The Greatest Day in History

  This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on  April 20th 2025 by Colin D Cruz. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

The Greatest Day in History

Think about your life. There must be something significant in your life. Children remember their birthdays, and married people remember their wedding anniversaries. We also remember historic events. 

Today, we remember the greatest event in history - Jesus' Resurrection. 

Why is it so important? 

This body that you see is just a shell. As we grow old, we lose some parts, and one day this body will be cast out. But that doesn't end you. The real you is going to live forever. Where you live forever depends on Jesus' Resurrection. 

One day we will also be resurrected, and that body will live forever with Jesus or suffer in hell forever. The Bible speaks about this. 

Last week, we saw the message of Jesus' death. He gave up his life for us. His work is finished. He died on the cross for our sins. Death entered the Garden of Eden. Because sin entered the Garden of Eden, we die. 

Rose is beautiful, but it has thorns. When God created the rose, it didn't have thorns. 

Genesis 3:17-18 NIV - [17] To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. [18] It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

The sickness we have is all because of the fall. Jesus came to set us free. He died and rose again on the third day. 

Matthew 28:1 NIV - [1] After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

We see in the gospels that the women had a great spirit. Jesus' disciples deserted him but the women stayed.

Mathew 28:1-10

On the third day, a violent earthquake and an angel came down. The guards who were posted there saw something like lightning, and they were scared. The angel told the women that Jesus was not there and that he had risen. He told them to inform the disciples that Jesus was going ahead and would meet them in Galilee. As the women hurried joyfully, Jesus suddenly appeared to them and greeted them.

The message of Easter is one of hope. Jesus indeed rose from the dead. He came through walls, but he had a body, not just a spirit. 

There were others who were brought to life from the dead, like Jairus' daughter and Lazarus. They were only resuscitated because they eventually died. But Jesus rose never to die again. 

Jesus is the first fruits for us. One day we will die too. Those who put their faith in Jesus will die and rise again to be with Jesus forever.

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 NIV - [3] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. [6] After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then our belief is useless. 

On the Earth, there's sin, sickness, accidents, suffering, death and much more. But not in heaven.

Romans 10:9 NIV - [9] If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  

Matthew 28:6-7 NIV - [6] He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. [7] Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 

From these verses, we see that Jesus has commanded us to do two things - 

Come and see

Gilbert West want to disprove Jesus' Resurrection. And so he started to write a book. But halfway through, he encountered Jesus, and then he started to write the other way round. 

Lew Wallace wanted to disprove the resurrection, too, but he met Jesus and wrote the book, Ben-Hur.

Frank Morrison wanted to do the same, but ended up writing the book, Who Moved the Stone?

 

Go and tell

There's a dying world out there. When they die, they will be punished. Nothing can take away their sins. Sins are to be punished. Either you will pay for it, or we put our faith in Jesu,s who bore all our sins and paid for it all. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Jesus, the Cornerstone - Part 2

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on September 15th 2024 by Lasya. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

JESUS, THE CORNERSTONE 

Part 2 

Last week we looked at Jesus, the cornerstone - what does it mean that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church? That our faith is built on the revelation of who he is. So we are doing a check of the foundation, making sure that we are building on the cornerstone. 

1. Believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is - he is fully man, fully God - he has a dual nature and he is absolutely real. 

We believe the truth of the bible that Jesus is from God and is God, he became incarnate, he was born to a virgin who was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit having no imputed sin of Adam. Only one other man in the history of creation without a human father and that was Adam. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is important because in Christ, God was creating a new humanity. Illustration of a glass of dirty water. 

2. Believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection

Salvation is simple. We simply receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We do not need to complicate that with 100s of doctrines. Imagine at the time you came to receive Jesus, if you have been preached about total depravity, perseverance of the saints, the doctrine of man and God… we are not saved by the cleverness of perfect theology, they are saved by the power of God. Peter’s speech at Pentecost v. the book of Romans. But the Bible is full of theology because it's meant for us to grow in our faith through it. If you’re here just looking in, not sure whether you really want to receive this Jesus or not, this is my message - God so loves YOU, that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. To the rest, we are here to remind ourselves of the life and work of Jesus - to study his word and build ourselves up in the most holy faith.  (Jude 1:20) 

1. The sufficiency of his sacrifice for our sin: Not just as a historical fact, but that he took our sin and shame on the cross. 1 Peter 2:24 “ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”  What makes Christianity different from other world religions is that we are not to pay for our sins. The fact is that we cannot. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Illustration of receiving a message about 30k in my account.

Some things that the cross has done for us- Not just understand it with the mind but your heart, will, emotions, body. 

