Jesus raised a number of dead people back to life, one of whom was Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. Prior to this act of power, Jesus told Martha: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (2) Martha was then asked: “Do you believe this?” She replied: “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (3) The Lord Jesus then proceeds to command the dead body of Lazarus to come out of the cave, where he had lain for 4 days. The dead man rose, and Jesus was declared to be the Son of God. If only all people were like Martha and really believed in Him who raises the dead!
The Verification
The resurrection is one of the best attested facts of history and has been verified, by eye-witness accounts. Doctor Luke has written in his history of the Acts of the Apostles, that “He (the Lord Jesus) showed Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs.” (4) The great truth is that He was seen alive from the dead over a period of 40 days by different groups of people and at a variety of locations. Paul selects five instances of these occasions in 1st Corinthians, chapter 15, saying: “He was seen of Peter, then of the twelve: after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once … after that, He was seen of James; then of all the Apostles.” (5) There is no doubt at all that Jesus
rose from the dead, because it has been verified by those who saw Him.
The Justification
Paul makes another momentous claim in his letter to the Romans when he says that Jesus, our Lord, “Was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification.” (6) Jesus died for our sins and paid the price for them in His precious blood. The fact that He rose again proves that God has accepted the fullness and finality of that sacrifice. On the basis of His resurrection, God can now offer to make us righteous before Him for ever. What we have to do is believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. (7) Confess with your mouth Jesus as lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved. (8) If you do this, God will impute to you the righteousness of Christ.
The Rectification
The resurrection also ensures that all wrongs will be accounted for. God has seen every sinful act, and heard every idle word that has been spoken. Either our guilt and offences are forgiven through acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ or we have to be punished for them in the future eternity. God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained, whereof He has given assurance unto all in that He has raised Him from the dead. (9) The current thinking that we are all just the victims of our genes is a false premise to try to suggest that we are not responsible for what we do. The reality is that God will hold men accountable in the day when He will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. (10) How important, then, to have found forgiveness in Christ, for there is no penal judgment to those who are in Christ Jesus. (11) The resurrection is God’s guarantee that the wrongs of this life will surely be rectified!
Bible References:
(1) Romans, chapter 1, verse 4
(2) The Gospel by John, chapter 11, verses 25 - 26
(3) The Gospel by John, chapter 11, verse 27
(4) Acts, chapter 1, verse 3
(5) 1st Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 5 - 7
(6) Romans, chapter 4, verse 25
(7) Romans, chapter 4, verse 24
(8) Romans, chapter 10, verse 9
(9) Acts, chapter 17, verse 31
(10) Romans, chapter 2, verse 16
(11) Romans, chapter 8, verse 1
