and keep doing what we need to do. He provides us with persistent power to keep going when we feel like we can’t finish, and persistence pays off. Jesus’s purpose for us has not changed. Because He lives, we can have abundant life and access to His power when our strength is not enough.

Some of you may be discouraged and need a word of encouragement more than anything else.

Filipi 4:13

“13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

This verse means we are not alone through the struggles of life. Frankly, I don’t think I could make it through some of the trials without God’s strength. There are too many pressures and stresses in the world. I would probably stop trying about halfway. So, what difference does the resurrection make? It makes a big difference. It means that Jesus is still in the business of changing lives and giving us purpose. His power is still available – the same power that blasted the tomb wide open and brought Jesus back to life.

BENEFIT #3: HIS PROMISES ARE STILL RELIABLE.

When we read through the New Testament, we can find many of the incredible promises Jesus gave us. Things like “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” If Jesus were dead, then He couldn’t keep any of His promises to us. But because Jesus Christ is alive today, His promises are still reliable.

2 Corinthians 1:20

“20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

First, there are over 7000 promises in the Bible, and I imagine it is a full-time job fulfilling 7000 promises. Next, a promise is only as good as the person’s dependability who made it. So if God makes a promise, you can count on it. His promises are still reliable. You can bet your life on it.

1 Peter 1:3

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

We need to have hope in life. Hope is essential to humanity. Without it, it is impossible to cope with the difficulties of life. Peter says Christ gives us a life full of hope. What is your source of hope? What are you putting your hope in? The government? Popular opinion? Name your source of hope. Is it reliable? Is it faultless? I submit to you that there is only one thing that’s irrevocably and completely reliable – the promises of God. Because Jesus Christ is alive today, if He says it, it will happen. You can count on it.

Philippians 4:19

“19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Jesus Christ is the only trustworthy source of hope, and the Bible teaches He will supply all our needs. We discussed three benefits of Jesus’s resurrection to us. How does someone obtain these benefits for themselves? The first step is to commit your life to Christ.

John 5:24

“24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

These are Jesus’s words. This verse is a great promise because it deals with a problem common to everyone – death. No one is going to live forever in this world. But for Christians, Jesus says, death is a transfer to move on to more incredible things. We only move on, and this is a great promise! For the believer, death is only a transfer! When we no longer fear death, we can enjoy life a whole lot more. When I am not afraid of what I know will eventually happen, suddenly, I am released to enjoy what’s happening right now a lot more. But how does someone get that kind of confidence? The answer is by turning their life fully over to GOD.

Romans 10:9

“9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Revelation 3:20, Jesus speaking,

“20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”

These two verses tell us what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is not somebody who goes to church. Sitting in a church will make you a Christian as much as sitting in a chicken house will make you a chicken. Maybe you were born in the church. Would it make you a spare tire if you were born in a car? Perhaps you were baptized. You can get baptized in the ocean until every fish knows you by your first name, but that by itself will not get you into heaven.

A Christian is somebody who says Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the number one boss, manager, CEO, executive in my life. Jesus is the one who calls the shots in my life, and I believe that Jesus is Lord, and He is alive today. Inviting Jesus into our hearts and making Him head in our lives is what it means to be a Christian. Jesus says, because I am alive, I am standing at the door of your life knocking. If you open the door, I will come in. It is that simple. Jesus made it so simple no one can say it is too hard to understand. He said, trust me. Even a little child can understand the phrase, trust me. It is so simple, but we complicate it and make it so hard. You can decide to live for Jesus this morning.

Let’s return to the first question we started with. What difference does it make that Jesus Christ rose from the dead 2000 years ago? And the answer is absolutely nothing unless you take advantage of the benefits and establish a relationship with Him. Otherwise, the resurrection doesn’t mean a thing. Let me clarify that I am not talking about becoming religious. I am talking about having a relationship with Jesus. Religion is man’s attempt to get to God. In contrast, Jesus Christ is God’s attempt to get to man. Jesus didn’t come to give you religion. He came to give you meaningful and abundant life. He wants to have a relationship with you and be a part of your life every day.

Let me summarize a couple of straightforward facts.

Fact: God made this world.
Fact: God made you.
Fact: God did not make you by accident.

There is no such thing as illegitimate children. There are illegitimate parents but not illegitimate children. God made you for a purpose. He saw you before you were even born. Jesus put you here on this earth, not just to take up space, breathe, retire, and die. He made you for a purpose. People think success means fame, but you can be famous and be a dud. You can be wealthy and not be successful. Success means understanding God’s purpose and being right in the center of it.

Fact: I need a Savior. You do too.
Fact: Jesus Christ is God, and He came to earth 2021 years ago to show us what God is like.
Fact: If God wanted to communicate with dogs, He would have become a dog. If God wanted to speak to birds, He would have become a bird. But God wanted to communicate with people, so He became a person. Jesus said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen God.”
Fact: Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. Somehow, He took the penalty for everything we have ever done wrong. I don’t understand it all, but I accept it because the Bible teaches it.
Fact: He rose again. That’s why billions of people around the world will celebrate Easter.
Fact: He is here today, and He wants to know you.
Fact: He knew you would be in this service before you were even born.
Fact: He loves you and cares for you, and He has a plan for your life.

Jesus brought you here today, and you can decide to follow Him. Jesus wants you to do what the scripture says in Romans 10:9, so you can have abundant life, power through Christ, and realize Jesus’s promises in your life.

Romans 10:9

“9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

RHT