How is your life going? Is it satisfactory? Is it what you would have hoped? Is it something less than you would have hoped? Are you just playing it out to the end? Would you like a do-over?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the answer to these questions. Jesus was God in human form, fully human and fully divine. He was born in a little town on the edge of an ancient empire. For thirty years he led an unremarkable life. At some point he became an itinerant preacher. He told stories and taught people how to live. He healed people with supernatural power. He attracted a crowd. He formed a team of followers. Eventually he went to Jerusalem, the religious and cultural capital of his people. The powers that be felt threatened by him. They set him up, held a sham trial, and executed him. Three days later he rose from the dead. For the next forty days he appeared to his followers. His resurrection is the answer to the question of how your life is going.
The resurrection of Jesus matters for this life. Jesus was raised to life at dawn of the first day of the week. His resurrection is a new creation. It is a new beginning. It means that no matter how your life has been going, it can go differently from this point on. You are not trapped by old patterns and habits. You are not trapped by things that have happened to you. You are not trapped by your sins and mistakes. Your life is not defined by your worst moments. Jesus raised from the dead means that you can start over.
The resurrection of Jesus matters for the next life. The next life is far longer than this life. Jesus gives us eternity. He has gone before us to prepare a place for us. All who believe in him, though they die, yet shall they live. Here is more good news. In the next life, all our fatigue and illnesses and disabilities will be gone. We will be given spiritual bodies. Here is more good news. The hope of the next life makes this life even better. It changes the way we live today. Our assurance of eternity makes us even more committed to making this world a better place.
In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about how the resurrection is the answer to the question, “How is your life going?”