By Jason Sykora
What does the resurrection mean to you?
That question took on a whole new meaning when a friend of mine passed away from a rare cancer at the age of 48. My friend and I had a lot in common. We were the same age. We both have a wife and 5 daughters. We both enjoyed creating ponds and the peacefulness of sitting by them.
We are both believers in Jesus Christ and know that eternal life awaits us with Jesus when we pass from this life to the next. The Bible tells us that when we are absent from the body, we will be immediately present with the Lord.
Even though the thought is comforting, experiencing a loved one’s death still comes with grieving and sorrow. For my friend’s family, the resurrection brings hope that they will see their loved one again.
When the believers in Thessalonica were grieving over the loss of their loved ones, the Apostle Paul told them about the hope of the resurrection.
Paul said, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
When we understand the significance of the resurrection, a Christian will be empowered to face life’s challenges with confidence, knowing that they share in Christ’s victory over death and sin, leading to a life of purpose and hope.
What the resurrection means is that even though we still grieve when our loved one has gone to be with the Lord, we can grieve with hope that we will see our loved ones again.
My friend’s wife, daughters, parents, and friends are all grieving. We have all experienced death before. Death comes to us all, and the statistics of death are that 1 out of 1 people will die. But some deaths hit us harder than others.
My friend’s death hit me hard. I think it was because we have so much in common. His sudden death reminded me of how brief my time on earth will be. Just as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 39:4 NLT, when the Psalmist asked, “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.
Jesus and his disciples loved to stop in a small town called Bethany. This small town, about 2 miles from Jerusalem, was the home of Mary and Martha. Martha, her sister Mary, and her brother Lazarus would welcome Jesus and his disciples into their home on many occasions. When Jesus and the disciples visited, the family would open their home to them. I am sure that Jesus and his disciples ate very well and had wonderful conversations with them around the dinner table. One day, Martha was so focused on preparing a meal for the Lord, while Mary decided to learn from the Lord as he taught (Luke 10:38-42). Martha became upset at Mary for not helping her, and the Lord said to Martha lovingly, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42 ESV)
Before Jesus went to the cross, He stopped off at Bethany again. Only this time, Lazarus had died. Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus (John 11:5), and, being all-knowing, knew that Lazarus had died. So, Jesus told his disciples that it was time to go to Lazarus to awaken him from sleep. (When the Bible talks about a believer in Jesus dying, it always refers to death as sleeping because death in Christ is not the end.)
When Jesus came to Bethany, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17). When Martha heard that Jesus was arriving, she hurried out to meet Him. Martha said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (John 11:21-22 ESV).
When Martha’s brother died, her family was grieving. The first thing she did when he knew Jesus was near was to run to him. Jesus is the best one to run to in your grief. When you are grieving, turn to Jesus, and he will help you get through it.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (John 11:23-27 ESV).
After these words were spoken, Martha went and got Mary, who was grieving at home. Mary then went to meet Jesus. As Jesus watched Mary grieving through her tears over the loss of her brother, Jesus was “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (John 11:33 ESV).
The statement that Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled expressed the same feeling I was experiencing. I am deeply moved in my spirit for the family over the loss of a friend, a dad, a husband, a fellow pond enthusiast, and troubled at the thought of the grief that his family was going through.
When Jesus approached the tomb, he wept. Jesus, being a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3), understands the sorrow that comes from death. When the world was formed in the beginning, there was no death. Death was not supposed to happen. But then the fall of man came when sin and death entered the world.
Then Jesus, deeply moved, came to the tomb of Lazarus again, and Mary and Martha removed the stone. Jesus called out to Lazarus and resurrected him from the dead. Lazarus came out of the tomb bound and wrapped in cloth, and Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:38-44).
When death comes, our spirit is released from our body and is let go, escorted probably by angels into the Lord’s presence. This story reminds us that death is not the end, that grief will pass. From that day on, I am sure Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were reminded of how brief life is here on earth and that they need to make the most of the time they have.
The resurrection of Lazarus teaches us that resurrection will happen.
As believers, we cannot control our birth or when we die, but we can make the most of the life we have in the middle. How will you use your life? Will you use your life for Jesus?
