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Written by Abby Ramirez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in João Pessoa, Brazil
Every Sunday when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we meditate deeply on the sacrifice that He made for us on the cross. When we take the bread and the wine, we remember all the pain and suffering that Christ went through. His death brings us sadness, but we stay in this state of emotion for only a few moments because our Lord RESURRECTED. He defeated death and saved us. His return to life brings us immense joy and peace. His death testifies to His love and His resurrection testifies to His power.
For us, Jesus Christ’s resurrection should be of utmost importance, even more to be celebrated than His death. It’s a fact that Jesus died and His body was resurrected on the third day. Let’s consider together what this event means for us.
In Philippians 3:10 (NIV), Paul writes about the power of Jesus’ resurrection, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Paul had different personal experiences with our Lord Jesus in his life of mission. The apostle lived to preach the gospel, and his understanding of the resurrection was deep. In this verse, Paul expresses his desire to know Jesus. To know our Lord goes beyond knowing about His historical life and teachings. To thoroughly know Jesus means to believe in the power of His resurrection.
Jesus defeated death, and this lets us experience the power of this sacrifice by participating in His suffering. Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
If we believe the gospel, we will put Him on in baptism, buried in the water, and resurrected to eternal life, knowing that our life will not end with death, but we will be resurrected like Him in a glorified body when He returns.
Jesus says in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” The resurrection of Jesus powerfully demonstrates His divinity. He defeated death and showed His supernatural power. This event shows us that Christ is God.
His resurrection has the power to defeat death, which is the price of sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He defeated Satan and gave us the same power. Now we are no longer slaves to sin, rather we are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ.
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Ro. 6:17-18)
His resurrection has the power to bless all nations without any kind of discrimination. Jews, Gentiles, and all people have access to salvation through Christ. His resurrection fulfills God’s perfect plan. The resurrection sealed the gospel and God concluded His plan of salvation for humanity.
In His wisdom, He planned it this way from the beginning and fulfilled it perfectly.
His resurrection has the power to justify us. It was the proof that the sacrifice of the cross was fulfilled and accepted. We were bought with the blood of Christ and the debt of our sin was paid in full. His resurrection has the power to give us life, which means that all of us who belong to Jesus Christ will receive the same resurrection.
Romans 6:8 says, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” His resurrection has the power to comfort. It promises that our loved ones who have already died in Christ will live with Him.
Our Jesus was resurrected! He is alive! How many times a day do we remember this extraordinary fact? Do we understand the power of the resurrection of our Lord? Many Christians are still trapped in the grave without the hope of the resurrection, or only focused on the cross and the suffering. It’s good to remember and reflect on the death of our Lord Jesus, but we must not forget that He was raised. Let’s remember this important truth and consider what the power of the resurrection means for us.
Let’s tell others that Jesus defeated death. His body did not remain in the grave. Therefore, our faith should be based in this great truth of the resurrection. His resurrection was seen and testified by many. The resurrection of Christ gives meaning to our Christian life, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
Let us rejoice in His resurrection!
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Written by Jennifer Percell, Volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Missouri
Lucille made tissue paper flowers—the big, bright colorful ones that add a splash of joy to life. She made mobiles with delicate ribbon fish, dresses for orphans, and activity bags for children. She recycled hundreds of pairs of non-slip socks by brushing them carefully to remove the pilling so they could be donated to nursing homes. She was 90 and doing all of these things when I met her. She died just a month before her 106th birthday. That morning Lucille taught some ladies how to make tissue paper flowers, then she set up her first cell phone. She sat down in her chair to take a nap and woke up with Jesus.
Carolyn loved to teach the Bible to children. She was instrumental in starting a camp in her home area and cooked there for many years. When she could no longer cook, she made blankets—hundreds of cozy quilts for children who were attending camp for the first time. She told them that the comforter would remind them they were loved and would help them get through homesickness. After she died at the ripe old age of 100, we found two of her quilts in the supply room at church. They were given to her great-grandchildren, and her comforting love lives on.
Lois was the daughter of an old-time circuit preacher. She was one of a group of Christians who founded the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Texas. She raised three children in the Lord and passed her faith down to her great-grandchildren. Lois was a “Rosie the Riveter” during WWII. She met her much loved sports hero Nolan Ryan at a Texas Rangers game on her hundredth birthday and finally saw her precious Lord at 104 years old.
As I thought about the opportunity to write a story of personal committed faith, dozens, if not hundreds of faithful Christian women I have been blessed to know paraded through my thoughts. Some conquered illness, suffered loss of relationships, the death of loved ones, wavering beliefs, and weakened faith. Many sisters followed our Lord through all the darts life threw at them and gave me precious examples to follow. All of their stories are encouraging and have helped me stay the course when my steps have faltered.
But Lucille, Carolyn, and Lois all stood out in my thoughts. These three lived their faith for 85 to 90 of their over 100 years on this earth. They held on to Christ and His church through major wars, the Great Depression, riots, assassinations, hunger, times of plenty, hard physical work, deep emotional losses, disease, and the loneliness of old age. None of them complained about their circumstances—rather, each gave generously to me from their strong spirits and steady faith.
For Lois’ 100th birthday party, we decorated one section of the church auditorium walls for each decade of her life. As I walked around the display that followed our nation from covered wagons to super jets, and circuit riders to podcasts, I realized that each of those decades was lived one minute at a time. Life is made up of tens of thousands of often tedious minutes that together comprise a life of faith.
The commitment to our faith is to spend each of those moments realizing the priceless statement of our purpose we find in Ephesians: “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10 NIV).
Each of these women filled over 30,000 days productively serving their families and their Savior. Somewhere along the way they understood that a Christ-filled life was their hope of glory as we read in Colossians 1:27.
Each of them spoke to me of their dependence on God. They had learned through many hard times that their hope and strength and joy was found in our God. Each of these women were joyful, gentle, and full of love despite so many trials and sorrows. My time with them was clearly filled with the presence of God's Holy Spirit, who lived a century in each of their faithful hearts.
Their personal examples of committed faith were visual aids to strengthen my life in Christ. These servants exemplified the verses I want to leave you with. Over 100 years of dedication was possible because they served a faithful Father.
“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Ps. 100:5).
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).
Will you use your years, few or many, in committed service to the King whose faithful daughters will live with Him in glory?