The Power of the Resurrection

This month, we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, or Easter as it is commonly known, that glorious day when Jesus was “declared the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4)[1]. The more I contemplate Jesus’ resurrection and the state of our culture, the more convinced I am that the message of the resurrection is the solution to the ills of our society. The Resurrection solves the problems of:

Death. American society has embraced the culture of death. In recent months, the governors of Illinois and New York proudly announced their support for physician-assisted suicide. Also, the last half-century has seen the long, slow march of abortion to the point where it is referred to with the Orwellian term “reproductive health care.” Today, abortion clearly functions as a sacrament, a religious rite.

In sharp contrast, Jesus conquered death and ushered in eternal life. Paul proclaims, “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him” (Romans 6:9). Through His resurrection, we have been freed from the fear of death. We are set free to celebrate true life—now and forever.

Desecration. Over the past decade, we have witnessed the extraordinary rise of the transgender movement. At its root, transgenderism places a decisive priority on the psychological over the physical in determining identity. In other words, I am not what my body says I am; I am what I think I am. How else can we describe an ideology that claims you can ignore basic biology and remake your own body? A life created in the image of God, no less. This ugly transgender ideology has produced a generation of mutilated and broken children.

Paul powerfully proclaims that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Furthermore, Paul teaches in Ephesians 4:24 that this new man is “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” While our society strives to desecrate man, the gospel serves to recreate man.

Despair. Like clockwork, every week brings a new study documenting the increased levels of depression, suicidal tendencies, and despair of our fellow citizens, especially those in the younger generations. And no wonder, as they are continuously bombarded with apocalyptic messages and images—climate change, economic turmoil, social injustices, demise of our democracy, etc. Young people don’t have the reservoir of life experiences to testify to the truth of Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken.” It takes time to comprehend the biblical truth that God is enthroned in heaven, sovereign over all.

The antithesis of the prevailing doom and gloom is the living hope we have in Christ. Peter allays the fears of today by reminding us that we have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4-5). We are not paralyzed by the prophets of doom but are energized by the promise of a glorious inheritance.

Disconnection. Another well-documented social trend is that more young people are delaying both marriage and the start of families. Far too many individuals are living life in isolation, disconnected from social engagement, attempting to establish relationships via social media.

Yet the Bible teaches “it is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). The family, as ordained by God, is the fundamental unit of a sound and stable society. Thus, it’s no surprise that the 2022 General Social Survey found that men ages 18-55 report the highest levels of happiness when they are married with children. Sociologists have long identified a strong connection between engaged fathers and their children’s success in life. Turns out there is a reciprocal relationship—fatherhood is good for the dads also.

While the resurrection of Christ may not provide an individual with a spouse, it did establish the church, a community of fellow believers united in the body of Christ. In the church, one discovers the truth of Mark 10:29-30 that, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.” Far from living life in isolation, the church provides the opportunity to connect with a welcoming, encouraging, and loving community.

We are surrounded by people overwhelmed by life, and the remedy is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The timeless message of the living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one we should be eager and excited to proclaim. A message our country desperately needs to hear.