When Jesus died, His disciples experienced grief and sorrow. But three days later, when Jesus rose from the dead, they experienced joy. Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
Christ’s resurrection is described as “the firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep, symbolizing the promise of new, resurrected life for all believers in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
These verses highlight the victory over death, just as death came through Adam, life comes through Christ, and our future is secure because of Christ’s victory over the grave.
The resurrection of Christ is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan, showcasing that through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquers sin and death, and believers are invited to participate in this victory. The resurrection of Jesus confirms that He is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.
The resurrection is not just a historical event but a transformative reality for believers, promising new life and hope in Christ. The resurrection is central to the Christian Faith, assuring believers of eternal life and the call to live transformed lives.
What did the resurrection mean to Mary Magdalene? She was the first to witness the risen Lord.
What did the resurrection mean to the Disciples? They got to see the Risen Lord and go to spend a few more days with him before Jesus ascended into heaven.
What did the resurrection mean to Thomas? The doubt Thomas had was erased when he saw Jesus and was able to touch his hands and feet.
What does the resurrection mean to my friend’s family? They will see their loved one again, and that brings them comfort even through their grief.
What does the resurrection mean to me? After my time on this earth ends, I will live eternally with Jesus in heaven and see my loved ones again. Because of the resurrection, I have hope.
Here is the big idea to strengthen your walk with Jesus: The resurrection is not merely a theological proposition; it is a personal reality that fuels our Faith, transforms our lives, and assures us of eternal hope.
I recently read of a Father who was critically ill, and death was at his doorstep. Before he passed into eternity, he called his three sons into the room he was in. He looked at two of them and said, “Goodbye, my sons, I will see you in the morning.” He then looked at his third son and said, “Goodbye, my son.” Disturbed by his father’s saying, the son asked his dad, “Why did you say to my brothers that you will see them in the morning, but not me?” The father replied, son, your brothers have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, so that I will see them in heaven. But you, my son, have not, so that I won’t see you again. Then the dad shared the promise of eternal life in heaven with God after death because of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. The son believed in the name of Jesus, prayed asking Jesus to forgive his sins, and accepted Jesus into his life. After the prayer, the father said, “Now my whole family will be reunited in heaven.”
Everyone who lives will be resurrected someday. Some will be resurrected to eternal life in heaven. Some will be resurrected to eternal life in hell apart from God.
Just as this son openly declared that Jesus is Lord and believed in his name to his father, so that he can be resurrected to eternal life in heaven, so can you.
Romans 10:9-13 tells us that “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your Faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
If you would like to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior, say a simple prayer.
Just pray, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose from the dead. Thank you for demonstrating your love for me, for dying for me on the cross, for the gift of eternal life in heaven, and for allowing me to enter a relationship with Jesus Christ. I turn from my sin and seek your forgiveness to follow you as my Savior and Lord from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing and answering this prayer; in Jesus’ name, Amen and Amen.
To know more, go to abidinginthefaith.org/Steps to salvation.
About the Author
Jason began his ministry with a podcast called Abiding in the Faith, which grew into Abiding in the Faith Ministries (www.abidinginthefaith.org). A ministry to make God known by focusing on spiritual growth and evangelism through discipleship, by helping to strengthen a person’s walk with Christ.
Thank you for listening to this podcast from Abiding in the Faith Ministries!
Our focus is to come alongside you to help strengthen your walk with Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church, encouraging them to “Walk in a manner worthy of your calling in the Lord” (Colossians 1:10 ESV).
Abiding in the Faith Ministries was formed to provide ministry tools to help a Christian walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
We offer ministries through podcasts, blogs, and books. These resources are available to help strengthen your walk, no matter where you find yourself in life.
Navigating life is difficult without Jesus Christ. God’s word, the Bible, contains the essential ingredients for a life well-lived.
To learn more about our ministries, visit Abidinginthefaith.org.
You can support Abiding in the Faith ministries by purchasing our new book. “Strengthen Your Walk: Lessons from Paul’s walk with the Lord.”
Available now! Order yours today. “Strengthen Your Walk” can be purchased at Amazon.com or barnsandnoble.com. An e-book is also available.
The latest podcast episode can be heard on the following platforms:
Check us out on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@pastorjasonpaul
You are now entering the one stop place for everything, Abiding in the Faith! 
Leave a Reply