Resurrection Not Resuscitation

               The Red Cross instructor was teaching our church staff the basics of CPR.  The rubber dummy was lying on the table, and we were supposed to do chest compressions at a certain rate.  We also practiced using the defibrillator on it.  No matter how carefully we followed the instructions the dummy still coded.  No one, however skilled in CPR, can bring life from the dead.  CPR can only help resuscitate someone who is not yet dead.

            Jesus was removed from the cross and was placed in a borrowed tomb.  His death was certain as proved by the Roman soldiers and the witnesses at the cross.  He stayed in that grave for three days.  However, early on a Sunday morning our Lord rose from the grave and showed Himself alive to many witnesses.  On that first Easter, He experienced a glorious resurrection not a mere resuscitation. 

Because Jesus lives, He can give life to us as well.  We experience a resurrection when we trust Him as our Savior.  The Bible tells us that we are dead in trespasses and sins.  As Eph. 2:1,4-5 tells us: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins...  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…”.  This resurrection is also called being born again and gaining eternal life.

Yet some people think that all that man needs is a little resuscitation.  Perhaps going to church on a regular basis or doing some good in our community can get us going on the right path again.  They think that all that we need is a little spiritual CPR and then we will be good with God.  Perhaps if we read the Bible more, pray more, or try to be good we can resuscitate our spiritual lives.  However, no good work can revive a corpse.  We need a resurrection not a resuscitation.  Jesus rose from the dead and so can we if we trust Him!