Thursday, April 21 – 1 Corinthians 15:16-19
For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
The resurrection is more than just a piece in the puzzle of the Bible; it is the point of the entire story of God. Sometimes when we hear the gospel preached, we receive it like another Bible story. But the truth of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection is so much more than that! It is the foundation and cornerstone of our faith. It is the moment that makes our salvation possible and sustainable and the moment that we continually return to as we grow in our faith.
It is easy to get into a routine in our faith journey. We figure out our place to serve or the things to say in each situation, but if we aren’t careful, we’ll forget the amazing reality of the resurrection. We are not merely after a moral life. We are called to live a transformed life. Transformation can only happen through Jesus. In our lives, we need to regularly pause and reflect on why the gospel matters. The resurrection changes how we respond to every moment. Through Jesus the puzzle is complete, and you have been reconciled to God. Through the resurrection, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live differently in every moment.
- Why is it easy to forget the importance of the resurrection?
- What are some things that you are going through right now? How does the resurrection change the way you go through these things?
- Pray and ask God to show you why the resurrection matters in your life today.