Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
Read Matthew 12:21; Acts 2:26; 1 Corinthians 15:54–57
And his name will be the hope of all the world. (Matthew 12:21)
No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. (Acts 2:26)
Hope is our lifeline, keeping us engaged in the struggle. Marathoners press on to the finish line as long as they have hope. Nothing—virtually nothing—is able to defeat us if our hope stays alive.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:13–14
For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. (1 Corinthians 15:13–14)
Let’s assume for a minute that there is no resurrection. The apostle Paul follows that thought in his first letter to the Corinthians and comes up with at least six results. If Christ hadn’t been raised:
Read Job 19:25
But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. (Job 19:25)
Too often Christians try to take the hideousness out of death. In doing so, however, we cut short the grieving process. We’re so eager to rush to the end and show the hope beyond the grave that we don’t deal adequately with the pain that accompanies death. For there is no denying it: Death is an ugly thing! Jesus says it is an enemy that He will ultimately destroy.
Read Romans 5:12; Genesis 3:4
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12 NASB)
The theme threaded from Genesis to Revelation is the plague of death, and all humanity has the disease. Being fallen creatures, we don’t want to face it. We try to anesthetize ourselves against it with denial and isolation.
Read Acts 2:32, 36; 17:6; Mark 16:12–13
“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses....Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:32, 36 NASB1995)
Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus’ disciples and followers, who had just seen His bruised and broken dead body taken from the cross and buried.
Read Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:3
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. (Matthew 28:1)
Resurrection comes from resurge or resurgence, in the sense of “coming back” or “renewing” or “rising up.” In other words, Jesus Christ, who was once down, dead, laid aside, crucified, later stood up miraculously and bodily. He “resurged.” He came back to life, never to die again.
Read John 20:1
Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. (John 20:1 NASB1995)
Imagine yourself a member of the jury in a courtroom, preparing to decide one of the oldest cases in history: The People vs. Jesus of Nazareth.
The case regards Jesus’ claim that He died and was miraculously and bodily raised from the dead. For centuries, people have disputed this claim, basing their prosecution on one of three theories.
Read Hebrews 4:15, 5:2
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NASB)
Do you know how Jesus learned obedience? Through lessons taught severely.
Read Luke 23:48
And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. (Luke 23:48)
Our Lord has modelled the art of dying.
Read John 10:18, Psalm 31:5
“No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.” (John 10:18)
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