The Power of the Resurrection: 7 Dimensions for Your Life

Introduction

There is power in the resurrection of Jesus. And that power doesn't stay locked in the empty tomb of an Easter morning: it comes to rest on your life today. That's the heart of what Stéphane Burgos preached this Sunday, drawing from Psalm 16, Peter's speech in Acts 2, and the scene of the angel at the tomb in Matthew 28.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, wrote: "that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). There are several dimensions to this power. We'll walk through seven of them, just as the preacher laid them out, without adding anything of our own. Take the time to let each one reach you. Every time you say "Jesus Christ is risen," you're also declaring a concrete truth about your own life.

Article outline

• 1. A victory over death
• 2. Justification for the one who believes
• 3. The proof that Jesus is God
• 4. The foundation of the Christian faith
• 5. Access to the Father's presence
• 6. A call to walk in sanctification
• 7. The promise of eternal life

1. A victory over death

The first dimension is that the resurrection of Jesus is a victory over death. It offers the hope of eternal life to everyone who believes in Jesus and in his resurrection. Every time you say "Jesus Christ is risen," it's as if you were saying: "I will live forever." If your Lord conquered his death, you too will conquer yours. If his tomb is empty, your tomb is destined to be empty too.

The day you die, your body will stay here, but angels will come to gather your soul and carry it to the Father. Your body, meanwhile, will wait for the return of Jesus. Because Jesus is coming back. He promised it: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). On the day of the catching up, your tomb will stand empty, just as Jesus' tomb is empty. You can say it for yourself: "Jesus has conquered my death."

2. Justification for the one who believes

The second dimension is that the resurrection of Jesus is the justification of everyone who believes. You can say: "I am justified through the resurrection of Jesus." It's important to understand that the sacrifice of Jesus was accepted by God. It was approved, validated, for the forgiveness of our sins.

Paul writes it in his letter to the Romans: "but for us also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification" (Romans 4:24-25). If Jesus had died with even a single wrong thought in him, God would not have raised him. He is the spotless lamb, perfect in holiness. That is why God approved his sacrifice. And if God approved that sacrifice, you are justified before God. His resurrection made you holy, it made you righteous.

3. The proof that Jesus is God

Third, the resurrection attests to the divinity of Jesus. The fact that he rose tells you that he is God. Peter, in his Pentecost sermon, points out that David died and that his tomb still exists among us (see Acts 2:27-36). The prophets are in their tombs. But the tomb of Jesus is empty.

Jesus is more than a prophet. He is more than any man who has ever walked this earth. He is God. He conquered his own death. Many struggle to understand how that's possible, but Scripture declares it. Jesus, the Son, is God come in the flesh, dead on the cross, and risen on the third day. His resurrection is the signature of his divinity.

4. The foundation of the Christian faith

Fourth, the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, the Christian faith would be empty. No resurrection, no faith. The resurrection is the proof that the teachings and promises of Jesus in the Gospels are true.

If Jesus had only been born, lived, and died without rising, where would we place our faith? Even with the miracles, even with the wonders, even with the teachings, he would be no different from the great men who came before him. The birth and death of Jesus carry immense weight because Jesus rose. Through his resurrection, he gave eternal value to his birth, his life, and his death.

5. Access to the Father's presence

Fifth, the resurrection of Jesus gives you access to the presence of God. Through his resurrection, he opened the way for you. The author of Hebrews writes: "which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil, where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:19-20).

In the Old Testament, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place only once a year, to pour out the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat, on the ark, for the sins of the people. He had to start over every single year. Jesus, though, entered once for all, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek. The veil is torn. When you say "Jesus Christ is risen," you're also saying: "I have access to the presence of God."

6. A call to walk in sanctification

Sixth, the resurrection of Jesus leads you to live in holiness. To understand sanctification, you have to understand the relationship you have with Jesus. His church is the bride, Jesus is the groom. Once you understand that, you understand the essence of sanctification. It's a word that can sound intimidating, but sanctification is simply your relationship with Jesus, being made ready.

The wedding of the Lamb hasn't happened yet. It will take place in heaven. What does a bride-to-be do while she waits for her groom? She prepares. If you were about to leave for a long journey, you'd pack your bags, you'd learn the language and culture of the country. All the more, prepare yourself for the most beautiful journey of all. No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus' return. So stay ready: don't think for a second that he'll come looking for an unworthy or unfaithful bride. Jesus will come looking for a bride who is ready, faithful, and worthy. That's what sanctification is.

7. The promise of eternal life

And seventh, the resurrection of Jesus gives you the promise of eternal life. Paul puts it this way: "For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1).

Your dwelling in heaven is the glorified body you'll receive from God. A body that never gets sick, that never ages, incorruptible, eternal. If you die with a disability, you'll rise without it. If you die blind, you'll see; deaf, you'll hear. Compare the resurrection to a seed planted in the ground. You can't see what it holds. Then one day the plant comes up, the tree comes up, and what was hidden becomes visible. So it will be for those who die in Christ. Dying, for a Christian, isn't an ending: it's sowing. It's the beginning.

Key takeaways

• The resurrection of Jesus is first a victory over death that promises your own resurrection.
• It attests to the divinity of Jesus and justifies before God everyone who believes in him.
• Without the resurrection, the Christian faith would be empty: it is our foundation.
• The veil is torn; through Jesus, high priest after the order of Melchizedek, you have access to the Father.
• Risen, Jesus calls you to live as a bride ready for his return, in sanctification.

Personal application

• When you think about death, is it fear or the hope of the resurrection that rules your heart?
• Can you say, today, "I am justified before God through the resurrection of Jesus"?
• What is your faith really built on: your own experience, or the risen Christ?
• Are you using the access to the Father's presence that Jesus opened for you, or are you still keeping your distance?
• Are you, like the bride, preparing yourself for the return of Jesus, or are you putting it off?

Verses cited

• Psalm 16:10-11
• Acts 2:27-36
• Matthew 28:5-7
• Philippians 3:10
• Romans 4:24-25
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16
• Hebrews 6:19-20
• 2 Corinthians 5:1

FAQ

What does "the power of the resurrection" mean for a Christian today?

It means that Jesus' victory over death isn't just a memory: it produces justification, access to the Father, an ongoing sanctification, and a promise of eternal life that touch your life every day.

Why do we say that without the resurrection, the Christian faith would be empty?

Because the resurrection is the public proof that the teachings and promises of Jesus are true and that his sacrifice was accepted by God. Without it, Jesus would be a great man among others, not the risen Savior.

How can you concretely prepare for the return of Jesus?

By living like a bride waiting for her groom: walking with God every day, listening to his word, letting the Holy Spirit remove what doesn't reflect him, and staying faithful and ready, without waiting for the last moment.