The Hinge Of History

What if there was no Resurrection Day?  What if God hadn’t raised Jesus from the dead? You and I would be doomed to an eternity in hell, separated from our Creator forever.  We’d have an eternity of untold misery, pain and suffering in the clutches of Satan. 

We talk about Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the whole world, but we also need to declare that Jesus arose from the grave and ascended into heaven, where He sits at the Father’s right hand.  Why?  Because His resurrection is of utmost importance!

Without the resurrection of Jesus, there would be no miracles! 

Before Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension, Jesus ministered to people “on credit,” so to speak, on the basis of His future finished work.  But what if He had stayed in the grave? 

The blind man who received his sight (Mark 10:52) through Jesus would have gone blind again.  The woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:44) who was healed would have started bleeding again.  Those healed of leprosy (Luke 17:11-19) would have had the leprosy come back on them.  The twelve-year-old girl who was restored to life (Mark 5:41-42) and given back to her parents would immediately have fallen over dead.  The man delivered of the legion of demons would again have been filled with their tormenting presence.  The woman whose back was straightened and healed by Jesus (Luke 13:11) would once again be bent over, unable to lift herself up.  The boy delivered of an evil spirit (Mark 9:17-27) would once again have been overtaken by that evil spirit.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, we would be forever guilty of sin.  

But thank God!  He raised Jesus to life and declared Him to still be righteous, just as He was made sin for us in His death.  Romans 4:25 tells us, “He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was raised to life for our justification. 

Justification means we are vindicated, declared “not guilty” by a just, right, and legal means.  And God did it legally by giving His own Son to take our place.  We are absolved of all guilt before God!  Imagine that!  We are declared “Not Guilty” by the Judge of all the earth!  Whoever heard of a sinner being declared “Not Guilty?”  No wonder the Gospel is called “good news!”  Thanks be to God that our lovely, sinless Savior satisfied the wrath of God against sin by becoming sin for us and taking our place!

Romans 8:34 says, “Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”  According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, “to intercede” means “to intervene between parties with a view to reconcile differences; to mediate.”

Without the resurrection of Jesus, our faith would be useless.   

The resurrection of Jesus Christ validates our faith in Him.  Consider I Corinthians 15:14: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”  And I Corinthians 15:17 says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.”

Without the resurrection of Jesus, He would be “just a good man.” 

Jesus would have been proven to be a fraud.  An imposter.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves He is the Son of God.  Romans 1:4 says, “Through the Spirit of holiness [He] was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead.”

Everything hinges on Jesus and His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven.  Our faith depends on Him.  Our well-being depends on Him.  Our future depends on Him.  He is indeed the Hinge of History!

God bless you, dear reader!

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy