Leading The Way - Week of April 18
Our Only Hope, Now and Forever
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20-26. Think about what it must have been like to arrive at Jesus’ tomb Easter morning, full of sorrow, only to discover the large stone in front of the tomb had been rolled away. Imagine being greeted by an angel with the incredible news that your Lord was no longer dead but alive!
To witness the resurrection and experience it as a close friend of Jesus must have been something. But here’s the amazing thing: The Bible says we haven’t missed out. Though we are two thousand years late to the party, we can still experience the resurrection of Jesus Christ and bear witness to its power.
How? you might ask. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul says that when Christ comes into your life, when you truly surrender to Him, repent of your sins, and receive Him as your only Savior and Lord, the risen Christ comes into your life.
This resurrection power dwells inside of you to give you victory over sin and temptation, joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the midst of trouble, hope in the midst of hopelessness, and confidence in the midst of discouragement. The power of Jesus’ resurrection working in you is far greater than all the challenges that this life can throw your way.
You and I may not have had the privilege of seeing Jesus’ empty tomb with our own eyes on that first Easter Sunday, but we can experience the reality of the empty tomb every day that we walk with Jesus. And, one day, should Christ return after our life on earth has ended, we will all gaze upon another empty tomb—our own. For, at His coming, He will call us from the grave to meet Him in the air (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The Bible tells us Christ’s resurrection power is this same power that will transform our earthly bodies into heavenly ones, no longer subject to death or disease. We, like Jesus, will live forever (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
Through the power of the resurrection we have hope for today and hope for the future, for He is risen—and so are we, now and forever.
Prayer: Lord, Your sacrifice and resurrection power are everything—they give me power for living and unparalleled hope for the future. Thank You for Your love and salvation. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon series Seven Awesome Statements from the Cross: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
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