Why the Resurrection Matters
John Son
Romans 8:31–35
Introduction
We are gathered here today celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ — because we believe. We believe that Jesus not only died on the cross to take away our sins, but that He truly and literally rose again from the dead. And as believers, we don’t just proclaim a beautiful story or a spiritual metaphor—we proclaim a historical fact: that Jesus Christ is alive. Because without the risen Savior, there is no Christian faith.
Paul says it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:14: "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." In other words, if the resurrection is not true, then Christianity collapses. The resurrection is not just one doctrine among many—but it is the foundation of everything we believe.
But this morning, I don't want us to just ask the question, "Did it happen?" —but rather, I want us to ask the more personal question - "Why does it matter?"
Why does the resurrection of Jesus matter to us today? And what does it mean to truly claim it as your own? After the sermon, we will witness our brothers and sisters answer that second question at the waters of baptism. But before we get there, let’s take a moment to explore why the resurrection of Jesus matters to us—right here, right now.
1. The Resurrection of Jesus Changes Everything About: Our Past, Present, and Future.
The resurrection of Jesus matters to us here and now because it is not just a distant event in history. It is real power at work, transforming lives this very moment. It is the event that rewrites the past, empowers the present, and secures the future. It changes the way we see everything: who we were, who we are, and who we are becoming.
And that’s exactly what we see in the gospel. Because the resurrection doesn’t just tell us something about Jesus—it tells us something about what God has done for us in Christ.
So let’s look at what the resurrection means for our past, our present, and our future.
Our past - We are forgiven.
Paul says - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23). Whether we know it or not, whether we admit it or not, we are all sinners. Just look at our lives - we all experience brokenness in our lives. No matter how much we try to hide it and keep it to ourselves - we all experience brokenness, shame, and guilt in our lives. Why? Because we are sinners. And that’s what sin does! Sin destroys everything and everyone in its path. And as Paul clearly mentions in Romans 6:23, the final consequence of our sin is: death! “the wages of sin is death”. And so, because of our sins, we were condemned under the power of destruction and death. That was our status quo.
But as Jesus died on the cross for our sins and as Jesus resurrected from the dead, the condemnation of our destruction and death has been lifted from us. Amen?
This is what our text is getting at when it says in v.34 – “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us”
If we look in the verses leading up to our text today, Paul has been speaking about our sinful status as being condemned under the law. But as Jesus fulfilled the law by taking on the form of sinful flesh and dying on our behalf, and more than that, as Jesus has been raised from the dead - our sins have been completely forgiven. And there is no one who can condemn us; there is no one who can accuse us for our sins anymore. Praise the Lord!
But here’s the thing for us to understand about the death and resurrection of Christ - as much as Christ’s death pertains to our justification, it is the resurrection of Christ that gives us proof that what he has done on the cross was legitimate and binding. In other words - Christ’s Death was the payment of the debt, but resurrection was the public acknowledgment that the debt was paid. On the Cross we see Jesus dying for our sins as an atoning sacrifice; but in the resurrection we see God accepting what Jesus has done for our absolution.
My brothers and sisters, if Jesus was left in the grave, we would still be left in our sins as well— because a dead Savior can forgive no one.
But our Lord didn’t die a meaningless death and he sure wasn’t left dead in the tomb. Our Christ has risen, and through his resurrection, he has proven that He has the authority to forgive sin! And because of his resurrection, we can know with certainty that we are forgiven.
Your present: You are being transformed.
The resurrection not only changes our standing before God — it changes our daily life. Paul calls this "the power of the resurrection" in Philippians 3:10.
Through the power of resurrection, the risen Lord lives in us by His Holy Spirit. His divinity inhabits our humanity. Through the power of resurrection, we can live our Christian lives, not in our own strength, but in the strength of a risen Savior.
Galatians 2:20 says “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Many people today believe that people can’t change. Modern science says that a person’s personality is part of biology, so it’s impossible to change. Psychologist say that addictions are impossible to fully overcome so they set a premise that says “once an addict, always an addict.” But if that was true, I would close my Bible and never mention Jesus again.