1. Expiation of our sins - removes sin- “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭12‬ 

2. Propitiation for our sin - removes the wrath of God Romans 5:9 ““Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

3. Reconciliation with God - removes enmity with God Romans 5:10 “for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now, that we are reconciled….” Illustration of Tamilians and Malayalis

4. Justification - removes the guilt of sin. When a person commits an offence, not only is the offence punished, but the person becomes a criminal. Romans 3:28 “for we hold that one is justified by faith, apart from the works of the law”

5. sanctification (positionally) - removes defilement from sin. This is the result of grace. Romans 3:22 “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe”

6. Transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light - Col 1:13 ”He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” 

7. Redemption / release from our bondage to sin. ““We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭

Now we see why the cross has become a symbol of the Christian faith. 1 Corinthians 1:23 - 24 - “or Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 

Response - freely you have received, freely give. Illustration of an issue with a colleague. Forgiveness doesn't come naturally to us, but it’s that very nature we must put to death. It was not natural for Jesus to go to the cross - he was sorrowful to the point of sweating drops of blood, but we must, as Jesus did, yield our will to his way. 

2. The truth of his resurrection on the third day - 

Why is it important for us to believe that not only did Jesus die for us but that he rose on the 3rd day? 1 Corinthians 15:14 and 17 “14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain … 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” The victory over death and sin and darkness is evidenced by the resurrection of Jesus. There were many who opposed Jesus and his followers, but what no one could do was produce his body. Michael Eaton “ the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out, it was to let the witnesses in” 

Not only do we believe that Christ is resurrected but that we are raised with him. When we believe in Jesus we have a new birth. Col 2:12 “ having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” 

Q. What is our state in Christ today? Rev 20:6 “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Response - Believe and be baptised. Baptism is the immediate expression of faith. There is no magic in the water, but there is power in the proclamation of faith in Jesus. We are baptised into Jesus. It is a symbol that is given to us of believing yourself as dying and being raised with Christ.

3. Believe he is building his church and is coming back again 

1. On this rock, I will build MY church - Whose is the church? Eph 4:11-12 - HE GAVE the apostles…  for the building up the body of Christ. illustration of an architect and masons, etc. Each of us have been “given” by Jesus for building the church. We are compelled by the love of Christ.(2 Cor 5:14) Illustration of Karen travelling across the world to build up the church… Colin and Navaz… 

1. Jesus is not building parachurch organisations - the local church is the hope of the world. Church is the instrument through which he has decided to reveal His manifold wisdom (Eph 3:10). Illustration about the building move being from God. 

2. He is not building churches that are neatly segregated by race, gender, age… we will not have a white church and a brown church, youth church or elderly church, we are building Christ’s church and Christ is not divided - we are one man in Christ. Gal 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

3. There are no spare parts in the body of Christ. If you’re struggling to find your place, be honest and come talk to one of us. We believe in body ministry. That we are a priesthood and no one is exempt from having to get our hands dirty building up the church of Christ. 

Response - Get caught up in what Jesus is doing on the earth and in the church

2. Jesus’ return - Rev 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” What are we supposed to do in the waiting? the parable of the 10 virgins. Oil can only be bought by developing intimacy with Jesus. It’s our relational currency. The gifts of God are irrevocable, but the anointing flows from intimacy. let us not be found lacking oil when he returns. Let us strive to hear him say well done, good and faithful servant.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.   

Death Resurrection & Hope - Part 2

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on April 7th 2024 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here. 

Death Resurrection & Hope - Part 2

Last Sunday was Easter and we looked into the Resurrection of Jesus. We usually run through the Easter meeting and have big breakfast. We do not spend enough time on the most important event in history. A famous archaeologist spoke on National Geographic channel that he discovered the family tomb of Jesus and found bones in it. He also stated that finding the bones of Jesus is not a problem as it was the Spirit that was resurrected. Later that program was shut down. Satan always tries to disprove the resurrection of Jesus in many ways.

Matt 27:63-65 - 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

Jesus was called a deceiver, and the Pharisees thought the disciples would steal his body. So they requested Pilate for the tomb to be made secure. Pilate told them to take a guard. Most of the time, our guards are either sleeping or checking out their phones. But here, the Bible refers to 16 trained soldiers who guarded the tomb.

Matt 28:2-4 - 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

On the third day, when Jesus rose, the guards witnessed it.

Matt 28:11-15 - 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

In these verses, we can see the devil’s strategy. When the guards went to report what they have witnessed, they were given a large sum of money and asked to lie. From the first Easter, people have been trying to deny, disprove, discredit the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is very important. All the four gospels speak about certain things about the resurrection. There were angels at the time of Jesus’s conception, just before birth, birth, resurrection, and ascension. There were eye witnesses like Mary Magdalene, Jesus’s disciples who met Jesus after resurrection.  The disciples didn’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus had to convince them. Today, we are going to look at the account of Easter.

Luke 24:13-16 - 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

1. Disciples were disheartened.

On the day of Resurrection, two of Jesus’s disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. On their way, they were discussing everything that happened to Jesus. And when Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, they couldn’t recognize him.

