“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
—Romans 6:23
Dr. Thomas Arnold, Professor of History at Oxford years ago, said this: "I know of no fact in the history of mankind which is proven any better or by fuller evidence of every sort to the mind of the fair inquirer than the great sign which God has given us that Christ died and rose again."
And then the noted jurist, Sir Edwin Clark said these words: "As a lawyer I have made prolonged study of the evidence for the resurrection. To me the evidence is conclusive, and over and over again in the high court I have secured the verdict on evidence not nearly so compelling."
Yes, the evidence is compelling that Jesus Christ is, indeed, alive. What happened 2000 years ago had historical and documentary evidence.
Most of us reading this today are convinced as to the reality of the resurrection.
But my purpose today is to ask the question: what is the significance of the resurrection to you and to me today? What happened so long ago? How does it influence our lives today?
The resurrection is relevant because it means I am forgiven in Jesus Christ. When God died on the cross in Jesus Christ, He paid the penalty for our sins. "The wages of sin is death." Somebody had hell to pay, and Christ took our hell, Christ took our judgment, Christ took the payment… the debt that we owed and spent His life and sacrificed His life for us.
THE RESURRECTION MAKES THE CROSS A VICTORIOUS CROSS.