Fruitful Living
The significance of the resurrection
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He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay – Matthew 28:6 NIV
INTRODUCTION.
The resurrection of Christ is the supreme miracle. Accept it, and you can accept all the others. It is unique, unlike all other miracles-even the raising of Jairus’s daughter, the widow’s son, and Lazarus. The evidence for the resurrection miracle here is twofold: the empty tomb and His presence with His doubting friends. The body of Jesus, though recognisable by faith, was not bound by time and space.
The two travellers to Emmaus could not recognise Him immediately.
He then “disappeared from their sight.” From Emmaus they returned to the Eleven in Jerusalem, and Jesus appeared suddenly in their midst. The challenge of Jesus to the troubled friends was threefold: (1) touch me, (2) feed me, (3) hear me.
The power of the resurrection continues to strengthen and bless His believing friends. Only Luke, and in Acts 1:19 cites the ascension, perhaps to assure us that His body is a spiritual body. The appearances evoked worship, joy, and praise. The resurrection miracle fulfilled Scripture and Jesus’s own predictions. It is the strongest evidence Jesus is the Messiah promised Israel and the Saviour given to the world.
Here are Four ways the New Testament highlights the significance of the resurrection.
- JESUS’ RESURRECTION MEANS THAT HIS SACRIFICIAL DEATH ON THE CROSS WAS SUFFICIENT, THEREFORE, OUR SINS CAN BE FORGIVEN.
Paul emphasises this in 1 Corinthians 15, reminding us that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (vv. 3-4). Then, in verse 17, he argues that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
In other words, Paul saw a direct connection between the resurrection of Jesus and the sufficiency of His death to atone for our sins. When Jesus rose again on the third day, it was the public announcement that God was fully satisfied with the sacrificial death of His Son. In His resurrection, Jesus was vindicated, as we read in 1 Timothy 3:16. But in His vindication, we are vindicated too. That’s why Paul says in Romans 4 that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification”- Romans 4:25.
- JESUS’ RESURRECTION MEANS THAT DEATH IS DEFEATED ONCE AND FOR ALL.
As Peter proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost, “God raised Jesus from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him” – Acts 2:24. Death lost its grip on Jesus!
But the resurrection means that Jesus not only defeated death for Himself, but that He defeated it for us. He died and rose as a new representative for humanity, as the Second Adam. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,” Paul writes, “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” – 1 Corinthians 15:20-22). His resurrection guarantees ours.
Perhaps no one has said this more eloquently than C. S. Lewis. In his 1947 book “Miracles”, Lewis wrote: “The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits,’ the ‘pioneer of life.’ He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. This is the beginning of the New Creation: a new chapter in cosmic history has been opened.” The empty tomb assures us that sickness and suffering, death and disease will not have the final word.
- JESUS’ RESURRECTION MEANS THAT THE MATERIAL WORLD MATTERS.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, when the apostles said that Jesus rose again, they meant that His physical body came back to life. The risen Jesus wasn’t a phantom or ghost, but a breakfast-eating, flesh-and-bone, human as we read in Luke 24:36-43 and John 21:1 14. As the Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist, John Updike once said,
Make no mistake: if He rose at all it was as His body; if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle, the Church will fall. When Jesus’ came out of the tomb in a physical body, it was God’s definitive stamp of approval on the creation project with all of its materiality. The resurrection shows us that matter matters. And this is why the early Christians looked to the future with confidence that the created order itself would be redeemed as we read in Romans 8:18-25.
Though we wait for the full consummation of new creation, the Scriptures also teach that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is already working within us as we read in Ephesians 1:19-20. The resurrection, you see, not only assures of God’s forgiveness and comforts us in suffering as we anticipate the final reversal of death, disease, and decay; it motivates and empowers us to push back the tide of suffering and evil in the present world, through word and deed, in mercy and in justice, all in Jesus’ name.
Jesus embodied and demonstrated the oxymoron of the crucified life, that a self-centred life is misery, and that genuinely abundant living occurs only when one dies to self-interest as we read in Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-28; 20:26-28; 23:12. Paul developed this further, teaching us that Jesus’ followers died with Him to the old life and arose with Him to life anew as we read in Romans 6:1-11. But this transformative model of the cross leading to the crown is a farce if Jesus’ suffering did not lead to His resurrection and heavenly reign. Paul’s basis for teaching the Philippians to live in humility and unity is simply to tell the story of Jesus, centring on how His past humility led to His future exaltation as we read in Philippians 2:1-13.
