He Is Risen!

Christian faith (I call it Biblical Jewish faith) is the only religion in which the creator of the universe – Almighty God – entered our world as a human baby, grew into a man, died a horrible and substitutionary death for humankind, and then physically rose from the dead. And because of His resurrection, everyone who wishes can experience a changed life – now, and into eternity.

So, on this Resurrection Sunday, I contemplate only a few of wonderful promises rooted in the history of God-become-flesh-died-for-our-sins-resurrected-and-soon-coming-King. (Follow the links to the Biblical texts associated with the promises).

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He is Risen! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?  For the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But, Oh! Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our lord Jesus Christ.

He is risen! And every knee will bow – either in love, or in dread, but bow they will – And every tongue will confess – either in love, or in dread, but confess they will – that Jesus is Lord.

He is Risen! And everyone – anyone – who calls to Him in confession and repentance will be forgiven of all their sins. They will be washed in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb. Cleansed from everything they’ve done, no matter how dark or stained. Think of that for a moment! Clean. Pure. Declared righteous by the holy and eternal God of the universe.

He is Risen! Demons – Satan himself – tremble at that very sound. And no wonder, for Jesus has by His resurrection smashed Satan’s head under His heel.

He is Risen! And so each of His servants is a new creation. Because Jesus became sin on our behalf, we could become the righteousness of God in Christ. Our old life has passed away, tossed into the sea of God’s forgetfulness.

He is risen! Unalterable, irrefutable confirmation before all of creation that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. No one. Except through Him.

He is Risen! And though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is always, ever with us.

He is Risen! That is why everyone who believes in Him will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die.

He is Risen! That is why each of His children born by faith in His atonement for their sins have bold access to the very throne room of Almighty God.

He is Risen! Even now He prepares a place for us; that where He is, we may be with Him forever.

He is Risen! Though heaven and earth will flee from His Presence at the Last Judgment, His children, washed in the blood of the Lamb, will remain at His side, held tightly by nail-scarred hands.

He is Risen! Therefore, “if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. . . . For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” And so we can comfort one another with these words.  (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)

He is Risen!

Yes, Yes! He is risen, indeed!