“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:” (2Ti 2:8 AV)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ remains foundational to all that we believe.  The resurrection is the power of the gospel message that we declare, for we serve a risen savior.  As Jesus was preparing his disciples and revealing to them the course He was to take, He declared these words:  … “because I live, ye shall live also.” (Joh 14:19 AV)  The ramifications of this simple statement seemed to be lost in the events that they were to witness over the next few days.  As Jesus submitted to His destiny as the Lamb of God, the sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world, His disciples watched in horror.  Their lack of understanding left them devastated, hopeless and despondent.

But as the events of the first day of the week began to unfold, the cloud on their understanding gradually began to lift.  From our perspective we can only imagine the depth of despair and disappointment they experienced as their Lord, their hope, their aspirations, all lay seemingly dead at their feet.  Couple that with their personal failures and we may be a little more sympathetic to their reluctance to believe the news of the resurrection of their Lord and Savior.

The news that Jesus was alive was almost too wonderful to believe.  The joy was overwhelming as Jesus revealed himself to them with undeniable proofs.  Even so it took time as Jesus patiently restored their faith that had begun to crumble.  Their faith in God and the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God the Messiah had not been in vain, but they had been weak.  Now through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that faith became founded upon a foundation that would never again be shaken.  Never again would they doubt the Word of God. God’s Word had been proven to be immutable.

As we follow the lives of these men who were transformed by the power of God, we see men who lived what the preached.  Never again would they shy from declaring the truths of God.  Never again would their fear what men can do.  They lived their lives on this foundation that the Word of God is truth.  And they could say with certainty, because He lives we shall also live.

It remains the same for us today, if we will only believe and follow Christ.  Because He lives, we shall also live.