No matter what the world might say - I know with absolute certainty that Jesus changes lives! He has changed mine and he has changed millions and millions of others throughout the generations.
He transforms the hateful and the angry into loving and caring people. He changes the selfish into generous givers, and the immoral into men and women of character. Through the power of resurrection, Jesus raises us from the death of sin to a life of righteousness.
Romans 1:4 says Jesus is “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead.” The mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same resurrection power that lives in us today.
So the resurrection means we are forgiven and transformed by the power of the Living God. Sin and death have no power over us. We can overcome every temptation and endure every trial because of the resurrection. The risen Christ lives in us day by day, enabling us to walk in victorious faith and obedience. This is not behavior modification. It is the living, transforming power of Jesus! We have a new transformed life in Christ Jesus.
Our future: We have a living hope.
1 Peter 1:3 says: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
Hope is not wishful thinking. It is the sure and confident expectation that our future is in His hands. Hope means Jesus is the Lord of our todays and our tomorrows. The risen Redeemer is coming again in power and glory, and we can live in expectation that we will one day be with Him forever. And this is the living hope and the promise of eternal life given to us.
And this hope of eternal life is not an unrealistic expectation! Because the Christian’s claim of eternal life is assured by the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. We no longer fear death because we know our Savior lives. Christ has destroyed death and he has given us a living hope – hope for today and hope for eternity.
So when we look at the resurrection, we see that it speaks to our entire life.
A question about your past? The resurrection answers: there is forgiveness.
A question about your present? The resurrection answers: there is power.
A question about your future? The resurrection answers: there is hope.
And that’s why Paul can say what he says in Romans 8:31 - “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Not because life is easy. Not because Christians are strong. Not because we never struggle — But because Christ has died. Christ has risen. And Christ is alive. And if that is true—then God is for us. And if God is for us… who can be against us?
2. Baptism Is How We Proclaim That This Resurrection Is Ours
In a few moments, we are going to do something that has been happening in the church since the very beginning. People are going to step into the water, go under, and come back up. And before they do, they'll share in their own words what Jesus has done in their lives.
It’s important to understand what baptism is — because baptism is not a religious ceremony or a spiritual graduation. Baptism is a declaration It is the moment you say out loud, publicly, in front of witnesses: "What Jesus did — he did for me. I am uniting my life with his death and resurrection."
Listen to how Paul puts it in Romans 6:3–5: "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
The water is a living picture of the gospel:
Going under — that’s burial, death to the old life, death to the old condemnation.
Coming up — that’s resurrection, new life, a new identity, a new future.
The same story that happened to Jesus on Good Friday and Easter Sunday is now happening to the person in the water.
And so, my brothers and sisters, If you have already been baptized, may the baptism you witness today be a reminder of the resurrection power that was made yours on that day. It was not the end of your story, but the beginning — and the same resurrection power that raised Jesus is still alive and active in you today.
And for those who have not yet been baptized - hear this clearly: baptism is not the finish line — it is the starting line. It ‘s not what saves you; only Jesus saves. But if the resurrection of Jesus has changed your life, baptism is how you declare it — openly, unashamedly, in the presence of the community of faith.
And for those of you who might still be exploring what it means to follow Jesus, you are welcome here. Today, you have the opportunity to witness real people step into the waters and share, in their own words, how the risen Christ has changed their lives. May their stories encourage you, and may your heart be open to what God might be saying to you today.
Conclusion
My brothers and sisters, does the resurrection of Jesus Christ matter to us today? Absolutely. Not just on Easter Sunday — every day, forever.
Yes, we will fall in our sins. Yes, we will struggle with guilt and shame. Yes, we will experience brokenness. But the hope of our faith in the resurrected Christ is that our God is now for us and not against us.
Tribulations may come, and distress may try to discourage us. But nothing will separate us from the love of Christ.
So as we celebrate this Easter, I pray that we may anchor our faith in the resurrected one — not just for today, but for the rest of our lives.
And now — rather than just hearing about it, we are going to witness it as our brothers and sisters stake their lives on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. May what we see and hear today remind each of us that the same risen Christ who conquered the grave is alive, at work, and calling us into the newness of life right here, right now.
