THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

Yesterday, born again believers all around the world, celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!  We celebrated because the Word of God tells us that we, like Jesus, will be raised from the dead.  The Apostle Paul actually stated that the moment a true believer's soul leaves his or her body, that he or she is immediately with Jesus in heaven.  He wrote:

"Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:5-8).

I believe that God raised Jesus, His only begotten Son, from the dead; Jesus Himself told His disciples that it would happen, and when it did, His disciples, who had deserted Him for fear of being killed with Him, were a few days later in the synagogues and on the street corners proclaiming Him the risen Christ!  Here is a sample of but twelve verses from twelve New Testament books, which show the importance of the Resurrection:  

Matthew 16:21 - "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
Luke 9:22 - "Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."
Acts 2:32 - "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."
Romans 6:4 - "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
1 Corinthians 6:14 - "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power."
2 Corinthians 4:14 - "Knowing that He Who raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you."
Galatians 1:1 - "Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, Who raised Him from the dead."
Ephesians 1:20 - "Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places."
Colossians 2:12 - "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead."
1 Thessalonians 1:10 - "And to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
2 Timothy 2:8 - "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel."
1 Peter 1:21 - "Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."

In fact, belief in the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead is required for one to saved, to become a child of God!  Paul wrote: 

"...IF thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10).

Do you believe? Then tell others!