The Resurrection and the Life: Understanding Your New Life in Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ isn’t just about conquering death—it’s about giving us new life. While many believers understand that their sins are forgiven, they often miss the greater truth: Jesus didn’t just die to end our old life, He rose again to give us His life. This Easter season, let’s explore what it truly means to live in resurrection power.
What Does It Mean That Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life?
When Jesus encountered Martha before raising Lazarus, He made a profound declaration: “‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live"” – John 11:25 (KJV). Jesus wasn’t simply demonstrating power over death—He was revealing His power to give life.
The Gospel of John makes this purpose clear: “‘But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name"” – John 20:31 (KJV). Everything recorded about Jesus serves one primary purpose: so that we might know we have life.
How Did the Cross End Our Old Life?
The cross wasn’t just about forgiveness—it was about ending an entire way of living. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they lost their connection to God’s life and began drawing life from themselves: their thoughts, emotions, and desires. This “self-life” became humanity’s default mode of existence.
What Does “It Is Finished” Really Mean?
When Jesus declared “‘It is finished"” on the cross (John 19:30 KJV), He was announcing the end of the old life. Romans 6:6-7 explains: “‘Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin"” (KJV).
The cross ended three aspects of our old existence:
- Sin life: We were enslaved to sin’s power
- Self life: We were controlled by our own thoughts, feelings, and desires
- Separated life: We were alienated from God with no peace
How Does the Resurrection Bring New Life?
The resurrection wasn’t just Jesus coming back to life—it was the beginning of new life for all who believe. Romans 6:4-5 declares: “‘Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection"” (KJV).
What Is This New Life Like?
This new life isn’t just an improved version of your old life—it’s Christ’s life living in you. Colossians 3:3-4 reveals: “‘For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory"” (KJV).
Notice the phrase “Christ, who is our life.” Jesus isn’t just helping your life—He IS your life. This means:
- You have access to the mind of Christ
- You can experience God’s love, joy, peace, and righteousness
- You have desires that flow from God’s heart, not selfish ambition
- You possess an ever-flowing, constantly replenishing source of life
Why Do Some Believers Still Live Like the Old Life?
Many believers experience ongoing internal conflict because they’re trying to live their own life while the Holy Spirit lives within them. This creates what the Bible calls “conviction”—the Holy Spirit’s resistance to self-centered living.
The solution isn’t to try harder to be good. It’s to choose life—to choose Jesus—moment by moment. As Moses said: “‘I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live"” – Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV).
How Does Faith Allow the New Life to Live?
Faith is the key that unlocks this new life. But biblical faith isn’t just mental agreement—it’s acting on what you believe. When Jesus asked Martha, “‘Believest thou this?"” (John 11:26 KJV), He was asking if she would live according to this truth.
What Is the Great Exchange?
The gospel offers what we might call “the great exchange”:
- Jesus took our life (with all its sin and death) upon Himself
- In return, He offers us His life (with all its blessing and power)
- We give up our old way of living
- He gives us His way of living
As Paul declared: “‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me"” – Galatians 2:20 (KJV).
How Can You Live This New Life Daily?
Living the resurrection life means:
- Recognizing when your old thoughts, emotions, or desires try to control you
- Choosing to say “the end” to that old way of living
- Yielding to the Holy Spirit’s leading instead
- Drawing life from Christ rather than from yourself
You don’t have to be dominated by your thoughts, emotions, or selfish desires anymore. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you and will raise you up from every defeat.
Life Application
This week, practice “choosing life” in practical ways. When you feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts, anxious emotions, or selfish desires, pause and remember: the old life is finished, and Christ’s life lives in you. Instead of trying to manage these feelings on your own, yield to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to fill every part of your being—your thoughts, emotions, and desires.
Questions for Reflection:
- Am I living as though my old life is truly finished, or am I still trying to improve it?
- Do I draw my sense of life and identity from Christ, or from my own thoughts and feelings?
- When I face challenges, do I respond from Christ’s life in me or from my old patterns of thinking?
- How can I practically “choose life” (choose Christ) in the specific situations I’m facing this week?
The resurrection isn’t just a historical event—it’s your present reality. Christ’s life is available to you right now, offering peace your emotions can’t understand, wisdom your thoughts can’t figure out, and desires that flow from God’s heart rather than selfish ambition.