What Do You Think of Christ?

​Jesus Christ lived among mankind holy, the sinless one took our sins on himself, he died for mankind, and then God raised him from the dead on the 3rd day, according to Scriptures.  

We experience the power of the resurrection every day, so let’s not wait till Easter Sunday to talk about it.  Our spiritual power lies in the victory of our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, who said after conquering death, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

 The women came to the tomb in love to mourn.  "The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.  Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him.  Now I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7).  The women heard the news and they saw the evidence, the huge stone in front of the tomb had been rolled away, and they could see for themselves that the tomb was empty. There are at least 12 different appearances of Christ in the resurrection accounts.  They were physical, tangible experiences with Christ eating, speaking, and allowing himself to be touched.  He could transcend locked doors, and yet he could still be touched and he could eat.  The stone was not rolled away from the tomb so Jesus could get  
out, in his resurrected state he could walk through the tomb walls if he wanted!  The stone was rolled away so people could see, so they could witness that the tomb was empty. 

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The resurrection was the beginning of a great missionary movement that has never ended and will not end until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.  Praise the LORD.  “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;” …   (Revelation 1:7)

This missionary movement is called the Great Commission: “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20). 

​In conclusion, first, Jesus lived as our Substitute, He obeyed God’s law perfectly for us, and God credits his holiness to our account.  Second, He died as our Substitute, God put all our sin on him, and Jesus Christ gave his life as a ransom payment for all.  By his perfect life and His willing death Jesus cancelled our sins and set us as one with God.  On the basis of Christ’s finished work all of humanity has been declared not guilty (justification).  Salvation is a gift, earned by Jesus for all people, offered to all through the Gospel (Good News about Jesus), and received by faith.

Karen O'Leary is the the Program Manager at New Beginnings. She has her BA in Bible Theology and her Masters of Divinity. She has 8-years of experience as a Social Director at a non-profit organization helping those in crisis with financial assistance, brief supportive counseling, and being a spiritual presence in their time of need. In her free time Karen enjoys reading, cooking and traveling.

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