Hope Woke Up: The Resurrection of Christ and the Promise of New Life

Author: Rev. Angela Wilson

Early in the morning, before the world stirred, hope woke up.

The stone was rolled away. The grave clothes were folded. And Jesus—risen, radiant, victorious—stepped out of the tomb and into the morning light. The resurrection of Christ isn’t just the climax of the Gospel story; it’s the moment that changed everything. Death was defeated. Sin was disarmed. And humanity was offered a brand-new beginning.

The Empty Tomb Is the Fullness of Our Faith

The Apostle Paul wrote it plainly: “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17, NLT). Without the resurrection, the cross is a tragedy and the death of Jesus is just a bookmark in history. But because of the resurrection, the cross isn’t a symbol of defeat—it’s the victory of love that refuses to give up, grace that covers every failure, and life that pushes back against even the finality of death.

The resurrection isn’t just a nice idea or a feel-good story. It’s real. It happened in a body that once bled and broke—and then breathed again. It’s the holy disruption that rewrote the ending for all of us. Jesus didn’t just wake up—He rose up with authority, shattering the chains of sin and death that have bound us since the beginning of time.

In Wesleyan-Holiness theology, we don’t just see the resurrection as an event to believe in—it’s a life to be lived. Holiness is resurrection life in action. Because Christ lives, we can be truly alive—washed clean, made whole, and filled with the Spirit.

Resurrection Power Isn’t Just for Someday

Many of us live like Easter is an annual celebration instead of a daily reality. But the good news is this: Resurrection isn’t just what happened to Jesus—it’s what happens in us.

When Jesus stepped out of the grave, He made a way for every dead part of our lives to be resurrected too. Our cold hearts. Our broken dreams. Our hidden shame. Our old habits. In Christ, everything can be made new.

Romans 8:11 declares: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" (Romans 8:11, NLT). Let that settle into your soul. The same power that defeated death dwells in every believer. That means you’re not stuck. You’re not hopeless. You’re not beyond repair. Because He lives, you can rise too.

From Grief to Glory

The resurrection story begins with sorrow. Mary weeps in the garden. Peter mourns his failure. The disciples hide in fear. But Jesus meets them in their grief—not to scold, but to restore. He calls Mary by name. He breathes peace over the disciples. He makes breakfast for the one who denied Him.

He still does.

The resurrected Christ meets us in our lowest places and lifts us up. He’s not just alive in heaven—He’s alive in the hospital room, the prison cell, the funeral home, and the midnight hour. He brings joy where there was mourning, beauty where there was ashes, and light where there was darkness.

A Church That Rises

As the Church, we are a resurrection people. We proclaim with our lives that Jesus is Lord, and we carry that good news into a world still stuck in Saturday silence. We care for the broken. We feed the hungry. We stand with the outcast. We live differently because Christ is alive, and He lives in us.

In the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, we believe sanctification—the life of holy love—is the fruit of resurrection. Christ didn’t rise so we could stay the same. He rose to make us holy, whole, and sent.

So, Now What?

Maybe you’re reading this on the other side of heartbreak. Maybe you’re in a Saturday season—waiting, doubting, grieving. But here’s the truth: Sunday came.

Jesus is alive.

Not just in theory, but in reality. Not just in history, but right now.

Hope woke up that morning in Jerusalem, and it’s still rising in us today. So, lift your head. Open your heart. Roll away the stone you’ve been hiding behind.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, so can you.

References

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House