Love God Greatly: RisenSample

Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead during His earthly ministry (John 11), eventually died. Lazarus’ resurrection was not a spiritual resurrection, but a resurrection of his earthly body. The resurrection of Christ, and the resurrection we look forward to one day, is a different type of resurrection. Unlike Lazarus, Jesus will never die again. 

The death of our sinful nature through the death of Christ means death no longer has mastery over us. His death destroyed the power of sin and death. In the same way, His resurrection brings us life. We have life in God because of our new spiritual condition. We are dead to sin but alive in God. Even now, we experience both the death of sin and the life of the resurrection. 

We will experience the resurrection of Christ after Christ returns. This resurrection will be into our heavenly bodies, not our earthly bodies. Lazarus (and a handful of others) experienced the resurrection of their earthly bodies, but as believers in Christ, we will all experience the resurrection of Christ in our heavenly bodies.

Jesus, thank You for dying once for all so that sin and death no longer have mastery over me. Thank You for Your resurrection and Your life that allows me to live for You. Help me to remember that I am not dead in my sin, but that I am alive in You. Amen.