Reawakening to the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Christ

1. Jesus, Always the Same, Is Our Anchor

Are we still amazed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? Or have we heard the gospel stories so many times that we have become so used to them that we are no longer surprised and amazed by Jesus, his life, his ministry, and what He did? We know them so well we have become complacent. We may think we know all there is to know about Christ. Some may even think, “So what? Old stories! They are no longer relevant for us today.”

We need to reawaken to who Jesus is and what He did. We must look with fresh eyes at the gospel stories so that we can reawaken to the things we have forgotten, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” We must reawaken to the things we have not heard or seen before, “Wow! I didn’t know that.” We must reawaken to the things we only had a partial understanding of. We must reawaken to the things we have become complacent about. We must again see Jesus in all His fullness, in his humility, his compassion, and his love.

We must reawaken to the truth and reality that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). He is our Anchor in this crazy world and uncertain times. When a ship is not anchored the wind and waves of a storm will toss it around; may even damage and sink it. But when it is anchored well it will endure the storm. Jesus is our Anchor and He enables us to weather the storms of this life. But for Jesus to be our Anchor we must reawaken to his life, death, and resurrection. We must rediscover that He is the same always. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. He lived with us. He died for us. Jesus, resurrected and alive, lives with us and in us. He continues his work in us and in this world through us. 

2. Jesus Lived With Us

Jesus became like us, fully human. He lived with us so that He could relate to us in our lives. Hebrews 2:10-18 — In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus is the Pioneer of our salvation, the one who leads the way. He came to find us where we are. He came into this world of suffering, pain, sin, and death. He identified with us. He shared in our flesh and blood. He shared in our sufferings, and even death itself. Jesus’ earthly life connected Him with our own suffering and weakness. There is nothing we face in this life in which Jesus cannot empathize with, help, and rescue us. He set us free from the fear of death. And He did all this out of sheer love for us. 

Jesus’ earthly life connected Him with us relationally. He calls us “brothers” (v. 12) and “children of God” (v. 13). He made us holy, separated us from sin and pollution. He made us ready to enter the presence of the holy God. He made us members of God’s family. We are his siblings, children of God.

Therefore, Jesus is our Anchor. When we face uncertainty, trouble, sin, suffering, or fear, we can be assured that Jesus knows and understands our weakness, our struggle, our pain. He is walking alongside us in our trials. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18).

3. Jesus Died For Us

Jesus died for us in order to secure our eternal, heavenly future in God’s kingdom. Hebrews 9:11-15 — But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Jesus offered his own life, his body, and blood, as a perfect sacrifice. He became the atoning sacrifice for our sin. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). His death paid the price for our sin. His death redeemed us. 

Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant of redemption. He offered his own life to God. He laid it down obediently in death, and this sacrifice stands as the offering for the whole of humanity. His life-given-in-death functions on our behalf. He died so that we do not need to die. Jesus is the true, perfect High Priest, and his self-offering makes us clean. It washes away all our sins. It renews us in our hearts, our innermost beings. It purifies us, makes us holy so that we can be fit for God’s service. 

Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, our future is certain and secure. Our present time, this life, and this world may be uncertain. We do not know what tomorrow holds. But we know who we are and where we are going. Therefore, when we face uncertainty in the here and now our certain future gives us hope for the present and this life. We throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. We run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:1-3)

4. Jesus Resurrected & Alive Continues His Work In & Through Us

The crowning miracle of the Incarnation was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection confirms, validates, and authenticates who Jesus is and what He had done. He is the Savior of the world. He is Lord. Jesus is alive. He rules. He continues his work in and through us.

Hebrews 10: 11-25 — Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First, he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Jesus’ sacrifice was singular because it fully satisfied the requirements of our redemption and sanctification. It is not to be repeated. It was done once and for all. It is finished, completed. We have truly been forgiven. There is nothing more we, the church or anyone else can do. We are saved. We are made holy. We are children of God. Jesus is alive and seated at the side of the Father where He intercedes for us continually. His work is finished. He has taken his seat, and now He rules as Lord over all. 

Jesus continues his work in us. He remains faithful to us who have placed our trust in Him. He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, gives us new life. The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts and character. He establishes the new covenant with us. He writes God’s law on our hearts and places it in our minds. He enables us to obey the commands of the Father. The Spirit empowers us for life, for living the new, eternal kingdom life here and now. 

The Holy Spirit appointed, anointed, and empowered Jesus for his ministry. It is the ministry to proclaim and demonstrate the power of the Good News to the physically and spiritually poor; to the captive, brokenhearted, blind, and oppressed. Jesus, the Great Physician of the body and soul, faithfully teaches about the Kingdom—and with great authority, He sets people free. And now He continues his work in us and through. The Spirit of the Lord anoints us as followers of Christ to proclaim and demonstrate the good news. The Spirit empowers us for ministry and kingdom service. 

Jesus Christ is still a worker of miracles. He is daily intervening in people’s lives, overruling and overturning their circumstances. He still heals the sick, defies the natural order of things, and multiplies resources to provide for His people. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

5. Trust & Surrender to Jesus

Jesus endured much suffering on our behalf. He loves us so much that He came and lived with us. He died for us. He was resurrected and now lives with us and in us. He loves us so much that He endures the storms with us and helps us through them. The choice is ours. Will we trust Jesus or not? We trust Jesus when we begin to lean into Him, surrender to Him, in the midst of difficulty. We trust Jesus when in this life and these uncertain times we keep our eyes fixed on Him, when we set our minds and hearts on Him. 

When challenges arise in your life, when you go through trials and suffering, do you lean into or pull away from Christ. Leaning into Jesus, trusting and surrendering to Him involves an increase of prayer and being in his Word. It means an increase of fellowship with other believers, meeting together, and encouraging one another. Pulling away from Jesus looks like an increase in anger and isolation, an increase in hatred and self-centeredness. 

What area of your life feels out of control? Invite Jesus to help you in that area. What fears or anxieties are keeping you from trusting Jesus right now? Name your fear. Surrender it to Jesus. Ask Him to help you overcome it through His power and presence. Believe in and trust the Holy Spirit. Surrender control to the Holy Spirit. Listen to the Holy Spirit, not to the other voices competing for your attention, the voice of self, the voices of the world, the voice of Satan.

I pray that you will reawaken to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and see him anew in all his fullness, in his humility, compassion, and love. May you live in this truth that Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. Never will He leave you. Never will He forsake you. May you say with confidence then, “The Lord is my helper (my anchor); I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb 13:5-6)