Believing in the Risen Lord

The sermon opens by establishing the absolute centrality of the resurrection in Christian faith, based on Matthew 28:1-15. The pastor quotes the Apostle Paul to emphasize that if Jesus Christ did not truly rise from the dead, then all preaching is futile, believers remain in their sins, and they are the most pitiable of all people. Two central questions are posed: is the resurrection historically real, and what does it mean for practical daily life.

The first section presents three historical evidences for the resurrection. First, all four Gospels record that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection — an implausible detail if the story were fabricated, since women's testimony held no legal standing in Jewish and Roman society of that era. Second, the Gospels and epistles were written within 15 to 40 years of the events, while many eyewitnesses were still alive; Paul specifically confirms that the risen Christ appeared to more than 500 people at one time. Third, the remarkable transformation of the disciples — from cowardly men who fled, denied, and hid — into people willing to die for the gospel can only be explained by a genuine resurrection.

The second section explores the meaning of the resurrection for the believer's life, drawing on Matthew 28:20, Romans 8:28, 33–34, and John 14–16. The pastor stresses that Jesus rose literally and bodily, not merely in a figurative sense as one might speak of a historical or literary figure living on through their legacy. Because He truly rose, He now sits at the right hand of God, intercedes for believers, and is present with them daily through the Holy Spirit.

The pastor uses the example of Paul in Philippians 3:8–11 to illustrate the life transformation that resurrection power produces. Paul went from a persecutor of the church to someone who counted all earthly honor as rubbish, desiring only to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. The pastor draws a clear distinction between those who practice religion without the regenerating power of the resurrection and those who genuinely allow the Holy Spirit to govern their daily lives.

The sermon closes with a practical call to self-examination: the congregation is invited to consider where Christ stands in their lives — in their work, thoughts, and dreams. Using the image of eyeglasses and a quote from C.S. Lewis, the pastor reminds listeners that Christian faith is not merely historical knowledge but a real transforming power that believers can experience when they allow the Holy Spirit to take full possession of their lives.