Resurrection -- Wonderful thought -- and what a meaning the Apostle Paul gave it! He declared the Gospel message was that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, was buried according to the Scripture and arose again according to the Scripture (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

Christ was God's offering and until we accept the sin offering, we cannot be acknowledged by the Lord. Christ died a hideous death, at Calvary, for our sins and was placed in the tomb. All His promises to mankind was placed in the tomb with him. His friends wept and satanic powers gloated -- but Praise the Lord -- He arose -- a Victor over death, hell and the grave. Christ, the seed of the woman, had bruised the serpent's head at Calvary. All Christ's promises came alive at His Resurrection. He arose for our Justification or to Justify Our Faith in His death for our sins. When we deny the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, we deny the only foundation for our Salvation. We died with Christ, were buried with Him. Our old man was crucified with him and the body of sin destroyed. If we be dead with Him -- we shall also live with Him. Death hath no more dominion over Christ -- then death has no more dominion over us. Let's reckon or count with God. Read the 6th Chapter of Romans.

Christ died for all Adam's lost race at Calvary -- but in resurrection He arose head of a New Creation. All that accept Christ by faith and rest in the finished work of Calvary, are saved. They have passed from death unto life and shall not come into condemnation. Christ came not to do His own will but the will of the Father. Jesus said, "And this is the Father's Will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me -- I should lose nothing -- but should raise him up again, at the last day." If there be no Resurrection -- our preaching is vain and we are still in our sins. No wonder Job said though his body was destroyed, yet in his flesh he would see God. He was contented to wait all the days of his appointed time for his Change. Resurrection!

Jesus was not born like all other children by natural generation. Joseph was not his physical father. Whatever modern criticism may say, the record of the birth of Jesus as stated in the Gospels presents the Eternal Word who "was with God" and "was God". (John 1:1), becoming flesh (John 1:14) in a Virgin's womb by the Holy Spirit and under the overshadowing "power of the highest" (Luke 1:35) The Word of God gave a chaste exalted story of the nativity. The Gospels present Jesus as Divine. If God was actually becoming incarnate, conception would have to be in a virgin's womb, it could not be otherwise. The immaculate conception, the virgin birth, the angelic choir and the wise men's star present a blending of the simple and the sublime.

He is presented in the Gospels as sinless in life. He is shown as a sinless Savior against a backdrop of a sinful world. We see him as a Savior who came to save sinners and was only able to do so because, He himself was sinless. He was never conscious of sin in himself - never did He confess sin. John declares, "In him is no sin." Peter says, "He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." Paul said, "He knew no sin." Pilate declared, "I find in him no fault at all." Judas had to own that he had "betrayed innocent blood."

Jesus's death was vicarious, redemptive and substitutionary. We must not put the death of Jesus Christ on a general par with other great and good men. He took our sins and our guilt upon himself and died as a sacrifice in our stead. The sufferings of Christ were different from those of any other as presented in the Gospels. The agony of the garden and the bloody sweat were not the result of extreme mental and physical anguish but caused by the sinless soul of the Son Of God coming in contact with the world's sin. It was not the crucifixion and the awful thirst, others have suffered as much and more. The cross was a travesty unless He who hung there knew no sin but was a sacrifice for our sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. This is the only sensible explanation of His unique suffering. Without a sinless life and a virgin birth as antecedents such a death is impossible and meaningless.

His resurrection is very important to the believers. This aspect of his person and work is inseparable from his supernatural birth, life and death. Jesus was all that He himself claimed and all the Gospels portray him to be. His resurrection was the vindication of his sinless life and a redemptive death. More than this, it was an absolute necessity. Those who evaluate the resurrection see its inseparable connection with the person and work of Christ. This truth like any other spiritual truth becomes real on the basis of faith.

Rev. Joe K. Ballard

I Corinthians 15: 1 - 4
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures ...

That's it, folks! The Gospel.....the good news that was preached from town to town and from city to city. The Gospel ..... Jesus died for our sins, according to the scriptures, He was buried and He arose on the third day, just as it was told in the scriptures. Think about it, folks. This is the Gospel that people were persecuted for, that people believed and died for. This is what it's all about. This is WHO it's all about. It's about Jesus and who He is and what He did for us........for all of us! --- And the best news of all ..... it's free!

Of course, you have to do SOMETHING to get the cross for free! You have to reach out and take the graphic. Just one simple little thing .... reach out and take ... by downloading the cross image. That's all you have to do! Wow! Isn't that just like accepting what Jesus did for it? It's free. We just have to reach out and take it!
B. J. Peachey

The cross on this page is a free gift for you.

For more of Rev. Joe K. Ballard's writing and teaching go to The Study

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