Easter represents more than just remembering Jesus' death and resurrection - it's an invitation to experience your own resurrection story and learn to reign in life through Christ.
The Resurrection is a story for when all hope was lost. Jesus didn’t just rise for Himself but for you. We’re not called to struggle and be unfulfilled, just surviving. We are called to be thriving and living the life God designed for us. His victory is your victory. His life is your life. He’s not just a risen Savior. He is a risen King.
Do you feel like a broken down fence abandoned and left to rot? Maybe you are asking if hope is possible. God is in control and Jesus still reigns. There’s power and victory for you. You are a child of the most high God.
Next week, we’re starting a series called “Silent Battles”. Jesus took on the crown of thorns in our place. Many deal with mental health issues and stigmas. How do you walk through these trials in a biblical way? What does it mean to reign with Jesus in these situations? We will be talking about this for the next few weeks.
Romans 5:17 (AMPC) says “For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
We will reign as kings in life through Jesus and I have an acronym for that!
R is for the redemption that we received through Him. He’s rescued us. You are no longer bound by mistakes and failures. Forgiveness and restoration is yours and you are removed from darkness and struggle to light, power and victory. Picture a drowning victim being rescued just in time. That’s redemption. He saw your hopelessness and fear and He took it all upon Himself. Every chain holding you back is broken. Stop seeing yourself as broken and defeated and bound but as free and healed!
E is for empowered. 2 Corinthians 12:9 clarifies that you reign for God's grace. It fuels your future with supernatural strength. You are enough through God’s grace because He is enough. Think of learning to ride a bike. Whoever taught you to ride saw you fall on your first try but didn’t yell at you and declare you were a loser and would never be able to do it! They picked you up, dusted you off and encouraged you to try again until you got it. God's grace never runs out, always strengthening and empowering you. When you are the weakest, that’s when His power works in you. Don’t let fear keep you small. You are worthy and you can rise and reign.
I is identity in Christ. In 1 Peter 2:9 God declares you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. The world will try to define you by your past but God defines you according to His Word. According to Ephesians 2:6 you are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Imagine if there was a Prince who didn’t know who he was, living a life in poverty that he was not born to. Too many of us live short of what God has provided for us and what our identity declares for us. Our life in Christ starts here. Shake off the world’s labels. You are a child of the King.
G is growing in faith. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says we are more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image. Saying “Yes” to Jesus is just the start. Reigning is a process. Go back and listen to our “Authority Intelligence” message series to understand more of this topic. Victorious life happens as you grow, level by level. Activate faith. Trust God. Faith grows as you keep believing and walking forward even when you don’t know God is leading. Think of a seed planted. Eventually a mighty tree that is unshakeable emerges from the small seed. Maybe you don’t feel growth, but you’re not where you used to be. God is working and you are becoming more and more like Him. Surrender to the process. You will flourish over time.
N stands for new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 talks of new life and is about what God is doing in your life right now. His victory became your victory. The old you is gone. Shame and guilt are washed away. Limitations and lies are broken off. A caterpillar is limited, slow and struggling, but in the hidden place of a cocoon, it becomes a beautiful butterfly, able to fly anywhere it wishes. You are not who you used to be. Jesus didn’t just die for sin but for victory. You are made for more. The tomb is empty so why live in the grave. This is your moment for a new beginning.
Today is about your resurrection. It’s about reigning with Christ, not for your glory but for His Kingdom purposes. You are free and healed. You are empowered. Your identity is one of a high calling. Embrace growing in faith and trusting God. Stop looking at your limitations and start looking at the life Christ paid for you to have.
