June 21

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, — 1 Pet 1:3 BSB

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s great confirmation of His divine mission and Sonship, for through it He was “declared to be the Son of God with power.” It set a divine seal on His sacrifice, His shed blood, and His death, showing God’s acceptance of His offering and that sin was forever put away. Now, imagine the dreadful consequences if Christ had not been raised from the dead, or if we had no clear evidence of His resurrection (Acts 1:3). There would be no forgiveness of sin (1 Cor. 15:17). When our conscience was awakened to guilt and condemnation, there would be nothing but despair.

But Christ was raised from the dead and ascended on high as the High Priest over the house of God. The Holy Spirit bears witness to this both in Scripture and in our hearts, opening a door of hope even in the darkest valleys. The Holy Spirit, who would not have come unless Christ had risen and ascended to the Father, now testifies to our souls, revealing Christ to our hearts and raising up faith to believe in Him as the Son of God. As we receive this revelation, hope abounds through the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13).