In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul speaks at length of how Jesus is truly risen from the dead. He says it’s the very cornerstone of our belief.
This is how strongly he puts it (1 Corinthians 15:17-19):
…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
So we’re going to look at Jesus’ final words at the end of Matthew 28 and meditate for a little while on him and the universe-changing truth that he is truly risen.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church at Easter 2026. You can find many more sermons in our sermon index.
Jesus is risen
In Matthew 28:18 we read simply that “Jesus came near”.
He really is risen. It wasn’t a collective hallucination, or a scheme, or even an imposter. It wasn’t a ghost, or a hoax, or anything like that. The man had been dead. His heart had stopped. And now, here he was, coming near in his flesh and blood to speak with his disciples. His blood flowed in his body; he breathed in air. Alive.
Now you might want to challenge that, and ask, “How can you know that Jesus rose from the dead?” There are many wonderful books I could point you to: Maybe try “The case for Easter” by Lee Strobel.
But here are a few simple things to ponder:
- The daft schemes of the religious authority is a backfire. They set a guard to make sure his body wasn’t stolen. You can be sure he wasn’t stolen – his enemies made sure of that!
- Then there are witnesses. We have eye-witness accounts.
1 Corinthians 15 mentions how Jesus was seen by over 500 men at one point. - The early church gave their lives for the truth of it. When you know that Jesus lives and that death will bring you to him, you’re ready to give up your life rather than give up the truth.
- And the ongoing work and life of the church today shows how he lives, and is still active today. We’ll come to that.
Now, the fact that he “came near” emphasises that he is risen physically. Blood flowed in his veins. Breath inflated his lungs. And yet, different. His risen body is incorruptible and ageless. He is able to move differently in the world.
Firstfruits
And his bodily resurrection is described in the New Testament as the firstfruits of the general resurrection: There will be a day when everyone will be resurrected. You, me, everyone. Some will rise to live with Jesus in a New Creation. Most will rise to experience a “second death” in a Lake of Fire. Jesus’ resurrection is a Universe-changing moment. It guarantees his return. Are you ready for that?
Now the fact of his physical resurrection gives you hope for life: It means that his sacrifice was acceptable to God.
The wages of sin
But you might want to challenge that: You might say, “He died, and the Bible says the wages of sin is death. So he must have sinned, so he can’t die for someone else!”
Yes, the Bible does says that the wages of sin is death, but it also says that Jesus was tempted in every way as you are but he didn’t sin.
The truth is this: He died to collect your wages (death) for you.
He didn’t die of old age, illness, or suicide: He had to be killed.
- He conquered death by dying and then being raised.
- You’ll face him as judge: His resurrection means that you will rise. Everyone will rise to meet him as he sits on a great white throne to judge.
- You can know him as saviour: Today. Not then – that’s too late.
- Really know him, not just know about him. Turn and pray. Turn from your sin that separates you. Turn to God.
- He is with the Father and Spirit, worshipped and adored by those who have gone before us. He brings his people into that love. He lives; he loves to save; enter into his love today.
Jesus is reigning
Jesus said “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” – an astonishing truth. He is exalted, King of kings, reigning.
Every nation, every president, every government and régime – including those in the unseen spiritual realms – all are subject to his perfect rule.
Now, you might want to challenge that and say, “The world is still a mess. How can you say Jesus is in control?”
You need to know that the Bible gives no explanation for evil in the world. There’s light, and there’s darkness. You can’t fathom why.
But the Bible is equally clear on some important topics:
- Human accountability: You are a morally autonomous being; you’re accountable to God for the moral and ethical choices you make. You wouldn’t want it any other way; it’s part of being human.
- And above that, God is sovereignly working his purposes.
The cross actually proves it.
- Think of Judas, the High Priest, Pilate, the soldiers, the crowds, the religious elite – all doing their own thing.
- And it was all within God’s plan to have Jesus suffer and die for the sins of others. It had to happen.
- And it had to happen exactly as foretold in the Old Testament, proving God’s sovereignty over a chaotically sinful world.
So today, he is still reigning: Every ruler in the world is accountable to him. World events matter – not least as they impact the weakest. He will return. There will be no more mess. A permanent clean-up and distinction will be made.
He is your king
No-one can say, “I reject him as my king” – he is your king.
He sets the standard for goodness, kindness, love. And you fall short of those. It’s no use trying to hide.
