MATTHEW 28:1-10 – “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.””

THEME OF THE DAY: THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Gabriel Fluhrer wrote an excellent book titled Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything. In the last chapter, Firm Hope, Pastor Fluhrer wrote:

“This inseparable link between union with Christ and the resurrection is why Paul can write things like this: ‘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’ (Romans 6:5). How could we be united to Christ’s death and resurrection when we weren’t alive two thousand years ago? Because faith links us to Christ’s death and resurrection. Faith makes what He did true for us. Union with Christ teaches us that in an important sense, we are already resurrected with Christ. That’s Paul’s point in Romans 6:5. Certainly, we are not resurrected bodily yet. But we have been raised, by union with Christ, to new life in Him (John 5:24-25; Colossians 3:5). Therefore, union with Christ changes our perspective on this life entirely. As one author explains, because of this union, we live from heaven to earth, not from earth to heaven, so to speak.”
To emphasize Pastor Fluhrer’s point, our union with Christ in His death and resurrection makes all the difference in the daily lives of Christians for this reason. When Jesus died for sin, we died to sin making the truth of the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 6 practical for Christian living – “For sin will not have dominion over you, since you are not under law but grace” (Romans 6:14).
How are we under grace? Our identification and union in Christ. God’s grace puts us in Christ in His death and resurrection so that sin’s power is broken. This same truth is found in the familiar text in Galatians 2 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).
Here is the application. When we are tempted to sin in whatever manner, immediately stop and say to ourselves, “I don’t have to give into this temptation to sin. I have been crucified and risen with Christ. As my Lord died for sin, I died with Him to sin, and its power has been broken.” That exercise of faith works every time, with every temptation. Why? The resurrection of Jesus makes all the difference.
PRAYER: Father, may I live every day in light of the truth Jesus lives. He rose from the dead and He is with me.
REFLECTION: The resurrection of our Lord is not a theological fact alone but a daily reality to be lived.