THE RISEN KING!
Terry R. Baughman

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43 NIV).

Jesus became the first-fruit of the resurrection. He prepared the way of life, and paid the price for our redemption from sin. Paul declared, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20 NKJ). Because He lives also we have the promise of everlasting life!

There was nothing powerful, beautiful, or wonderful about the crucifixion of Christ. It was brutal, gruesome, and horrible, but the result of His sacrifice brought about everything positive through His defeat of death in a glorious resurrection from the grave. The contrast could not be more apparent. The agony of suffering compared to the glory of victory. The suffering of sacrifice contrasted with the euphoria of new life. Indeed, this was how it could be stated that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 NKJ).
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Paul likened Christ’s death and burial to the planting of a seed. We look to the result of the new life that grows from the sacrifice of the seed into the ground. The fruitfulness of the resurrection came as a result of Jesus’ death and burial. He was sown in dishonor, but raised in glory. He was sown in weakness and raised in power! Because He lives, we will rise to live again, raised in power!


Theme passage:
“"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:6-7 NKJ).

THE RISEN KING!
Terry R. Baughman

“"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:6-7 NKJ).

Death has no more power over Jesus. He arose from the dead and remains alive forevermore. Never again should we fear the consequence of the grave, for there is an eternal hope of everlasting life extended to everyone who believes in Jesus and have come to Him for salvation. 
In His earthly ministry Jesus promised that He would return from the dead many times (at least 6) according to the Gospel of Matthew. In several of those passages He predicted that he would rise after three days. In retrospect, even the disciples were amazed that they failed to remember these predictions and promises. 

When we question God’s Word or neglect His promises we can be assured that we are in good company. Many other great believers had their own times of struggle and challenges to their faith. In seasons like Easter we are reminded again of the way Jesus fulfilled every prophecy and accomplished His great mission to bring hope to the world ravaged by sin and separated from God. 

The two disciples struggling with the tragedy of the loss of their Messiah set out on the road to Emmaus. They were joined by a man who didn’t share their loss and didn’t seem to know the current affairs in the city of Jerusalem. So overcome with grief they failed to recognized the resurrected Jesus walking with them. They lamented, “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place” (Luke 24:21 NIV). In addition to this confession that three days had passed, they also heard the reports that the tomb was discovered to be empty. Blinded with grief and overcome with depression, they did not recognize that Jesus was indeed alive and with them at that very moment!

Jesus lives! His testimony in John’s revelation is, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18 NKJ). Today we rejoice in the certain knowledge that Jesus is alive and present with us now. He is the Risen King! 


Theme passage:
“"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:6-7 NKJ).

HOPE AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” (Romans 4:18 NLT).

Regardless of the setbacks you may have endured. There is still hope! The ancient Roman philosopher Cicero said, “Where there is life there is hope.” Perhaps he drew from the biblical text, “But all who are among the living have hope” (Ecclesiastes 9:4 God’s Word Translation). 

In the diary of Anne Frank the saying is turned around where she wrote, “Where there's hope, there's life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” Those who choose to hope can truly live. Resist the temptation to surrender to hopelessness, and bravely cling to hope. With hope one can truly live. 

God has promised us hope through the gift of His Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, “This hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5 NLT). Paul often weaves into his writing this hope that may be achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Near the end of the Epistle to the Romans, Paul makes his wish for them also a prayer, “Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” (Romans 15:13 TPT). 

This is also God’s desire for each of us, that we may, “abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NKJ).


Theme passage:
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NKJ).

HOPE AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18 NLT).

One of the greatest scriptural examples of faith is Abraham, who is often called “the father of faith.” He left his homeland and journeyed to a land that God said he would give him. He believed in a God he could not see, to take him to a land where he had never been, and established a nation he would not live to witness. He lived in hope, believing in God to keep His promise, “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!” (Romans 4:18 TPT).

The promise of even one child seemed impossible to the aging couple who were still childless when many others had dozens of grandchildren. However, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises” (Romans 4:20-21 NLT). It was that kind of faith that caused him to hope for a child and a lineage to fulfill the promises of God. 

​Paul wrote that Abraham, “contrary to hope, in hope believed” (Romans 4:18 NKJ). Following his example, we can dare to hope in the face of undeniable evidence to the contrary. When all seems impossible and the situation is hopeless, there is still hope to hold onto and a reason to believe. The Passion Translation said, “Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations” (Romans 4:18 TPT). 


Theme passage:
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NKJ).