Luke 24:17

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast.

2. Disguised Jesus

Both the disciples were kept from recognizing Jesus. One of the disciple named Cleopas asked Jesus if he was the only one who does not know the things that have happened in the last few days. If we were in the place of Jesus our reply would have been different. “ Of course, I know. I was the one who suffered and was crucified.” But that was not how Jesus replied. Instead, he asked them what those things were.

Luke 24:19-24 - 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

As the disciples explained the events that took place, Jesus gently rebukes them.

Luke 24:25 - 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

The believers have believed one part of the prophecy and neglected the second half.

Luke 24:27 - 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Jesus explained everything to them through the scriptures.

3. Revelation through scriptures

1)     Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[a] and hers; he will crush^[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

 

This is what God said to Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit. Here the offspring is Jesus. “strike on heel” is the suffering that Jesus went through and “crushed” is defeating the death on the cross.

2)     Genesis 22:2-13

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 

In this passage, we see that Abraham was quick to obey God. Some of the theologists say that at this point, Isaac was a young man and not a small boy. We can see that Abraham was willing to sacrifice and Isaac was willing to obey. Jesus told Cleopas and others that Isaac was representative of Jesus.

3)     Exodus 12: 12-13

12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

God commanded Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and put that blood on the door posts. This way, the angel of death passed over their houses. This was celebrated as Passover, a festival to the Lord. The lamb that was sacrificed was a representation of Jesus. When we put our faith in Jesus who has sacrificed his life, we are saved from eternal death.

4)     Isaiah 53:1-5 – this passage talks about Jesus.

V9 - He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

This verse talks about the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

This way Jesus walked them through many more scriptures where he showed his representation in many events – when Moses lifted up the pole with snake on it, people looked at it and were healed of the diseases, Isaac was taken to hill, Moriah which was later called Golgotha, the place where Jesus was taken to be crucified.

4. Transformation of Disciples

Luke 24:28-32 - 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

As Jesus was going farther, the disciples urged him to stay with them as it was evening. Jesus agreed and when he sat at the table to eat with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. As he began to give it to them, the disciples eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus. But Jesus disappeared immediately. The disciples realized that their hearts were burning because of the truth explained to them by Jesus. Because of that, without finishing their meal at once, they got up and started going to Jerusalem.

This is exactly what happens to us. When we read the word of God, it has the power to transform our hearts and energizes us.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.   

The Easter Message

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on March 31st 2024 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here. 

The Easter Message

Easter is celebrated differently in different countries. Shopping, eating, playing, Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, etc. Where do you get Easter from? This word has nothing to do with Christianity. It comes from the goddess of light Easter in pagan Anglo-Saxon culture. Easter meant something like this then, but today the meaning we attribute to it is remembering the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 

So eggs and rabbits and all are fine, but we need to look at the truth. What is Easter all about? 

On Easter, we celebrate the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. People can conquer a lot of things in their life, but no one can escape death. Houdini did amazing things all his life, he even said to his wife, if there is a way I will find it and come back. But the greatest kings, emperors etc. couldn’t conquer death. There is one who conquered death, i.e. Jesus Christ of Nazareth! 

”When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.“ - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭57‬-‭61‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Fact no. 1- Jesus was dead and was buried. 

”The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.“ - Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭62‬-‭66‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There was a seal on the tomb and guards were guarding it. 

”But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words,“ - Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What happened before this? 

”And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.“ - Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is one of the most attested facts of history. Anyone can make a claim, but Jesus appeared to his disciples. In 11 records in scriptures, it speaks of Jesus appearing to different people. 

”On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."“ - John‬ ‭20‬:‭19‬-‭21‬, ‭24‬-‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus is saying that the disciples were privileged to see him in order to believe. But for the majority of mankind, we cannot see yet we believe. 

”Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.“ - John‬ ‭20‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Even this morning, as we believe, we can find life. We will all die, but we have this hope. Jesus Christ gives us hope that one day, when we die, death is just a doorway where we pass from earth into God's presence forever. 

When Christians die, we know we will see one another again. 

Results of the Resurrection: 

1. New birth - ”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,“- ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬. The owner of the resurrection is that we have a new birth. in our own lives as well we can see this. 

2. Forgiveness of sin - ”And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.“ ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬. The resurrection is proof that Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted by the father. So our sin no longer remains. 

3. We are given the Holy Spirit - ”This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.“‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭32‬-‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

4. Our own resurrection - where we live for eternity is decided by where we put our faith today.  But if you put your faith in Jesus, this is your future - ”In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.“ ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬

Today if you believe in Jesus this is the expectation you can have. Jesus is alive. Do you believe he is the Saviour of the world, that he died for your sin and he rose from the dead? If you believe this, your life can be changed forever.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.