Philippians 3:10-11 ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’
DAILY READING – • 2 Corinthians 10; 2 Kings 23:36-24:20; Habakkuk 1
One of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world is the Shwe Dagon. It stands on a hill over 200 feet high and is covered with a pure gold leaf. Embedded in the base of this temple is a gold box. This box contains some finger-bones, teeth, and other parts of Buddha.
There is another burial place in Arabia;, the green Mosque of Medina. Underneath it lies the body of Mohammed. Millions of earnest followers pay homage to him, but despite his greatness, he, too, is dead, and like Buddha, lies buried in the earth.
The burial place of Confucius is a grass covered mound in the province of Shantung, China. Confucius was also considered a great teacher, who influenced the lives of millions of people. Nevertheless, he too is dead and his body is also buried on the earth.
However, there is a tomb in Israel, that was cut into a rock. This tomb was once closed with a great stone, but angels came and rolled it away. The body of the man buried within is no longer in the grave.
The world shattering truth being that on the third day, “Christ rose from the dead!” And today His tomb is empty!
This is the vital difference between Jesus and all other leaders of world religions. While they all succumbed to death, Christ triumphed over death. While their bodies remain in the grave, Christ’s body is risen and He lives forever!
When bones from one of Buddha’s fingers were found in 1981, it became a sensation to Buddhists everywhere, and the bones are now visited by many Buddhists.
However, if today, someone claimed to find a bone from Christ’s buried body no Christian would believe him, because Christ’s Body is not in any grave. Christ is risen and this is the crowning proof of Christianity. The resurrection elevates Christianity above all other world religions.
Jesus was more than a great rabbi or influential teacher. He is the Son of God with power. And just as He lived an extraordinary life, so should we, as His disciples live as a wonder to our world.
Indeed what happened after the Resurrection is unprecedented in human history. Infused with His resurrection power, the small band of Jesus’ disciples took on the amazing task of evangelizing their generation. Defying all obstacles and even death itself, these disciples turned the world upside down. They lived such extraordinary lives, that at Lystra, it was said of them ‘The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.’
Today we indeed need this resurrection power!
In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul says ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’
Like Paul, our hearts should pant after the manifestation of Christ’s resurrection power. Let us pay the price of dying to the flesh, so that we can begin to live the life of power and dominion that Christ died to purchase for us.
Indeed through His Resurrection, Christ has given us new life and new hope. And because of the empty tomb, we can have peace today. Because of His resurrection, we can have hope even in the most troubling times. Because Christ lives, we shall live also.
And today indeed, we triumphantly declare, ‘Christ is RISEN! He is RISEN indeed!”
PRAYER: Lord, I need Your resurrection power at work in my life today. Thank You for causing me to come out of the grave of mediocrity, to begin to live in dominion and power. Indeed because You live, I shall live also in Jesus Name.
Quote:
Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. WORDBITE 222