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 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.…(Philippians 3:10-11)

I cannot proof Easter from the bible as a celebration for Christians but I can proof that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after 3days and 3nights in the grave.

From 1Corinthians 15, without the resurrection:

i.   Preaching Christ will be senseless (v14); Faith in Christ will be useless (v14);All preachers of the resurrection will be liars (v15); No one will be redeemed from sin (v17); All former believers will have been perished (v18); Christians will be most pitiable people on earth (v19)

ii. Due to the resurrection, we can suffer persecution and danger because our labour in the Lord will not be in vain. That is why the resurrection should not be an annual event but something that every faithful child of God should reflect on every day.

Proof of the Resurrection

Some doubt the resurrection but there is biblical and practical proof that Jesus rose from the dead:

      1.   The scriptures: Matt. 28:1-20; Mk 16:1-20; Lk 24:1-53; Jn 20:1-21; Acts 1;11, and the dramatic change in the disciples from fearful men to courageous witnesses. eg. Peter. 

      2.    Apostle Paul: Changed from being a persecutor to an apostle of Christ for the church. When the risen Lord appeared to Him on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-6)

     3.     The empty tomb: If Christ is not risen, then where is the body?  (matt. 28:5-9). After all the security measures adopted by the religious men, Christ arose from the tomb (matt. 27:62-66)

    4.     He appeared to many after the resurrection: Matt. 28:5-9; 16-17; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:13-35; Jn 20:19-24,26-29,21:1-14; Acts 1:6-8; 1corin. 15

      5.     The great weight the apostles gave to the resurrection: 1Corin. 15

But what is the Power of Christ’s Resurrection?

The resurrection is a cornerstone of the entire building of Christianity and the key of our salvation. All the other religions were founded by men and prophets who are still in the grave. But the grave could not hold our Christ captive and He is sitting at the right hand side of God, interceding on our behalf and will return soon to judge mankind.

In Phil 3:10-11, Paul's desire is "to know the power of his resurrection." Note that Paul does not ask God for more power. Some Christians don’t know the power they have over Satan and his works. Therefore they have put their trust in man and have been enslaved by man-made doctrines and knowledge and this is destroying a lot of Christians lives.

Let us consider four aspects of this power of the resurrection.

(1) The Power to Have Forgiveness of sins

Without God, we are slaves to sin. But Christ, through his death and resurrection, frees us from the power of sin. Paul puts it this way at the end of Romans 4:25 - “He was delivered over to death because of our sins, and raised to life because of our justification.”

Christ died as the necessary sacrifice for our sins. When Jesus died, God laid on him the iniquity of us all, the punishment that all of us deserve for all our sins. So whenever Satan accuses us -- saying, "God could never forgive you for what you have done -- we can say, "Jesus rose from the dead! Having believed in Jesus, I am righteous in God's eyes." That is the power of the resurrection.

 (2) The Power to Conquer Sin

Resurrection power doesn't end with our forgiveness. Christ's resurrection also empowers us to conquer sin in our lives. As Paul says in Ephesians 4:24 - put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  In Christ we are a new creation (Read 2Corin 5:17); his Spirit lives within us. We have been renewed, we have a new self -- and the purpose of that new self is to be conformed to the image of Christ, to become like him: truly righteous, truly holy -- to become what God intends humans to be!

So if this is the case, why do Christians keep on sinning? Paul gives us the answer in today's verse in Philippians: we don't know the power!

 (3) The Power to Be God's Agent

Christianity is not just about forgiveness and overcoming sin. Christianity is not simply a solution to our problems. Through salvation, we are to be his agents of change in the world. God empowers us not only to defeat sin but also to share and display his loving message to the world. Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." Paul says in (2 Cor. 5:19, 20) - He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

God could work directly in each person's life the way he worked in Paul's life -- But God has chosen instead to work through us; weak as we are, limited as we are -- and to show His power through our very weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God says to Paul, my power is made perfect in weakness. Have you been telling people about Christ? Some of us can preach football and not Christ. If the world has taken time to, at least, reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, don’t you think we need to take the opportunity to tell them about the hope and salvation which can be attained through the death and resurrection, rather than the celebrations? Eg, share tracts.

 (4) The Power to Be Conformed to His Likeness

Finally, the resurrection power's greatest achievement is conforming us to the likeness of Christ. Paul says in 2Cor. 3:18 – we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Think of the things that you have wanted to change and have tried to change in your life. God will deal with every one of those. You are being made into a perfect creation -- you are becoming like Jesus! - spotless, blameless, loving, kind and strong. That is the power of the resurrection!

More than anything else, Paul wants to know Jesus, and the power of his resurrection. What do you want more than this? Money? Fame? Influence? Power? Connection? All these are worthless. In the end, all of these things that people spend their lives pursuing are unsatisfying. Am I right?

Do you know this Jesus? Do you believe he rose from the dead? Has he been working in your heart? Do you acknowledge Him as your Savior!

Those of you who already have placed your faith in Him as a sacrifice for your sins, I want to ask you a few questions:

Have you been trying to impress God with your religious activities? Have you been putting the cares of finances, of job, of family, ahead of your relationship to Jesus?

As believers we don’t need a decision, but a commitment -- a commitment to depend on the power of God, a commitment to knowing him better and better, so that you might be conformed to his likeness. We don’t need to respond to alter calls over and over again; we don’t need “pray- for- me” but a commitment.

Response to the Resurrection

How do we respond to the resurrection of Christ? I urge you to repent now and believe in him who is the Judge of the whole world. "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved," Paul told the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31).

The earthquakes are happening; the wars are happening; the famines are occurring; the lawlessness and wickedness are happening. As Christians, we don’t know when Christ is coming; in fact no man knows, except the father. But with the signs happening (as in Matt. 24), we should know that the time for accountability is near. Are you ready to give a good account of your life? What will you tell Christ to allow you into Heaven?

Conclusion

The resurrection is a triumph victory for every believer, and this Jesus is coming again. It guarantees that believers in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected to eternal life (1Thess 4:13-18). The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates that, God accepted Jesus’s sacrifice on our behalf. Therefore as Christians, we need to stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord; because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain (1corin. 15:58). Amen!