Notes of Faith April 20, 2025
The Power of the Resurrection
HE IS RISEN! The resurrection of Jesus is the center point of all of history, the most important day from the beginning of the beginning to the day that He returns to rule and reign forever.
In many of the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, people who saw Him had a difficult time recognizing Him. Before He spoke her name (v. 16), Mary thought Jesus was the gardener (vv. 14-15); the disciples had difficulty recognizing Jesus on the shore (John 21:4); and the men on the road to Emmaus did not realize they were talking to Jesus (Luke 24:15-16). In these resurrection accounts, all of the people ultimately do recognize Jesus. Yet there is something different about Him, some new quality that makes His appearance different from what it was before His arrest and crucifixion. This is helpful for us as we seek to understand our own resurrection in Christ.
The ultimate hope of the believer is not Heaven, but the new heavens and new earth, of which Jesus emphatically says,
I am making everything new! — Revelation 21:5
The essence of the word “new” in that phrase is not “different”, or “new” in terms of time, but rather “new” in terms of quality. One day Jesus will make all things that do exist new or better, fuller, more complete; this is certainly resurrection language.
In other words, the ultimate hope of the believer is the resurrection — when God will do for us and for all creation what He did for Jesus on Easter.
The resurrected Jesus was still the same Jesus who had lived for more than thirty-three years and worked among the disciples for more than three years, but He was changed; He was “new”, He was more, He was resurrected.
Paul gives us an exciting glimpse of this coming reality (1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 49-54). God’s plans for His people in Christ are so good. The sure hope that believers have is that, one day, the whole creation will be made new, and all will be made right. God Himself will dwell among His people, and He will wipe every tear from their eyes. More than that, there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4).
In the new heavens and new earth, Jesus will reign fully and forever, and everything will be as it should be. There will be no sin and no possibility of sin, and believers will finally live the lives God had designed them to live from the beginning of time. So as believers think back to the glorious resurrection of Christ, it also becomes a reminder of the future resurrection in Christ.
The ultimate hope of the believer is the resurrection — when God will do for us and for all creation what He did for Jesus on Easter.
True Love
John 21:15-19
Even though the disciples had seen the resurrected Jesus, they did not really know what they were supposed to do next. For three years they had been following Jesus and carrying out His ministry, but now Jesus was not with them on a regular basis. That being the case, it only made sense for the disciples to return to what they knew: fishing.
Peter, in particular, had not seen Jesus for more than a few moments since He had denied knowing Him three times in Jesus’ hour of greatest need (Matthew 26:69-75, Luke 22:54-62, John 18:15-27). Usually when a person knows that they have hurt someone, or done something wrong to someone, they are not eager to see that person. Yet Peter was so confident in Jesus’ love and forgiveness that as soon as he realized it was Jesus standing on the shore, he jumped from the boat and swam to shore so that he could be face to face with his Lord. There, Jesus lovingly and gently reinstated His bold disciple and went on to use him greatly for the sake of Him Kingdom.
This story reminds all believers that those who repent of the pain they have caused Jesus and others in the past can have full confidence that His arms of grace are open to all who are willing to run into them.
Excerpted from The Jesus Bible, copyright Zondervan.
What a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and as we look forward to our own resurrection and transformation into the perfect, sinless life that God has prepared for us! A better day is coming. Rejoice and give praise to the Lord!
Pastor Dale