What Does It Mean that Jesus Is Risen?

What Does It Mean that Jesus Is Risen?


Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Yes, alleluia! But what does it mean, right? What does it mean to you when you are struggling to make ends meet? What does it mean to you who is just beginning to understand God’s love for you? What does it mean when God seems to be silent? What does it mean here and now? What does it really mean?

The first step into resurrection living is to let Jesus carry your burdens. Jesus already carried all our sins and burdens on the cross. And God rose him from the dead. But if we still carry our burdens around like before, Jesus has not been resurrected in our life. If we still insist that we do not need help, we are still buried deep. It is time to open our hearts and minds wide open for God. It is time to let the resurrection power change us inside out. It is time to dump our burdens, sickness, and worries at the cross and leave them there. And receive  freedom in resurrected Christ.

Live in this way, knowing that you were not liberated by perishable things like silver or gold from the empty lifestyle you inherited from your ancestors. Instead you were liberated by the precious blood of Christ, like that of a flawless, spotless lamb. Christ was chosen before the creation of the world, but was only revealed at the end of time. This was done for you, who through Christ are faithful to the God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. So now, your faith and hope should rest in God. As you set yourselves apart by your obedience to the truth so that you might have genuine affection for your fellow believers, love each other deeply and earnestly. Do this because you have been given new birth—not from the type of seed that decays but from seed that doesn’t. This seed is God’s life-giving and enduring word. (1 Peter 1: 18-23, CEB, emphasis added)

The second step into resurrection living is to rest our faith and hope in God.  When we have been given new birth, we are not to live out of fear any more. Because fear is the opposite from trust. We either trust God or live in fear. In order to live in the joy of resurrection we need to trust God to take care of us now in the land of living and also after our death. We don’t need to know how God is going to work out things in our life. We don’t need to understand how resurrection works. We just need to trust. And when we are able to do this we experience resurrection ourselves.

Outwardly nothing changes.
But inwardly everything changes.

We are free and that’s why…
We dare to live fully.
We dare to trust fully.

Because…
Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed!
Hallelujah!

 

Gracious God,
We love you!
We praise you!
We are in awe of you!
Show us how to enter into resurrection living.
Use the resurrection power in our lives!
We leave all our fears, burdens, worries to you.
Give us life, light, love, joy, and hope!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: What keeps you from entering into resurrection living?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you live out the resurrection joy!

Giving thanks today for
#261 our powerful God
#262 the resurrection of Jesus
#263 the resurrection power in our lives
#264 God who’s breathing life into us
#265 the forgiveness of sins
#266 Messiah
#267 God gently teaching us what it is to live in his grace
#268 God carrying our burdens, sins, worries, fears, and sickness on the cross
#269 the true freedom in Christ
#270 the joy of resurrection

Image courtesy of Pierce Brantley. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty &
Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday &

5 thoughts on “What Does It Mean that Jesus Is Risen?

  1. I am praising God for the freedom I have in Christ!  Because of His sacrifice, I am made new!  You are so right…outwardly nothing changes.  But inwardly EVERYTHING changes!  Praise God!

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