Kingdom Incarnate Part 16
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Incarnate,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
We continue our series, ‘Kingdom Incarnate,’ which aims to teach us to see and know Jesus through the Gospels. Last week, we discussed Palm Sunday. This week, Christians worldwide celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ—a moment that changed everything.
Luke 24:1-7 (NIV)
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'”
According to Luke 24:1–7, on the first day of the week, women went to the tomb expecting to anoint a lifeless body. Instead, they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Angels appeared and declared, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”
This astonishing announcement lies at the very heart of the Christian faith. But is it true? And if so, what difference does it make to us today?
The Apostle Paul puts it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:17–20: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” In other words, everything depends on the resurrection.
There are several compelling reasons to believe it really happened. Jesus Himself predicted His resurrection multiple times. While a prediction doesn’t prove fulfillment, it demands consideration—especially since He is widely respected as a moral teacher. If He didn’t rise, His credibility is deeply undermined.
Then there’s the empty tomb. Despite efforts to discredit the resurrection, no one could produce Jesus’ body. Claims that He never died or that His disciples stole the body don’t align with the brutal reality of crucifixion or the radical change in His followers. After His death, the disciples were hiding in fear, filled with despair. Yet in a short time, they became bold proclaimers of His resurrection—willing to suffer and die for the truth they declared: “We have seen the Lord.”
Paul also points to over 500 eyewitnesses who saw the risen Christ—many of whom were still alive when he wrote (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). The early church did not grow in secrecy or superstition, but in the full light of living testimony.
But the most important question isn’t just “Does He live?” It’s “Does He live in you?”
Because of the resurrection, we can be reconciled to God and receive the promise of eternal life (1 Peter 3:18; John 11:25–26). Sin no longer has the final word. Hope has been restored.
Jesus is alive—and that changes everything.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.