Have you ever wondered what life is all about, what happens when a person dies, is there hope beyond the grave? If you have these questions, let the events of the coming days i.e., Good Friday and Resurrection Day, bring new meaning and hope to your life. As it is, a Christian who understands the power of Christ’s resurrection has greater hope. The first and so far the only resurrection to eternal life has been that of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The first scriptural hint of Jesus' death and resurrection was written some six millennia ago, i.e., 4,000 years before the birth of Christ.
There was a time when our Nagas worshipped nature and the spirits. Today we are predominantly Christian. Looking at our society and the world as a whole, it is very easy to be pessimistic when we see poverty, corruption, violence and blatant crimes performed with no consequences or justice. The mockery of our own identity as people and believers needs to be challenged by consistently and progressively living for change. We see divisions among tribe, clan and even Christian denominations like Baptists, Catholics etc. with varied thoughts on practices, ceremony and religious rules. However, this week, as the Easter weekend draws near, we would like to remind our readers that even through pain, suffering and the death of Jesus Christ, God can still give life and bless us with hope through difficult times. We are Christians because we believe in the “resurrection” and when God can conquer death than we must have “hope” and work towards creating our utopian Christian society.
We wish all our readers
a blessed Easter weekend.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation of the Christian system (1. Cor. 15:14). If there was no resurrection, Christianity would be a hoax, and we would have been wasting our time. But the truth is, the event of Jesus’ resurrection is unquestionable. (1 Cor. 15: 16, 17) – If Jesus had simply died without being raised, Satan would have been victorious. He would have defeated Jesus, and we would all still be in our sins. In order to defeat Satan and thereby justify us, Jesus had to rise from the dead. The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus’ Resurrection rebuilt our hopes, gave joy, new beginning and new life.
Allow me to draw your attention to the changes which occurred as the result of our Lord’s resurrection. There are some important benefits of Jesus resurrection for all mankind.
Forgiveness of Past Sins (Matt. 28:10): “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there”. By “brothers” Jesus probably meant his disciples. This shows that He had forgiven them, even after they had denied and deserted him in His greatest hour of need. As we think about the resurrection in relation to our sins, we must recognize that, only because of the resurrection of Jesus we can have forgiveness for our past sins.
His resurrection gives us the assurance that Jesus has overcome death and won a great victory for His people. It is the resurrection that makes all the difference and puts us right with God. As Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” There is no other way to heaven except through the risen Lord Jesus Christ. His death paid the penalty of our sins. His resurrection guarantees that God will forgive us of our sins when we sincerely and wholeheartedly cry out to him for forgiveness. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the death, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:8).
Power for Present Living (Matt. 28:20): The resurrection of Jesus not only guarantees forgiveness for past sins, it also guarantees power for present daily living. Because Jesus is a living savior, He empowers us to live each day for Him. As Jesus said, “I am with you always...” (Matt. 28:20). The resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a belief of the Christian faith. It tells the world that the kingdom of God is ruled by a living Sovereign. Unlike all other religion, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. But the founder of Christianity – 60 years after his death appeared to John on the island of Patmos and said, “I am the first and the last and the living one; and I was dead and behold, I am alive for evermore.” Revelation 1:17-18).
Hope for Future Destiny (Matt. 28:20): - It is a magnificent promise that the power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead will one day raise believers back to life. 1st Corinthians 6:14 says, “By His power God raised Jesus from the dead, and He will raise us also.” Jesus told his disciples in John 14:1-2 just before he was crucified: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you”. Right now Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for every single believer, who trusts in Him with a real living faith. One day, those of us who wholeheartedly believe in Jesus will go to Him and live with Him in heaven for all eternity. At one point of time, the Apostle Peter lost all his hopes because he had failed Christ miserably by denying him three times, the night of Jesus’ arrest. But still he was able to write about hope because Jesus’ resurrection changed everything and gave him a new hope and life. Thus, with confidence, he gives us three solid reasons to rejoice and have hope in 1st Peter 1:3-7: “Rejoice! Your Past can be forgiven; Rejoice! Your Present can be handled; and Rejoice! Your Future can be secured.”
I want to ask you some questions today: Is Jesus alive in you? Has His resurrection become your resurrection? Are you benefitting daily from the resurrection? Are you saved? Because of the resurrection of Jesus, your sins can be forgiven. You can know the power of Jesus in your daily life and havehope foreternal destiny. In three simple ways – acknowledge that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins; and confess and repent for your sins. Trust in Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection because it has given us the assurance of Eternal salvation.
“Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. For feedback or comments please email: admin@tetsocollege.org”.
