He is Risen!
He is Risen, Indeed!
This Resurrection Sunday greeting is a vital part of the foundation of Christian belief. Because Jesus is alive, we know that we are forgiven for our sins because the payment for our sin was made to the Father. Because Jesus is alive, we know Jesus is not a liar (He said He’s die and rise back from the dead). Because Jesus is alive, we are justified. Because Jesus is alive, we can have a future hope that we, too, will receive Resurrection Bodies and spend eternity future with the Risen Christ. Fear is gone. Hope is won. Salvation is secured.
But did Christians always believe that Jesus rose, bodily from the dead? Wasn’t that just something that was agreed upon a few hundred years later by Rome to consolidate power? I mean, nobody really believed that Jesus bodily rose from the dead until hundreds of years later. Right?
In this sermon, we dive into these topics (and more) tomorrow as we gather to study John 20:1-18 together. As we do, we will dip our toes into 1 Corinthians 15 and Hebrews 8, so if you wanted to read through those chapters before listening, it’d be incredibly beneficial.