Based on 1 Peter 1:3-5, every believer can experience five wonderful benefits from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today we spotlight and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. So let’s start with Mark 16:1,

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” (NLT)

The two greatest events in world history are the birth of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus. God becoming human and conquering death, hell, and sin for humanity. The Bible has a lot to say about the resurrection of Jesus. This morning we are going to look at one of those statements.

Let’s focus our attention on 1 Peter 1:3-5 which says,

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. (NLT)

The resurrection of Jesus does several things for us.

Because of the resurrection we are born again

The first thing we see is that because of the resurrection we are born again. In verse 3 Peter says, It is by his great mercy that we have been born again…. Everyone is born physically, but not everyone is born spiritually. Everyone is born, but not everyone is born again. To be born again means to be “born from above.” To be born again carries the idea of becoming a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3, NLT).

If you are a follower of Jesus, the reason you were born again is because of the resurrection of Jesus. If you are not a believer yet, the reason you can be born again is because of the resurrection of Jesus.

Because of the resurrection we have a great expectation

A second observation: because of the resurrection we have a great expectation. Peter goes on to say in verse 3, Now we live with great expectation…. Some Bible translations describe this “great expectation” as a “living hope” (KJV, HCSB, NASB, NIV). This living hope is the eager, confident expectation of the life to come.

This “great expectation” of what lies ahead of us in heaven after we die, drives what we do today. Listen carefully to Colossians 1:4, “We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News” (NLT). One of the reasons why Christians like to hang out together, talk about the Bible, pray together and want others to join them in this incredible journey with Jesus is because of our confident hope and expectation of what is to come.

Knowing what is coming in the future motivates us to live for Jesus in the present. Our living and confident hope of the future impacts how we live today. Our focus is not on earthly things, but on heavenly things. This is why many Christians live on less in order to give away more. This is why followers of Jesus are concerned about their family and friends salvation. This is why believers sacrifice time to bless, serve, and minister to others. There is something about knowing where you are headed that impacts where you are. This is all because of the resurrection of Jesus!

Because of the resurrection we have a priceless inheritance

A third observation: because of the resurrection we have a priceless inheritance. Peter says in verse 4, we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. The word “inheritance” refers to wealth passed down or a legacy one receives as a member of a family. As a child of God, as a part of God’s family, you get to receive an inheritance, not when someone else dies, but when you die. When you die you may pass on an earthly inheritance to your children, but you also will receive an inheritance from your Heavenly Father. The Bible teaches that for those who follow Christ “will inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5), and will “inherit the kingdom” prepared for them from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34; Gal. 5:21), and inherit “eternal life” (Mark 10:17). This inheritance is the sum total of all God has promised His people in salvation. This is our inheritance in Christ. Your inheritance will be more than you can imagine. It will be greater than you can imagine. It’s an inheritance worth living for and dying for. You receive this inheritance by grace and mercy through faith in Christ. It’s all possible because of the resurrection of Jesus.

Because of the resurrection we are protected

A fourth observation: because of the resurrection we are protected. Your salvation and inheritance is protected. Peter says in verse 5, And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. Listen carefully, every believer, every follower of Jesus started their new life in Christ by placing their faith in Jesus for salvation. Because of your faith and by that faith God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation… on the last day. If you are a believer then on the day you die or when Jesus returns you will receive everything salvation has to offer.

The Bible teaches that salvation is bigger than the moment you were saved. There is a past, present, and future aspect to your salvation.

  • The Bible tells us that we were saved. When you placed your faith in Christ for salvation you were delivered from sin’s penalty. You now have eternal life. The Bible calls this justification. God forgave you of your sins. Because of Christ, you are able to stand before God as though you have never sinned. You are pardoned. This is what happened in you past when you placed your faith in Christ for salvation.
  • The Bible tells us that we are being saved. This is where we are being delivered from the power of sin. We are growing spiritually, learning how to live for Christ in our daily lives. The Bible calls this sanctification. This is happening in your life right now. God is slowly teaching and equipping you how to live in Him in your life and in your situation. This does not mean you will never sin, but it does mean that you will experience more and more victory over sin in your life.
  • The Bible tells us that we will be saved. This is where we are delivered from the presence of sin. This is your future. We get a new body and a new home that has no influence and impact of sin on it. The Bible calls this glorification. This is that inheritance that we talked about earlier.

The devil and his kingdom of darkness will come after you. They will try to steal, kill, and destroy you. This world will do its best to get you to doubt God and believe lies about you, others, and God. Your own personal battles within you try to pull you away from God and His ways. However, regardless of the onslaught of attacks on your heart and mind and soul the Bible says God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation. No one can take God’s salvation away from you. No one can take you out of God’s hand. God is doing the protecting. God is doing the defending and He is going to make sure you receive this salvation that He purchased for you through Christ death and resurrection.

Because of the resurrection we have a reason to praise God

A final observation: Because of the resurrection we have a reason to praise God. As a follower of Jesus you are born again, you have a living and confident hope, you will receive an incredible inheritance the day you die – the best is yet to come, your salvation and all that it brings is being protected by God – you will never lose it. It’s guaranteed by God. Peter says at the beginning of verse 3, right before he describes all these blessings and says, All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Easter. The resurrection of Jesus is a time to thank God for what He has done in your life. Your past has been forgiven, your present is being redeemed, and your future is guaranteed! All praise goes to God for this who raised Jesus from the dead!

Conclusion

If you are a believer, I want you to leave here today thanking God for what He has done and for who He is!

  • I want you to know that because of Jesus Christ regardless of how tough or difficult your life is the greatest days are ahead of you, not behind you.
  • I want you to leave here today with a living hope. Expecting God to work all things out for good to those who love Him and are called to His purpose. You may be grieving because of a loss or you may be hurt because of what someone said or did, but because of Jesus and His resurrection you can rise above it. The Bible says greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world, and that’s because of the resurrection.
  • I want you to leave here today knowing that your salvation is protected by God. It’s not protected by how good you are. It’s not protected by how much you know. It’s protected by God’s grace and mercy that comes through Jesus Christ. That’s what the resurrection does.
  • If you are not a believer, I want you to leave here today convinced that Jesus loves you, that He suffered for you, that He was crucified for you, that He died for you and your sins, and that He rose again so that you could be born again – a part of His family and His kingdom.
  • I want you to leave here today praising God for the resurrection of Jesus.