and now i stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they [earnestly worship night and day]. and for this hope i am accused by jews, o king! why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? [acts 26:6–8]
it is incredible that God raises the dead!
in our world, not many believe God raises the dead.
in our country, not many believe God raises the dead.
in our culture, not many believe God raises the dead.
but for those in Christ – we have an all in hope – that God raises the dead!
- we have staked our soul and life on the truth that God raised Jesus from the dead.
- we have staked our soul and life – that if God raised Jesus from the dead – he will raise us from the dead.
- we have staked our soul and life – that if God raised Jesus – he will give us forgiveness of sin and power over sin.
- we have staked our soul and life on this truth – because there is nothing else on this life to give us hope against sin and death.
today – rejoice in the incredible truth that God raised Jesus from the dead. your soul and your life have a sure hope because of it. as you read these passages – rejoice, worship, and declare your love for the Lord your God.
blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. [1 peter 1:3]
and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “why do you seek the living among the dead? he is not here, but has risen. [luke 24:5-6]
it will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. [romans 4:24-25]
for i know that my redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. [job 19:25]
and God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. [1 corinthians 6:14]
i am the resurrection and the life. whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. [john 11:25-26]
for if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. [romans 6:5]
for the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. [2 corinthians 5:14-15]
you who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. [psalm 71:20]
so the jews said to him, “what sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “destroy this temple, and in three days i will raise it up.” the jews then said, “it has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” but he was speaking about the temple of his body. when therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. [john 2:18-22]
because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. [acts 17:31]
when i saw him, i fell at his feet as though dead. but he laid his right hand on me, saying, “fear not, i am the first and the last, and the living one. i died, and behold i am alive forevermore, and i have the keys of death and hades. [revelation 1:17-18]
for i delivered to you as of first importance what i also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to cephas, then to the twelve. [1 corinthians 15:3-5]
and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, – romans 1:4
if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. – romans 8:11
~ john ryan