Thursday, December 2

What Jesus’ resurrection made possible

If Jesus had not been raised, none of the following things, listed in order of their appearance in Acts, would have been possible:

• The sending of the Spirit (Acts 2:33)
• Physical healings (Acts 3:15–16)
• The conversion of sinners (Acts 3:26)
• Salvation by union with Jesus (Acts 4:11–12)
• Jesus’ role as the leader of his church (Acts 5:30–31; 9)
• Forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:30–31)
• Comfort for the dying (Acts 7)
• The commissioning of gospel messengers (Acts 9; 10:42)
• Freedom from the penalty and power of sin (Acts 13:37–39)
• Assurance that the gospel is true (Acts 17:31)
• Our own resurrection (Acts 17:31)
• Jesus’ future judgment of this world (Acts 17:31)

In summary, because of his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has brought God close to us.

— Adrian Warnock
Raised with Christ
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 114