Monday, April 10 – 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

A wedding or the birth of a child are moments that change us forever. We celebrate but our lives also change forever. Yesterday, we celebrated Easter. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, but we also celebrated how that moment has changed everything for us! It is tempting to let our lives go back to normal after an annual celebration like this, but this is more than just a moment that happened in the past or even a holiday we celebrate in the present—it is a monumental moment that has changed who we are forever.

The things that are “of first importance” (v. 3) in our lives are evident in the way we live. For Paul, the resurrection was of first importance—like a marriage or welcoming a child—it was an event that changed how he lived and what he lived for. What would it look like for us to live with this same priority? When we follow Jesus, we are transformed. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” This message of the resurrection is one of first importance that we can carry with us beyond the Easter celebration and into our everyday lives of faith.

• How did you celebrate the resurrection this Easter?
• How has your everyday life been changed by the resurrection?
• Pray and thank God for the resurrection and how it has changed your life.