Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” – John 11:25-26 NLT

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did. Romans 6:8-11 MSG Who would have thought that humanity’s greatest symbol of hope would be an empty cross?! There is great power in understanding that we do not serve a lamb-patting, meek-and-mild Jesus with perfect hair (as is often the generalisation) … but that we serve a God who defeated death and took care of our sin in the process. He died on a cross that was made to publicly humiliate wrong doers and yet Jesus had done nothing wrong. Not a thing. He was sinless- the only perfect human to ever live. Imagine that- an all-powerful God, limiting himself to human form and subjecting Himself to the judgement of his own creation. Why?? So that we could have LIFE to the full (John 10:10). This is grace! We don’t deserve it and yet He gave His life for us. He rose for us. Now we see the empty cross and the empty grave and something in us ignites with praise and thankfulness for our King Jesus! Today we raise an anthem to you, Jesus. A declaration of freedom, a celebration of life! Thank you for taking our place on the cross! Thank you for conquering death! You are worthy of all our praise! Your resurrection life is at work in us, and we stand confident in the power of your saving grace.

– Young & Free