HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!! This is the best news in the world for Christians. Our crucified Christ has risen from the dead!

We now find ourselves in the midst of Holy week. Today (Friday), we commemorate the awful sufferings of our crucified Christ. His sufferings are only good to those of us who are believing (hence the “Good” in Good Friday). We spent the bulk of our time together last week discussing the particulars of Jesus’ sufferings and how we are to respond. The most fundamental response that we should have (and do have if we’re actually saved) is to stop sinning! We die to sin, just as Jesus did.

It is only fitting that this Sunday, Easter Sunday…Resurrection Sunday…or whatever you like to call it, we focus on the miracle of Jesus being raised back to life by the glory of the Father. His resurrection from the grave secures for all believers an eternal redemption; it is proof positive that He was able to be the perfect and full propitiation of the wrath of the Father against the sins of His people. That is an utterly mind-blowing truth that ought to land upon us with a great weight.

Without the resurrection of Jesus we would still be lost, in our sins, and our faith would be futile. Read the Apostle Paul’s words in I Cor. 15:12-34 on this matter. We’ll spend some good time focusing on the importance of Jesus’ resurrection from this passage. Then we’ll spend the rest of our time really wringing out Romans 6. Paul writes very clearly here about the effect and response that Jesus’ resurrection (and His death) MUST have on the believers life. Spend some time thinking about this very practical application of Jesus’ resurrection. His death and resurrection are ours also…and they demand much of us. It is absolutely worth it, however, as we are made to be more like Jesus.

Here’s a copy of my class notes, if you find that helpful.