He Is Risen!

Hebrews 11:39-40

It was the common greeting of Christ followers: “He is Risen!” To which you would reply, “He is Risen Indeed!”

The author of Hebrews makes an incredible statement to conclude his chapter of the faithful. All of those prior to Christ looked forward to the day the Messiah would come. Their hope – their faith looked forward to the day.

The message of Jesus is a message of hope. The message declares that we now have direct access to God. Religion is dead. It is no longer needed. Instead, by faith, we receive Christ’s gift of salvation, and we enter into that relationship with God directly.

All these people yearned for that day. A day that is realized in us. A promise that is fulfilled as we pick up the torch of faith and we move forward declaring the Good News: He is risen!

It is the resurrection that solidifies this promise. If the definition of faith includes confident assurance and evidence (see v. 1), then the resurrection provides that assurance and evidence. It is the foundation upon which all faith is built.

The Apostle Paul understood this. It is why he says, in 1 Corinthians 15, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.” (vv. 17-20)

The resurrection of Christ puts a stamp on our faith. But not just our faith, it is the fulfillment of the promise that all those listed in Hebrews 11 clung to with anticipation. Their faith is fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And it continues to be realized every time someone puts their faith in Christ today.

And so, I declare to you: He is risen!