Power of the Resurrection

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, 

and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

(John 10:17-18)

Because Jesus was crucified on the cross, did this mean His enemies had greater power than He did because they caused Him great suffering and in the end put Him to death?   Jesus gave this response to Pilate’s question:  

Then saith Pilate unto Him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:10-11l)

The enemies of Jesus did not have greater power. Jesus chose to give His life for the sins of all mankind according to God's plan. Jesus did not have to do it. He had the power to deliver Himself from the cross. He willingly laid down his life.

The death of Jesus on the cross was not the end of the story; to sinful mankind it as the beginning of reconciliation. The power of the Gospel does not conclude here. Three days after His death, Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Read about this in Luke 24:1-12.

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)

The greatest illustration of God's power was in the resurrection of Jesus Christ:  

For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. (2 Corinthians 13:4)

The resurrection of Jesus is a vital part of the power of the Gospel because through it. . .

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:10,15)

Through His resurrection, Jesus triumphed over the power of the enemy. Because of it, we have power over all the power of the enemy. We even have power over death, because our mortal bodies will also experience resurrection. 

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  1 Corinthian 15:51-23

There is great power in the resurrection. Apostle Paul spoke of knowing Jesus in the power of the resurrection 

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  (Philippians 3:10)

There is one factor necessary to experience the powerful benefits of the blood of Jesus Christ. You must have faith in the blood:

Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through FAITH in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.  To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:24-26,28)

It is not enough that there is power in the Gospel. You must apply that power to your own life. You do this through faith. Basically, faith is believing. You must believe in the power of the Gospel in order to experience it.

If you have not received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and been forgiven of your sins, then you cannot experience the power of the Gospel. To experience the power of the Gospel you must:

Ö     ADMIT YOU HAVE SINNED:  

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Ö     BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Ö     CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD AND ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOU:  

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

Ö     BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND RECEIVE THE GIFT OF GOD'S SPIRIT:

Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 2:38)

Ö     EXPERIENCE A CHANGED LIFE:

Let the power of the Gospel work in you to change your old life-style, your sinful actions, attitudes, and thoughts:  

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

(Biblical Studies)




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