LUKE 24:1-8 – But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words . . .

THEME OF THE DAY. REMEMBER CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.  I know. Today’s nugget theme is in the “no brainer” category. Some of you might be whispering, “Remember Christ’s resurrection?  Of course. I am a Christian. The resurrection of my Lord is everything.”  Well, I agree. I am one of those “some of you might be whispering” people. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact of history.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ has irrefutable evidence validating its truthfulness.  And no true Christian ever denies this cardinal and fundamental element of our faith.  Take away Christ’s resurrection and we have nothing.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised” (1 Corinthians 15:14-16).

Yet, what about now?  What about today?  What about our current trials and challenges?  Does Christ’s resurrection matter in the day-to-day slugging it out in the Christian life?  In our Christian marriages?  In our Christian parenting?  In our Christian witness in an ungodly workplace?  Absolutely.  And if our Lord’s resurrection isn’t making a difference in our daily lives, we are not only defeated Christians, but are failing to understand the Christian life.

We are a people who have been crucified with Christ AND raised with Him.  Again, from the Apostle Paul, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:5-11).  From this reality of our union with Christ in His death AND resurrection, two applications.

First, our union in Christ in His resurrection ensures we have the power of Christ in us to overcome any temptation, any challenge, and any situation.  There is never a time a Christian may say, “I can’t” when it comes to doing anything or making any change in life.  The power of Christ’s resurrection empowers us to be all God desires and do all God commands. Next, our union in Christ in His resurrection ensures we walk with a living Savior, not a moral code of conduct.  Christianity is not morality.  It produces morality but it is a daily walk in fellowship with the resurrected and living Christ.  This means we are never alone, never abandoned, never forsaken, and never without the Companion of all Companions – Jesus.

So, remember Christ’s resurrection.  But do so not only with a look into past history. Do so also in the present with the reality of His power and Person which defines and makes the Christian life, well, the Christian life!

PRAYER: “Father, help me to remember that Your Son’s resurrection is not only my hope in life, but power for life.”

QUOTE: “Our Lord’s resurrection is an event in the past to be remembered and a reality to be lived in the present.”