Resurrection Power

Can you imagine? Last Friday you went to a funeral and you saw someone being buried. You are still mourning the loss of someone you love. Life has turned dark. Something in you knows that death is not right. What has happened to that person you knew? You have begun to imagine trying to live your life without the one you loved around. You are filled with regrets for the loss of hope and a future.

And then, here that person comes. Just appearing beside you with a big smile on his face. You rub your eyes. Your mouth drops open. It can’t be? What’s going on? Is it a ghost? Is it really you?

Can you imagine the shock, the unbelief? How your mind would have to scramble its brain cells to come to terms with something completely out of the blue. Something completely impossible. Your brain, memories, knowledge, expectations, everything, completely wrong. Something has changed the rules. The goal posts have not just moved, they have changed shape – and so has the ball.

You have spent the last couple of days re-thinking your future without that person and now, all of a sudden, you have got to back to a future with them. You had begun to let go of all your hopes and dreams and now, all of a sudden, you can pick them up again.

And then you pinch yourself again, but this is not possible. They are dead. Not just a bit dead but very dead. In Jesus’ case beaten and tortured dead. They can’t just come back to life.

Without Easter, our expectations of the future are a funeral parlour. But the resurrection blows the doors off and expands our brains like no drug or hallucination could ever do.

 

Romans 1:1-5

The bible is very definite about a number of things:

• Jesus was a man, born of a woman. The bible is very definite about that.
• After the crucifixion Jesus was also very definitely dead. The Romans made sure of that.
• And now the bible says that through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, Jesus is alive again.
• And this proves He is definitely God.

Listen carefully, although the risen Jesus was recognisably Jesus, the disciples did partially recognise him, his body was not just resuscitated. Not like Lazarus who, poor guy, went on to die again, eventually. Jesus would have been raised from the dead even if he had been cremated!

No, the power that raised Jesus from the dead gave him his own body but in a new form. One that lasts forever and can do awesome things like appear out of nowhere, and can enjoy eating food.

The scientists tell us that everything will eventually end in decay – the cosmos, the earth, and obviously, our bodies. Although everything we learn about the universe and our world is very exciting, as far as the scientists can tell it is all unwinding. Humans live for decades an die, the universe will last for some billions of years but eventually it will die too.

The distinguished theoretical physicist Steven Weinberg said, "The more I understand the universe, the more it seems to be ultimately pointless". It’s just dying.

Well if you believe in the power of the resurrection you know that it isn’t pointless and that it isn’t going to die. The power of the resurrection of Jesus shows what lies on the other side of death. This isn’t Jesus carrying on where he left off – it is him showing us what it is like once we have gone through death.

God’s resurrection power can and does bring a new creation to life as we go through death. This amazing thing that we see in Jesus is not a special one-off but the natural course of events in the Kingdom of God. His resurrection power, bigger than any nuclear explosion or Big Bang is bringing new life, new creation to the whole of creation, including us.

Wow, that’s good news. When people say that we and this planet are on a disaster course we know that is not true – on the contrary we are part of God’s plan for a new creation, a new life.

It’s not a trick or a test – it’s a free gift from God to the creation he loves.

Romans 8:11

The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.

It doesn’t just end here, in pain and ignominy, with decayed and rotting bones. When we choose to follow Jesus and are filled with His Holy Spirit we know, all of a sudden, that when we go through death, as we all must, there is resurrection power to bring us to new life, in a new creation.

 

Isn’t that good news? Isn’t that a relief?

 

If you would like to know his resurrection power in your life and are willing to commit your life to following Jesus, you can do so today. Take a Why Jesus booklet; talk with me or one of the leaders here afterwards. We would love to pray with you and welcome you into new life. I will pray a little later in such a way that you can say with me, if you wish, words that will change your life forever.

There is more good news with resurrection power.

Because this is not just about the future, one day when I die. It is about now. Resurrection power is here today and can change your life today too. 

 

Did you walk in today feeling dead inside? Did you walk in today worn out and feeling useless? Did you walk in today feeling damaged and bruised? Did you walk in today hopeless and lost?

 

This is good news for you, Romans 8:11, the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, will give life to your mortal body.

 

Is something slowly dying within you? Are you dragged down by cynicism and doubt?  Are you struggling with bad habits, addictions and indiscipline? Are you struggling with anger or bitterness? Do you feel weighed down by sin; the stuff you know comes between you and God? Do you look OK on the outside, in your Sunday best, do you present a great exterior but inside you know it’s not quite right?

 

Jesus knows all about it and he loves you anyway.
Jesus knows all about it and he loves you anyway.
Jesus knows all about it and he loves you anyway.

 

It doesn’t have to be like that. Jesus loves you and is passionately reaching out to you. So much so that he died for you.

 

 

He wants to fill you with his Holy Spirit and release his resurrection power into your life to break the old pattern and give you new life.

 

Do you want to start again? Do you want his peace and purpose in your life?

 

Would you like his resurrection power to change your life? Then ask His Holy Spirit to fill you today and commit your life to following Jesus.

 

 

Blessing

May you be filled with the Spirit of God
The Spirit who brings resurrection power
May He so fill you with that power:
That you may know His merciful forgiveness for yesterday;
That you may know His presence for today;
That you may live in certain expectation of His new creation, life forever.
Amen