Good News from Stony Creek Church of Christ

The power of the resurrection

If you were to ask random strangers, “What do you think is the single greatest event to happen in human history?” what kinds of answers would you get? WWI? WWII? The Fall of the Roman Empire? The American Revolution? The fall of the Berlin Wall?

I assume that very few would give the single greatest event to happen in human history: the resurrection of Jesus.

Just hear me out: Jesus being God came in the flesh. Yet, what would man do to him? He allowed them to arrest him, despite having the power to overcome his captors. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion – a painful death reserved for the worst of criminals, despite being completely innocent of all charges and living a sinless life. He hung on a cross until he suffocated to death – no one survived it. He was dead – no longer breathing, no more heartbeat, his body was cold and lifeless. He was put into a tomb with a stone rolled over the entrance.

Three days later, He got up from the grave bed, rolled back the stone, and walked out of there. He was alive! And His closest followers who were cowardly at his arrest and crucifixion would later become bold preachers of the resurrection and suffered persecution and horrible deaths for it as the message spread all over the world.

The message of the resurrection would have a worldwide impact.

It changed everything. It has changed society as we know it. It has changed our culture for generations. And it has changed the lives of so many people.

Many will go to church this Sunday to celebrate it. Many families will dress up, take pictures, go to bible class, sit in a church building, sing hymns, and listen to sermons about it. Yet, if you talk with people, very few understand the power of it. Let’s look at some of the powerful things Scripture points out about the resurrection of Jesus.

It is the foundation of the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 15:14, 19 reads, “…if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty … If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” Paul says the resurrection is foundational to our faith. Without it, everything Christians believe and teach would crumble.

It is the evidence for the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 reads there were over 500 witnesses to the resurrected Lord. Paul wrote that just 20 years after the event while several of the witnesses were still alive. Think about it: if you wanted to fool people and make up a story that did not happen, what would you avoid doing? Claiming witnesses and giving names of living references. Yet, Paul did both.

It is the Christian way of life.

The gospel is the message of the death, burial, and resurrection (DBR) of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). But Paul says we cannot just believe it, we must “obey [it]” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Baptism not only unites us to Christ’s DBR, but it’s about having a spiritual DBR in our own lives (Romans 6:5; Colossians 2:12-13; Ephesians 2:1, 4-5). Baptism is not just about washing away past sins (Acts 2:28; 22:16), but it is also about committing to living your life for Jesus.

Its remembrance is to be every first day of the week.

Easter, like Christmas, is not a divine-given holiday. Meaning, outside a mistranslation, you will not find it anywhere in your bible. It is not instructed, nor is there an example of anyone celebrating it. With that being said, the DBR of Jesus is so important for us to remember, that the Lord established a weekly memorial for us to remember it on the first day (Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 2:41; 20:7).

It is our hope of a future, bodily resurrection.

It was not just God saying, “Hey everyone, look at what I did!,” but more, “Hey! Look what I can do for you!” Paul said that Jesus was just the “first fruits of the resurrection” (1 Corinthians 15:20) which was an agricultural term – meaning the first portion guaranteed the rest of the harvest was coming. As sure as Christ was raised from the dead, those who belong to Christ will be resurrected one day to glory with a new spiritual body (2 Corinthians 4:14; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:52-24; 1 John 3:2). All will be raised, but according to how we live we choose as to what we will be raised to – life or condemnation (John 5:28-29).

Visitors are welcome and valued. We meet at 15530 Herriman Blvd., Noblesville. Our phone number is (463) 287-0664. We meet for Sunday morning Bible Study at 10 a.m. and have classes for all ages. Worship begins at 11 a.m. and we have a Bible Study Wednesdays at 7 p.m. A warm welcome awaits!