How many events have you planned for before? Do you have any experience in this type of organizing? Let's list some elements that would be totally necessary for this chosen event to happen. Could you write down some real things needed for this real event (I've never been asked to before)?
- Man, someone would need a bowl with seating, a Stadium (or say a big sandlot or a strip of beach at least) for this game to be played on.
- Man, we'd need a TV, or perhaps a suite right there on site at the stadium.
- Man, we'd need some nachos, some spicy queso, some rich salsa, some tailgates, some chilli, some ice cubes, some cold brew, some Texas sweet tea, some BBQed brisket, ribs, sliders and salad.
(If one or some of these items were removed? Would it still be a Super Bowl game?)
- Man, we'd need to show up somewhere with at least a TV that showin' two coaches perhaps, and two winning NFL teams from the USA fully goin' at it!
(But what if you remove 1 or 2 teams from this event? Then what do you have?)
Man, if I were to remove 1 item and ask you, “With this particular item now gone, can we still call this event a real Superbowl 'football game' Party or not?
Let's continue on with our list through this process (you go ahead and add in what you think is a clean non-alcohol party must-have).. until the entire group has determined what they all believe to be absolutely necessary for a Super Bowl Party.
Q: Okay now, what simple beliefs must someone hold to if he or she claims to be a Christian? We don't really want to politely break fellowship with Christians if we don't need to. (Sadly, you know some people who actually go against the Cardinal doctrines/aka Essentials and it's smart to to break fellowship with them). It's better for us to cling to Christ and his Bible.. with all those essentials.
The Resurrection of Jesus: It's The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity
Imagine planning a party with some friends. You’ve got big screens, the music, people there, ice-cold healthy drinks, savory richer than a mother's love kinda barbecue, and some nachos piled high. But what if you took away some of those things? Well, you'd still have a party together, right? The screens might flicker some with nothingness displayed on em blinking a bit, the music might fade away. The food might be lame but kind of satisfying to a guy.. even to him who cooked it.. but you'd still have your party happen.
With a Super Bowl Party, everything hinges on the players taking the field to play! Without two American teams, there’s no game, no championship, no funny expensive commercials, and no meaning to the event.
The same is true of our Historic Christian Faith (which is as important as it gets here). Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity ceases to be. Plain and simple as that. The resurrection is not just an event among events that actually happened in history (with eyewitnesses); it’s the core and essence of our belief, the truth upon which all of Christianity stands or falls.
The apostle Paul put it this way: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (Check out more of the context..).
"Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching [is] empty and your faith [is] also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise. For if [the] dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith [is] futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, [and] has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." 1Co 15:12-20 nkjv
Without the bodily resurrection of Christ, then Jesus is merely a wise teacher who didn't tell the truth. He'd be a compassionate healer, or a martyr for an alleged noble cause, but not God the Son.
But with the physical resurrection of Jesus, He has kept his promise and has proven to be the sinless Son of God, the Savior of the world, the One who holds the keys to life and death.
"But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?' Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain--perhaps wheat or some other [grain]. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh [is] not the same flesh, but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, [and] another of birds. [There are] also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another. [There is] one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for [one] star differs from [another] star in glory. So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. [The body] is sown in corruption, it is raised in corruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:35–41 nkjv
Believer, your body is like a seed (that might get burned up), but it will be planted in the ground if the Rapture doesn't happen first. And God ain't done with, and won't be done with you.
The Apostle Paul went on to say, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where [is] your sting? O Hades, where [is] your victory?' The sting of death [is] sin, and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be] to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:50–58 nkjv
You and I (regardless if you've thus far been a Jew, Gentile, Arab, or a so-called "None" [no church or faith at all]).. we can actually know relationally. Yes, we can firsthand know in our knower this good God, this Lord of lords, this Chief Shepherd among all of them.
