Do you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the grave?

Many years ago, I confronted a friend of mine as to whether or not she believed in the resurrection of Jesus. She had to admit that she didn't really care about whether or not Christ rose from the dead, even though she went to church on Sunday, which was a day her church kept in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some people do not know what they believe, and apparently are not concerned about it. Not everyone is that way, thankfully, or there would be no Christians today. Many people think that Jesus died, but did He really raise up from the grave?

John 3:16 is said to express the whole gospel message: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But notice that this verse does not specifically say that Christ died for sinners. You must read also verses 14 and 15, which also says "so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 12:32, 33 implies that to lift up Jesus, means that He should die by being lifted up on the cross. But is Jesus perished forever in the tomb where He was laid? NO! He was also raised from the dead, and it is important that we believe that. Why?

Even though Christ died for all, yet if there were no resurrection from the dead, then we above all people in the world would be most miserable and without any hope for the future, and we would certainly perish. Christ would still be in the grave. We would perish contrary to John 3:16 because there would be no one to raise us from the dead. But we see that Christ must be raised from the dead!

1 Corinthians 15:16-18 "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." But John 3:16 says that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall not perish, in other words, they will be raised from the dead, also. We have a true hope in Jesus Christ. It is important that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But unless He be raised from the dead also, Christ's death would be meaningless. So both the death of Jesus for sin [dying for our guilt so we can be set free from the condemnation of our sins through faith in Him] is just as important as His resurrection so that He might bring us to life eternal through faith in Him. If we be not raised from the dead, then all is meaningless!

John 12:24 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Christ's death was not all. It was not wasted. He bodily raised from the tomb so that He could bring about a rich harvest of souls who believe unto salvation. When you plant a kernel of wheat into the ground, you expect that it will sprout and produce more wheat. The tiny wet grave you planted the seed in can not keep the seed from sprouting. Equally, Christ's grave had no power to keep Him, He raised the third day to give us life! He is verily the bread of life! If we die, believing in Him unto salvation from our sins, we will live with Him at the second coming! The grave will not be able to hold us, either.

Romans 8:32, 34 says, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?....Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." From this text, we can see the importance of Christ's death but only in connection with His resurrection and High Priestly ministry for us in the courts of heaven.

Romans 14:8, 9 "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." Here again, the importance of connecting the resurrection of Christ with His death, makes His death meaningful to us. It gives us the hope of the resurrection to eternal life, that this life is not all there is.

It is true, that the world which does not accept Christ's death cannot have a part in the resurrection to life eternal. So His death for our sin is of utmost importance in the plan of salvation. We must believe that He died for us, but we must also believe that He rose again, that the grave could not hold Him. The hope of eternal life is held out to those only who believe unto salvation in His death and resurrection and High Priestly ministry.

While Jesus died on the cross for us and rose to new life, we cannot sit idly by thinking that there is nothing we should do in this life because we think that Christ did it all for us on the cross. That is foolishness. Unless we choose Him above all else, we cannot have life. We must believe. We must act on that belief, and follow Him, letting His righteousness which He gives us, be our banner and manner of life.

Romans 12:1, 2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Christ cannot live in us unless He were the living Christ. Praise the Lord, we serve a living Saviour and we have the sure promise of eternal life through Him!