Of all the questions Christianity asks us to wrestle with, this one sits at the center of everything. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? And if he did, why does it matter for your life right now? This past Easter Sunday, Pastor Chip Dean brought one of the most personal and powerful messages of the year. Here is a recap.
Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
Pastor Chip started right in the Gospel of John, chapter 20. It is still dark on Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. And her first instinct is not worship. It is panic. She assumes someone stole the body.
Pastor Chip pointed out something worth sitting with. Mary had followed Jesus for two to three years. She had heard him say repeatedly that he would die and rise again. And yet when she sees the empty tomb, she cannot make sense of it. Because humanly speaking, it does not make sense. Dead people do not walk out of tombs.
But that is exactly the point.
Pastor Chip addressed the most common objection head on. Some people claim the disciples stole the body. But think about who the disciples were. A ragtag group of fishermen and tax collectors, hiding behind locked doors because they were terrified for their own lives. The idea that those men fought off dozens of trained Roman soldiers, rolled away a two-ton stone, unwrapped a body, and walked away without anyone seeing them is not skepticism. It is a bigger leap of faith than the resurrection itself.
And then there is the detail that nobody fakes. The burial cloths were still there. The face cloth was folded neatly on the side. Grave robbers do not fold laundry on their way out.
John saw it and believed. And Pastor Chip reminded us of something that should take the pressure off every doubter in the room. John believed before he fully understood. The Bible even says they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. You do not have to have it all figured out to believe. Faith is not certainty about everything. It is stooping and looking in.
What Difference Does the Resurrection Make in Your Life?
This is where the message got personal. Pastor Chip gave three answers.
Salvation. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Because Jesus is not just a historical figure. He is alive. He is king. And when you call on him as Lord, he saves you. Pastor Chip shared his own story. At five years old he told his mom he wanted to give his life to Jesus. She drove straight to church. And more than four decades later, he has never been the same. Not because of who he is for Jesus, but because of who Jesus is in him.
Eternity. First Thessalonians 4:16 says that one day Jesus will return and those who have died in Christ will rise first. Then those still alive will be caught up together with them. This is not a metaphor. Jesus rose bodily, physically, historically. And that means one day we will too. For a believer, this life is as close to hell as it ever gets. For someone who refuses Jesus, this life is as close to heaven as it ever gets. That reality deserves our full attention.
Mission. Luke 24 says that repentance and forgiveness should be proclaimed to all nations. Jesus did not save you just for your own benefit. Sociologists tell us that on any given week, each person has influence in about 20 different lives. Pastor Chip put it plainly. Jesus does not look at a room of 400 people and see 400 people. He sees 8,000 people out there. The resurrection sends us. It does not just comfort us.
How Do I Know I Am Truly Saved?
Pastor Chip closed with the question he called the most important anyone could ever answer. And he gave two tests.
The first is the faith test. Do you believe the gospel truths about Jesus? That he is fully God and fully man. That he lived sinlessly. That he died on the cross for your sin. That he rose from the dead. That he is coming back. If you have called on him as Lord with that belief, you have passed the faith test.
The second is the life test. And Pastor Chip was clear. This is not about being good enough. You are not saved by your obedience. You are saved by his. The life test is simply this: has Jesus changed you? He gave four questions to consider. Do you love Jesus? Do you love obeying God’s word? Do you love other believers? And do you confess your sin?
None of those require perfection. They require direction. If your heart is pointed toward Jesus, that is the evidence of salvation.
And for anyone wrestling with doubt, Pastor Chip painted a picture worth holding onto. When you give your life to Jesus, God dips you in the blood of Christ. Then he holds you in his hand. Then he wraps his Holy Spirit around that hand. For the enemy to undo your salvation, he would have to unwrap the Spirit of God, pry open the hand of God, and dive into the blood of Jesus. And if he dove into the blood of Jesus, he would come out saved. You cannot lose what God himself is holding.
There’s a Seat for You
Whether you walked in with questions, doubts, or faith you are still trying to figure out, you belong here. We are a church that believes the resurrection is not just history. It is the most personal truth in the world.
Plan Your Visit and come be part of what God is doing here. Or take your next step and Get Connected with our church family. We would love to walk with you.