But in Fact Christ has been Raised...

Is it worth it?  Is living the Christian life worth it?  If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then no, it’s not worth it.  It’s a waste of time, energy, and money.  If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then the biggest scam in the history of the universe has been meted out on millions and millions of people for the past 2,000 years.  If Jesus was not raised, then all of our loved ones who have died have absolutely no hope.  They are dead and buried, never to breathe and live again.  Their rotting corpses are just that - rotting corpses never to rise again.  We may as well live and do whatever we want to do.  We should get as much as we can while we can.  Meaningless!  Everything is meaningless without the resurrection of Jesus.  We’re wasting our time if Jesus’ body did not rise on the third day.

But, thank God, the tomb is empty!  Jesus did rise, the first-born of the new creation.  The world changed the moment his lifeless body breathed again.  His resurrection gives us hope and meaning for the future.  In fact, the resurrection is our future.  We too will breathe and live again.  Our bodies will rise again to live eternally in God’s renewed creation.  As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15.  “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” – 1 Cor. 15:20 & 57-58.    

But the reality is, there are days when we forget this truth.  It's easy to be distracted by all the good things that this life has to offer and it's easy to be overwhelmed by all the tragedies of this world.  We might find ourselves swinging between these two extremes, forgetting that no matter how good or bad this life can be at different times, this present life isn't worth comparing with the eternal life to come.  Wherever we may find ourselves today, let's be encouraged by Paul's words in Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Shay