Jesus the Christ
The tomb is still empty — and so is your old self. You walk in resurrection life now.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional by Ray Stedman highlights the matchless reality of resurrection power — not as a concept, but as the very energy of God that raises the dead and brings life to what is hopeless. Ray underscores the sharp contrast between man’s futile attempts to evade death (like cryogenic freezing) and God’s unmatchable act of raising Jesus in full life, vitality, and glory.
Resurrection power is not metaphorical. It is not an emotional uplift or a philosophical framework. It is the living Person of Jesus Christ, risen indeed, whose indwelling presence continues to transform hearts today. That power is what baffled the father of a newly converted boy — not because of external manipulation or therapy, but because something had genuinely changed inside his son. It wasn’t behavior modification. It was new life.
When Peter boldly declared to the very crowd who had crucified Jesus that God had raised Him up, not a single voice contradicted him. The tomb was still empty. The authorities had no body to produce. And yet Christ was appearing to His own — alive, real, undeniable. This is the life that now dwells in every believer. It is not a theory. It is resurrection power — living and active within us.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have raised Christ from the dead, and My resurrection power now lives in you. You were dead in your transgressions, but I made you alive together with Him. The same Spirit who raised Jesus now dwells in your mortal body, giving life to you even now.
Do not measure yourself by what you see, for I work not through might or human strength, but through My indwelling presence. I bring beauty from ashes, joy from sorrow, hope from ruin. What is impossible with man is possible with Me. I make the old new. I make the dead alive.
You are no longer a slave to fear, for you have received the Spirit of sonship, by whom you cry out, "Abba, Father." I have seated you with Christ in the heavenly realms and sealed you for the day of redemption. Death no longer has dominion over you. You have passed from death into life, and this life is Christ in you — the hope of glory.
Live today with the quiet assurance that the tomb is still empty — and so is your old self.
(Scripture references: Ephesians 2:5; Romans 8:11; Zechariah 4:6; Isaiah 61:3; Luke 18:27; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 4:30; Romans 6:9; John 5:24; Colossians 1:27)
Real-Life Analogy
You’ve probably seen an old appliance, like a microwave or coffee maker, that looks fine on the outside — but no matter what you press or plug in, it won’t turn on. You might try to fix it, clean it, or even shake it, but the issue isn’t cosmetic. The power source inside is no longer functioning. Now imagine someone quietly inserts a new internal component — the original manufacturer's power unit — and suddenly, with no external changes, it begins to work as if brand new.
That’s what happens in the believer. It’s not that we’re scrubbed up versions of who we were. It’s that a new internal power — the risen Christ — has taken residence within. The outside may look similar, but something essential has changed. The old unit is dead. The new One works with perfect life.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rejoice in the truth that I do not live by mere energy or effort, but by Your resurrection power within me. Christ is alive in me. That changes everything. I don’t need to fear death, hopelessness, or even my limitations, because Your life flows through me now. I rest in the unshakable reality that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is already at work in me. Thank You that I don’t need to seek more — I only need to walk in what I already have.