I told you on Friday that Sunday was coming. Here we are and it is Sunday but not just any Sunday. Today is Resurrection Sunday and He is Risen. It is said that in the early church it was common for believers to greet one another with a simple statement to one another. He is risen one would say and the response would be He is risen, indeed.
There are elements that are required so that a solid foundation can be established for a building.
The first thing would be to provide for footings as they are an important part of a foundations construction. They are typically made of concrete with rebar reinforcement that has been poured into an excavated trench. The purpose of footings is to support the foundation and prevent settling. Footings are especially important in areas with troublesome soils.
The next step would be to set blocks as a part of the foundation. They can be made of brick, concrete block, or poured concrete. Then you would include plumbing lines roughed in by a plumbing contractor as well as any drains.
The installation of electrical lines roughed in by an electrical contractor to provide for power in different parts of the building.
Finally, they would pour a concrete slab which is used to support everything from patio furniture, to foot traffic, to semi-trailer trucks. It is always from the foundation that you can then build.
Christianity is based upon a solid foundation of truth to which your life can be built-
The virgin birth
…of Jesus was declared in Isaiah 7:14 … Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
In Matthew 1:18 the proof of the prophecy is declared as in God’s Word we read…
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
The deity
…of Christ acknowledged His title as Christ which comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one.”
This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Mashiach, or “Messiah.”
His deity is declared by Jesus Himself when in John 10:30 when He declares that “I and the Father are one.”
The atonement
…for sin through Jesus’ was God providing a means to satisfy the need for a penalty for human sin while still extending mercy to all people.
Romans 5:9–11
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The crucifixion
…is a non-negotiable truth that without it Christianity could not exist
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The resurrection
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was the crowning achievement that forever separates Him from any other religious leader who has ever been or will ever live.
No other religious figure in history has ever prophesied His own death and resurrection—and then accomplished it.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4
…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the footing that we considered earlier.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that excavated trench of poured concrete with rebar reinforcement which prevents settling.
It all stands on the resurrection.
Matthew 28:5-6
…“Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.
On this Resurrection Sunday we, as His children, His bride remember that He died for our sins on a cross called Calvary. He paid the debt for your sins and mine. Then He rose from the grave. Defeating death so that we might have eternal life.
Praise God, He is risen, He is risen indeed.
God bless you and your family on this the Lord’s day as we celebrate a risen Savior in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A thought to ponder,
Elbert Nasworthy
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