This year for Father’s Day, I did nothing for my dad.

When I was little I never had any idea what to do for Father’s Day. I bought him a new screwdriver one year with a special new screwing technology that did not work as advertised. It was a waste of money. That was about the pinnacle of my Father’s Day gift-giving.

I resorted to the classic kid strategy of making a coupon book for him: “Give me this coupon for one free hug.” “Give me this coupon and I’ll mow the lawn.” Every kid does this at least once. It’s sort of ridiculous. My dad doesn’t need to give me a coupon to mow the lawn; he can just tell me to mow the lawn and I’d have to mow the lawn. “One free hug?” Really? Did I typically charge money for hugs?

I never knew what to do for my dad, but that’s not why I didn’t do anything for him for Father’s Day this year. I actually know some good ideas now that I’m a dad myself.

I didn’t do anything for him because he’s been dead now for 14 years. I could get him another tool, but he can’t use it. I could make him some more coupons or buy him dinner, it wouldn’t matter. He’s not currently able to use anything I could get him. He’s gone.

My dad being dead kind of sucks the life out of Father’s Day, no pun intended. What’s the point? What’s the motivation? He can’t use it; he can’t appreciate it.

We’ve been told over and over that Christ died for our sins. But Christ didn’t just die. If he had come and lived a good life, said good things, done good stuff, and then died, that wouldn’t have accomplished anything. Christ being dead kind of sucks the life out of Christianity!

But the Bible doesn’t just say that Christ died for our sins; it goes on to say that he was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus Christ “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

We serve a risen Lord! Before the Apostle Paul was an apostle, he was opposed to Christianity. He persecuted followers of Jesus Christ. He didn’t think Jesus was the Messiah and felt that persecuting Jesus’ followers was a good way to serve God.

But then on the road to Damascus, Paul met the resurrected Christ. Paul saw Him and knew for sure that this was the Messiah. Some of the first words out of Paul’s mouth after seeing the resurrected Christ were, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).

Christ is alive! He conquered death! There is reason to live now. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then the Bible is lying, preaching is vain, faith is vain, and we are yet in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:12-17). If Christ is not raised from the dead, then there’s no point to life, faith, or Christianity.

But Christ is alive! Hundreds of people saw Him after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Paul was one of those people. Paul’s life changed dramatically after seeing the resurrected Christ. Everything was different, all things were new.

If Christ is alive, then He is worth serving. He tells us our labor is not in vain. He’s watching and He’s appreciating and promising a reward for faithful service. The resurrected Christ gives us hope, power, motivation, and renewed minds.

If Christ is not resurrected, then all the life is sucked out of Christianity. But if He is resurrected; then there is life abundant in Christianity! And guess what? He was resurrected! There is life abundant. Come and get it!

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” –Romans 6:4

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that transforms your life as Paul’s was.
• Pray for opportunities to share this Gospel with others so that they too might have life abundant.
• Pray for wisdom in knowing how we should live in light of the wonderful life-giving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.