The Resurrection

Nothing stands out as the theme of the New Testament like the subject of the resurrection. Jesus taught His disciples that He would have to die and be raised again the third day. And He made sure that they understood that even though He would leave them, they would be resurrected as well; that they would join Him in heaven, "I go to prepare a place for you. and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2,3).

After Jesus leaves this earth to return to heaven to reign over the kingdom, the apostles begin teaching about Jesus. The main point of their teaching is the resurrection. An example of this is Acts 3 where Peter and John healed a lame man. This got them in trouble with the Jewish leaders as we read in Acts 4: "Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." We find this theme all through the book of Acts...and all through the NT.

Especially note 1Corinthians 15. This whole chapter is emphasizing the resurrection; of Jesus and of us as we pass from this life. Verse 4: "...that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.." Verse 12: "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" And he goes on from here to show that if there is no resurrection from the dead, no life after death, we Christians have nothing except what happens in this life; verse 19: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable."

The significant point about Jesus, the proof that He is the Son of God, that what He taught is what we should follow, is that He has power over death. And since He has power over death, He has power over our death; i.e., we don't have to die and be like Rover, "dead all over," but instead, we can live, and live forever! Be sure and read all of 1Corinthians 15 and see this full description of the resurrection process.

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Good reading: http://thepreachersword.com/2012/03/10/what-cancer-cannot-do/