In 2010, 33 miners in Chile were trapped nearly 2,300 feet underground after the San José copper–gold mine collapsed. They were confined in total darkness with limited food and water, with their futures uncertain. For 69 days the world watched as engineers and rescuers worked tirelessly to reach them. Finally, after drilling a shaft from above, rescuers brought them one by one to the surface in a narrow rescue capsule. When the first miner emerged into sunlight, the cheering was heard around the globe. (Source: Chilean miners are rescued after 69 days underground | October 13, 2010 | HISTORY)
This dramatic rescue is a picture of what Christ has done for us! Our future before Jesus Christ were not just uncertain. They were destined for misery with eternal separation from God in the horrors of hell (Romans 6:23; John 3:18, 36; 5:24). Easter goes beyond the reality that the one true God, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead. We must realize that because Jesus is risen, everything about our lives is now different.
We have a new identity! (6:6)
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him….”
The phrase “old man” refers to who we all were in Adam. We were bound to sin, defined by sin, and shaped by sin. That “old man” was not improved, the old man was crucified with Jesus Christ. In short, the resurrection means you are not just a better version of your old self having accepted Christ as your Savior. You are altogether a new person because of Jesus!
A man in town was known for addiction and broken promises. Everyone had heard him say, “I’ll change,” and no one believed it anymore. Then one day, he came face to face with the gospel, not just trying harder, but he now had new life in Jesus…and people started noticing. He told the truth and he made things right. Before long, people were saying, “He’s not the same guy.” He didn’t just clean himself up. He became someone new.
Here is how the resurrection of Jesus changes you! When God looks at you, He does not see you through your past sin. When God looks at you, He sees you through Jesus! So, this does not mean you are a sinner trying to do better. It means you are someone who died with Christ and now lives in Him! The church isn’t trying to earn a new identity. It is simply living out the one Jesus has already given!
We have new power over sin! (6:6)
“That the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
It is important to have a little human history for a moment. You see, before salvation, sin wasn’t just something you did. It was something that ruled you.
Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;….”
Robert Elliott Burns was trapped on a brutal Georgia chain gang, shackled in heavy irons and forced to work long days. He tried everything to escape, and after years of struggle, he finally broke free. (Source: I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang, Robert Elliott Burns)
Just like Burns longed for freedom from chains, we were trapped by sin. The resurrection of Jesus broke our bondage to sin! Sin no longer is the master over us. We still experience temptation and the pull of sin. BUT…sin is no longer our king. The one who has accepted Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation is no longer under sin’s authority and no longer obligated to obey sin. This is not mere will power over sin. It is saying no to sin because of new life within you. Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin’s authority over you.
To sum it up? You are not fighting for victory. You are fighting from a position of victory!
I Corinthians 15:57 gives us even more clarity in helping us to see that victory is not something we earn. Victory is something God gives through Jesus!
Later in Romans 8:37, Paul reminds us that we are not just surviving or barely getting by, “we are more than conquerors.” The outcome is already settled!
We have a new way of living! (6:4)
“…even so we also should walk in newness of life..”
The resurrection of Jesus is more than a theological truth. It is a life path to walk in. The newness of life points us to new desires, new direction, new affections, and even new priorities. This is resurrection life expressing itself through each one of us. This is a pursuit of loving what Christ loves and hating what put Him on the cross in the first place.
Corrie ten Boom and her family hid Jews during World War II. When they were caught, Corrie ended up in a concentration camp. Every day she faced fear, injustice, and temptation to numb her pain. At one point she told a friend she was just trying to avoid sin, to do all the right things, to stay morally clean amid horror. But she realized that simply avoiding sin was not enough. She later wrote in The Hiding Place (her autobiography) about how the Christian life became not merely about not doing wrong, but about living with Christ, loving others, and walking in freedom and grace…even in times of suffering.
The Christian life is more than avoiding sin! It is walking in something entirely different.
This is our position in Christ because of His resurrection, but it also must be our consecration to Christ to grow in this new position.
“Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe. Sin has left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow!”
Such consecration is powerfully connected to our thoughts. What we rehearse in the privacy of our minds throughout the day will undeniably impact everything else.
Proverbs 23:7, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”
Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Your thoughts will impact your desires, your desires will impact your choices, your choices will impact your habits, and your habits will form your character. Are you rehearsing God’s Word throughout the day (Joshua 1:8; Ps. 1:2) or are you rehearsing wrongs done to you? The impact on your life will be transforming!
We have a shared resurrection! (6:5)
“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”
The resurrection is not just something that happened to Jesus. It is also something that every Christian participates in. What does this mean?
You are alive unto God
You have spiritual life where there once was death
You have access to God
You have desire for God
You have communion with God
The resurrection is not just our past. It is our past, present, and future. In the past, we died with Christ. In the present, we are alive unto God. In the future, we will be raised in glory!
Let’s wrap this study up with rehearsing 4 practical ways the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything for us today:
1. Remember who you are.
Remember, you are alive in Jesus, and your past doesn’t define you!
2. Stand in Victory, not for victory.
When you face temptation, remember that Jesus has already conquered this for you! Identify one chain of sin in your life this week, and choose to live in your position of victory, by the grace of God.
3. Live the New Life.
Find one area in your life this week where you can actively live out the new life God has given you. For example, show unexpected kindness to someone or courageously speak the truth of the gospel to someone.
4. Guard your mind.
Pursue a daily routine of Bible reading and meditation.
Jesus conquered sin, death, and hell for us! He is our victor and may we lift our voices in praise to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! “Now to the lamb upon the throne be blessing, honor, glory, power for the battle you have won! Hallelujah! Amen!” (Source: Christus Victor, copyright 2024. Words and music by Fowler, Getty, Getty, Papa, and Boswell)