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We all want to be better people. But for most of us, habits, addictions, and bad choices – like a powerful storm – can wear us down and erode the life we want. Where do we get the power to change? Easter reminds us that the resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals God’s power at work. The same incredible power that raised Jesus to life after he was dead three days can energize and sustain a new life for us.
The Resurrection of Jesus Provides the Power to Have Eternal Life with God
Jesus demonstrated that God has power over death. He died at the hands of professional executioners, yet after days lying in a tomb, God raised Jesus back to life – not just his old life, but a new, immortal, supernatural life.
Those who belong to Jesus will follow him in a glorious resurrection. Of course, not everyone has the same destiny in the life to come. But for Christians, Jesus’ resurrection guarantees our resurrection into the presence of God after we die.
2 Corinthians 4:14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.
God has the power to make sure you live forever with him. Your eternal destiny does not depend on your power to live a certain way. Instead, as you entrust your eternity to Jesus alone, you can experience God’s power for eternal life. Our culture is uncomfortable with death. None of us knows when we will face it. Yet one day death will really matter to every one of us. It’s reassuring to know that God’s power is at work to give eternal life to those who follow Jesus.
The Resurrection of Jesus Provides the Power to Have a New Life Right Now
While many people aren’t thinking about eternity, the fact is that God’s power, seen in Jesus’ resurrection, is also available to give us a new, supernatural quality of life in the present.
Romans 6:4 And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Just as God’s glorious power raised Jesus from the dead, that same power – far beyond anything you and I can muster – is the source of a new life for us.
In Jesus Christ, You Have Power to Live a Consistently Good Life
God intends this new life to be a life where brokenness is replaced by wholeness, where we are increasingly free from the power of selfishness and sin. He offers a full life of love, joy, and peace. This new life is a life of honoring God as we live in step with how he designed the world to work. So how is your life going? You see, no one can live this new life based on their own strength or resources. We will sabotage ourselves and fall back into old patterns. It takes a power outside of ourselves to break free. That power is the very power that raised Jesus from death to new life.
In Jesus Christ, You Have Power to Live a Truly Impactful Life
God’s power is not just about personal change. He can work through us to empower us to change the world. The new life God offers is a life that really counts. You can be more than just another body taking up space on the planet until you die. You don’t have to waste your life. So what will your legacy be? Jesus invites us into his mission of helping others pursue God, and he gives us his resurrection power to fulfill it.
God’s Power Comes Through Relationship with Him
We want God’s power to explode within us in a way that changes everything in an instant. But God wants us to enjoy a daily relationship with him. So he releases his power in our lives moment-by-moment as we stay connected with him throughout each day. Experiencing his life-changing power is more like an infusion than an explosion, as we trust him and his power for every moment’s need.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Tell us about the most powerful storm you have ever witnessed. What damage did it do? If you were in the storm, how did it make you feel?
- Of the following words, which best describes your life right now: “thunderstorm”, “flood”, “erosion”, or “calm”? Explain.
- Read 2 Corinthians 4:14. What is promised to Jesus’ followers in this verse? Why should Christians view death differently than most people in our culture?
- Make a list of what you think you need in order to have a good life? Share your list with the group. What are some common items on everyone’s list?
- Read Romans 6:4. What is the “new life” that this verse is talking about? What do you think this “new life” looks like today?
- Read 2 Peter 1:3. What do we need for living a godly life? How has God’s power given that to us?
- How would you describe a truly impactful life? What factors typically prevent people from that life?
- Read Ephesians 3:20. What are some seemingly impossible things that you want to see God do in your life?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