You speed through a village and think you’ve got away with it. You carry on with life. Then you get the letter to say you were caught at the time. Justice has caught up with you. 3 points. £100. The Lord knows all your thoughts, words, actions. He is a higher authority than any human law-enforcement or government; they answer to him. God’s justice will catch up with you. Romans 2:5 says that you’re storing up God’s wrath against you with every sin that you commit. But you can lay all your sin at Jesus’ feet. The very God who calls you to account will forgive you by taking the punishment your sins deserve.
And it’s precisely because he has all authority on heaven and earth that he is uniquely positioned either to condemn you or forgive you. So: Come to know and serve this reigning king.
And what a king:
Jesus is active
I don’t come from a Christian home. We never went to church, and there wasn’t a Bible in the house. So my understanding of Jesus was just what I’d heard in assemblies and RE lessons in school. That meant that I thought Christians looked at Jesus as someone simply to learn from, either as an example of love or to follow his teaching.
But the fact that Jesus lives changes that. Christians don’t live just in Jesus’ memory. We serve a risen, living King. And he gives living, current commands.
Look at the imperatives he gives his church: He commands the church to go and make disciples, to baptise, and teach his commands. Again, we don’t act only in his memory: We serve a living God, a living Saviour.
But even more than that, you don’t go in your own strength.
Active in the church
Because he lives, he works through his church – through you.
- He gives encouragement, strengthens, rebukes, disciplines
- Each of us is a disciple; we’re all growing and learning.
- He knows this church, and he’s active among us: The letters to the churches in Revelation highlight it. He knew the strengths and weaknesses in every church; he walked among his churches, actively pruning and nurturing.
- If this church is to grow, he will grow it.
- If this church is to be a blessing to this community, it will be his blessing.
- If this church drifts from him or from the mission and commands he’s given us, he’ll discipline us and call us to repentance.
- And if we don’t listen, he’ll shut us down and bring his gospel to the people of Bromborough another way.
Jesus commands you to go and make disciples – and he gives you the means to obey too:
Jesus is with you always
So we come to a precious truth, something that can only be true of someone who lives: He said, “I am with you always.” The exact wording is plural: “I am with [all of] you.”
But we’re not always together, so he is with all of you wherever you go. He is with you – singular, individually.
When? Just Sundays? Just when you pray? No, “I am with you always.”
There are a few ways of saying “always” in Greek, but this one is lovely: “I will be with you all the days.”
Not in some vague sense, but specifically every day. With you “all the days”: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
He is with you. So it’s Jesus himself who…
- …strengthens you to do all he commands;
- …comforts you in sorrow and grief;
- …puts his hand on your shoulder and says, “Fear not”;
Because he lives and is with you, Jesus himself…
- …sends his Spirit into this community to go ahead of you
- …puts his Spirit of power, love, and sound judgement into you
- to strengthen and encourage you in power;
- to display his love;
- and to enable you to discern what is good to live for him and proclaim him.
All of every day
Jesus is with you all of every day.
- In the night-time, in the hospital ward, in the waiting room.
- When you’re housebound.
- When the children are driving you mad, or when you miss having your children around.
- He is with you when you’re in work, at the shops, on holiday or in the garden.
- All of every day, Jesus is with you.
If that feels uncomfortable, it’s because you prefer sin.
- He knows your sinful motives, desires, thoughts, words, and actions. They grieve him. All of every day.
But for children of God, it ought to be a spectacular gift and exciting encouragement to know that Jesus is with you.
- He wants to bless you; that’s his natural disposition.
- All of every day.
Until when?
Jesus is with you forever
He said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He is with you until everything you know has gone. This world will pass – not just as the sun goes cold! At Christ’s return – because he lives, he will return. That will bring in a new age.
Everyone will either suffer eternal separation from God and all that is good, or enjoy eternal bliss in God’s presence: Forget comfy notions about how nice hell is, with all those bad-boy friends living it up. It’s a place of regret, pain, loneliness, rage, and fire.
Will Christ only be with you until the end of the age? He will be with you every day until then as a minimum promise. But you will then be with him forever. Heaven isn’t the goal. The goal is to walk with Jesus on his new earth, being with him and serving him forever. You will be free of temptation, sin, pain, sickness, even ageing. You will have a body like his – an eternal, incorruptible, spiritual body of flesh and bone. And you will want to do nothing other than be with him. Heaven is where Jesus is.
There is nothing like the living hope that Christ offers you in the gospel, the Good News of the Bible.
- Jesus is risen, reigning, and active in and through his church.
- He is with his people every day, and will be forever.
If you have never come to know this living Saviour, then do so now, today, at his invitation.
For those who have, walk with him, in step with him, knowing and serving him as he works through you for his glory and your good.