10:9 Why is the resurrection of Christ so important to Christians?

The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is not just a tenet of the Christian faith; it is the primary and essential truth of the whole gospel of salvation. Without that truth, the gospel of salvation has no purpose. The resurrection is the foundational principle of the new birth (CP Ro 6:1-13; Col 2:8-13; 3:1-3). Faith in the resurrection is the very essence of Christian belief, and as Ro 10:9 clearly teaches, is a condition of salvation. It is the resurrection, not the cross, which is the focal point of the New Testament.

As crucial as the cross was in God's eternal purpose, and without detracting from the significance of Christ's pain and suffering on the cross as the central fact of Christianity, because the cross was the price Jesus paid for our redemption, it was the empty tomb and the risen Christ that made resurrection life possible for believers as Ro 6:1-13; Col 2:8-13 and 3:1-3 clearly teach. Ro 6 and Col 2 are not referring to water baptism as a great many Christians believe, but to believers being baptized into Christ at their new birth, and then living completely renewed lives in the resurrection power of Christ thereafter.

This is made clear in Col 3:1-3.

The resurrection transforms Christ's death on the cross into the gospel of life (CP Ro 4:23-25; 5:17-21; 1Cor 15:3-4, 17; 2Cor 5:14-15; Eph 1:19-23; He 9:13-15; 1Pe 1:3-5). On the cross Jesus was no threat to His enemies but in the tomb He was (CP Mt 27:39-44; Mk 15:29-32; Lu 23:33-36). Christ's enemies were not concerned that He would get down from the cross, but they were concerned He would rise up from the grave because His resurrection had been prophesied in the Old Testament, and He had foretold it many times Himself (CP Psa 16:10; 49:15; 68:18; Isa 26:19 with Mt 12:38-41; 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; 27:62-66; Mk 8:27-31 (also Lu 9:18-22); Mk 10:32-34).

Jesus can never die again, and neither will those who are redeemed unto everlasting life with Him (CP Jn 3:16, 36; 5:24; 11:25-26; 1Th 5:9-11; 1Jn 5:11-12). Jesus won the victory over sin and death for believers through the resurrection (CP Jn 14:19; Ro 5:10; 1Cor 15:20-23, 54-57). And since Jesus is raised from the dead, believers have the assurance that the next step in God's redemptive plan is their resurrection into Christ's glory.

This is the certainty we have because Christ has been raised from the dead, and He said, "because I live, ye shall live also (Jn 14:19). It is to this end we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (CP Eph 1:9-14). Believers do not live anticipating physical death as unbelievers do, but in anticipation of Christ coming again to take us back to heaven with Him, and whether we be living or dead at that time we shall rise together with Him in glory.

This is assured because He has already risen and ascended to heaven. It guarantees not only the future resurrection of the righteous dead, but also the "rapture", or bodily translation, of the saints still living at that time (CP Jn 5:25-29; 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:42-43, 51-58; Col 3:1-4; 1Th 4:13-18; 1Jn 3:2-3; Rev 20:6).

That is why the resurrection is so important to believers (see also comments on Jn 5:28-29, 14:1-3, 1Cor 15:51-54, 1Th 4:13-18, He 9:13-15 and author's study The Resurrection in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith.).

"Romans"