Jesus said, "I am the good Shepherd; and I know My [sheep], and am known by My own. 'As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 'And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock [and] one shepherd. 'Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 'No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." John 10:17, 18 nkjv
"God wants us not just to believe in Jesus' Resurrection but to be transformed by it and to receive the power we need to live. The way we know we ought." ~ Adrian Warnock
"The physical resurrection of Jesus is the action that the core of all Christian spiritual formation." ~ Eugene Peterson
You my friend, have not suffered from anything so negative here that Christ's good physical Resurrection can't permanently fix ..even if by prayer, faith and smart actions, your problems aren't fixed immediately they will be, Christian. Faith in the living Jesus of the Bible is key for you an me -- He is still the only way for each of us into God's holy heaven.
The Biblically Prophetic Fulfillment
When Jesus declared, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19), He wasn't speaking about brick morter or stone. He was speaking of His body as the ultimate temple. His physical death and bodily resurrection fulfilled centuries of Scriptural prophecy, proving that He was indeed the Messiah foretold by Moses and the other Jewish prophets. “One greater than the temple is here,” Jesus said (Matthew 12:6), revealing that yes, He Himself is Messiah they'd long been waiting for -- the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.
The Jewish leaders back in the day missed the point though. They stayed enamored with the shadow doing fancy miracles while ignoring the substance.
But when Jesus rose from the grave (every member of the Trinity had a part in this), His disciples remembered His exact words, and their faith was solidified. The resurrection wasn’t just an extraordinary miracle—it was the divine validation of every claim Christ made earlier.
The Power of the Resurrection Is There For You, Believer
The resurrection is still the capstone of the gospel (it always will be). Without it, the cross would be a mere human tragedy instead of the greatest of all triumphs. Through this resurrection, Jesus demonstrated His power over sin, over this corrupt world system, over death, over demons, and over the grave. As He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again” (John 10:17). No other religious leader—be it Abraham, Buddha, or Confucius etc—has conquered death. Jesus alone holds that unique victory, setting Him far apart as the only Savior worthy of our faith, of our obedience, and of our whole-hearted worship.
Romans 1:4 declares, “He was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead.” The resurrection totally affirms Jesus’ deity and it secures our hope of eternal life with God the Father.
Our Living God.. Our Living Hope And Inner Assurance..Are There For You Believer
Yup, reach out to Jesus. Would you like some verses to memorize about that? For believers, Jesus' resurrection is more than a historical fact; it’s a basis of living hope. Because He 100% lives, we too will 100% live in relationship with God
Jesus told his disciples, "Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." John 14:19-20 esv
His victory over death and that cold dank tomb assures each of us that we, who are united with Him by saving faith, will share in His resurrection. This truth transforms mourning, hurting and grief into joy. Yes, inner despair into hope, and fear into confidence.
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our faith is no more effective or impactful than some "Super Bowl party" without two NFL teams or any football game played anywhere. But with it, we can enjoy the ultimate victory—life eternal through Jesus Christ! It sure makes a doubter or someone else with questions want to make sure they are right with God.
It makes a believer really want to go tell someone about your relationship with God!
It's An Essential Doctrine For Essential Ministry - Ministry First Upwards And Then Outwards
Give thanks to the Lord and praise His name ever single day! It's our desire to worship acceptably ..to the Lord directly.. and then from the overflow of His Spirit..to go minister to other saints and sinners. Know any stubborn but open sinners.. know any saved sinners (needy saints). Pray for them, because God wants to soundly use you in their lives.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus is not optional for a Christian or for a local church. It’s the gospel’s critical linchpin, it's the evidence of God’s real power, and it's the assurance of His clear Bible promises. Just as you cannot have a Super Bowl without two NFL teams taking action against each other to properly win in football, you cannot have real Christianity or eternal life without a crucified and risen Savior. I'm talking about such a vital, righteous two-way intimate Relationship that you can enjoy daily with Him inside/first.
As believers, we firmly stand on this Essential truth without any wavering or spiritual compromise... boldly proclaiming to lost people both locally and around the world: “He is risen indeed!”
This is the glorious hope of so-called Easter and the unshakable foundation of our faith. Remove the resurrection, and you remove the heart of Christianity--never try to do this. Got questions, go study and talk with God about it. Embrace Jesus via true repentance (humble, honest) and saving faith along with all His Essentials, and you literally embrace life everlasting.
