Easter Devotional Series
Day 8: Resurrection Sunday
“For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalm 16:10-11 (NLT)
“For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised…your faith is useless. And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead…” 1 Corinthians 15:13-14,19-20 (NLT)
“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’” Revelation 7:9-10 (NLT)
My house smelled horrible! Someone had put fish in our trash, but no one had bothered to throw it away. Until I removed the garbage, it stunk up every room of the house! Psalm 16:10 interestingly speaks of Jesus’ body in the grave, saying, “For you will not…allow your holy one to rot in the grave.” Long ago, God planned that Jesus’ body would not decay in the grave. There are things in our life that have the aroma of Jesus, and then there are other things that need to be removed by the power of the resurrection.
In the story of Jesus, as we approach what we now know as Easter Sunday, hundreds of years of prophecies are at stake. If Jesus’ plan fails—if He doesn’t rise from the dead—history is changed and, frankly, His word can’t be trusted, reflecting poorly on His character.
Jesus already rode a donkey into town on Palm Sunday. He cleansed the temple Monday. Judas betrayed Him on Wednesday. Then Good Friday took center stage, and Jesus’ purpose became clear: He came to die, grant forgiveness, then rise in triumph. The cross was a difficult picture of our beautiful Savior bearing the ugly sins of the world. Saturday, we waited with bated breath. If Jesus defeats the grave, then the prophecies foretold are impeccable, and the forgiveness offered is unfathomable. If Jesus rises from the grave, we have victory. If not, Christianity is simply another false religion making Jesus out to be a liar and a lunatic, but not Lord.
Thankfully, we know how this story ends. Jesus triumphs over the grave and defeats death itself. He does exactly what He says He will do. His resurrection changes the course of history forever.
Why is the resurrection the lynchpin of Christianity? Here are three reasons the resurrection is the very cornerstone of our faith:
1. God will not leave you in the grave. The grave is not your final destination. Your body is like a tent, a covering God made for your soul. Jesus did not rot in the grave, nor will God leave His people in the grave. God knows our expiration date, and He promises that if we put our faith in Him, we will live with Him in heaven forever.
2. God can be trusted. God always keeps His promises. The resurrection proves He is a promise maker and a promise keeper.
3. God will raise you with Christ. Far from God leaving us in the grave, we have hope for a future void of suffering and death. His resurrection should fill us with hope! We will one day be raised and presented to God, blameless, with great joy (Jude 24-25). The psalmist writes that we will experience the joy of God’s presence forever (Psalm 16:11).
News of the resurrection should fill us with exceedingly great joy and hope for the future. Do you really believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Are you certain that you will spend eternity in heaven with Him? Do you believe that Jesus can truly be trusted?
Soak and Reflect
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” - Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
Dear Lord, thank you for the work Jesus did on the cross for me. Help me to remember that, just like you didn’t abandon Jesus to the grave, you won’t abandon me. Fill me with your power and presence to meet the challenges ahead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
