Why resurrection matters

Jesus was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, I Corinthians 15:4

In his book, The Reason for God, author and pastor, Timothy Keller tells of people who come to him expressing their struggles with the church’s teaching on the resurrection. They like other parts of Christian teaching, but they simply cannot accept the teaching that Jesus was raised from the dead and lives eternally in heaven.

He often responds to their concerns by saying, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything stands is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”

If the Jesus did rise from the dead it means that we can’t live our lives any way we want. It also means we don’t have to be afraid of anything: death, cancer, earthquake, recession, or a falling dollar. If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything.

The good news is he is alive! The evidence is overwhelming. Death and the grave could not keep him down. The tomb is empty, the witnesses saw him, the Scriptures prophesied his victory over death, and people’s lives were forever changed by the power of the gospel.

Come celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus this Sunday. Services begin at 9:15 and 11:00 AM. Easter is still a revered event in our society, so please invite your friends and family to worship with you during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday.

Pastor Ray