End Piece
The Gospel of Luke also records Jesus’s resurrection and the women’s obedience in relaying the angel’s message to the rest of the disciples. Luke also gives us details into Jesus’s post – resurrection appearances, which proved His resurrection and provided Him the opportunity to give final charges to His disciples before ascending to heaven. Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, when He also confirmed that all of Scripture points to Himself. Jesus later appeared to the Apostles and showed them His hands and feet. He prompted them to believe the resurrection by eating with them and interpreting the Old Testament in light of His sufferings and resurrection. Jesus identified Himself as the Messiah. His time on earth ended with a commission to His disciples. He left them with the charge to minister and proclaim the gospel on Jesus’s behalf. As Jesus’s disciples today, we know Him because others have been faithful to carry His gospel around the world, and we pick up where those disciples left off as Jesus’s faithful ambassadors.
- INVITATION
If you have not yet confessed Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, this is an opportunity to do so. And when you do, just surrender totally to Him with your eternal future, for He will never leave nor forsake you – Hebrews 13:5
STAY BLESSED!
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By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
Matthew 6:33. Notice Jesus said, “His righteousness”, not our own righteousness. We have to seek and understand God’s righteousness. Isaiah 54:14 says, “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” God’s righteousness comes from God, not from within us. Humans cannot make themselves God’s righteousness, as all humans have sinned and are therefore inferior to God. God’s righteousness is a gift from God: “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Righteousness, or right standing with God, has been attained for us through the exchange Jesus made on our behalf. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. God’s righteousness is imparted to us when we are made a new creature in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This righteousness is a gift from God and undeserved by us: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”- Romans 5:17
Through our faith in Jesus’ blood, shed to remit our sins – Romans 3:25, God imparts righteousness to us by His grace. We actually become a new righteous creation, fully identifying in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This is the foundational miracle we need to understand and have established in our heart. All the other miraculous promises of God come the same way, by God’s grace through faith. Righteousness must be established in our heart for us to truly have faith to receive our rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus has been made unto us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are now “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
Establishing our minds in righteousness
God expects that, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will be radically changed. In Romans 12:2 He tells us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
This transformation is to be a metamorphosis, of a magnitude at least comparable to that by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He expects us to become totally different.
Scripture uses many different images to express the change that should occur: We become “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Cor 5:17. It is almost as if we become a new species. Scripture speaks of the “first Adam” who was earthly and fell into sin, and the “second Adam” (Jesus Christ) who was sinless and holy – Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:44-49.
We are “made new in the attitude of our minds” – Eph. 4:23.
We “put off our old self” and “put on the new self” – Eph. 4:22,24; Col 3:9-10.
We “live by the Spirit” and not by the flesh – Gal. 5:16; Rom 8:13.
We become “instruments of righteousness” rather than “instruments of wickedness” – Rom. 6:13.
Each of these metaphors, in a different way, emphasizes the magnitude of the change that is expected. Each is dramatic and astonishing in itself; their cumulative effect is even more powerful. We are talking about a tremendous transformation. It should be visible to others, but its internal effect should be far greater than what others can perceive.
The goal of this transformation
What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this, because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
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Fruitful Living
Environmental Stewardship Is an Act of Worship: The Islamic response to climate change and environmental degradation (Final part)
The Role of Faith Leaders and the Way Forward
Addressing climate change and environmental degradation requires more than legislation, technological innovation, and financial investment. It also demands a transformation of attitudes, values, and behaviours. While governments formulate policies and enforce environmental regulations, faith leaders possess a unique moral authority to shape public conscience and inspire responsible stewardship. In Ghana, where religion plays a significant role in public life, religious institutions can become powerful partners in advancing environmental sustainability.
Islam assigns Imams and religious scholars the responsibility of guiding society toward righteousness and preventing harmful practices. Allah instructs, “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best” (Qur’an 16:125, Sahih International). This responsibility extends beyond matters of ritual worship to encompass every aspect of life that affects human wellbeing, including the protection of the environment.
Environmental stewardship should therefore become an integral part of Islamic teaching, preaching, and community engagement.
Mosques, as centres of learning and social transformation, have enormous potential to cultivate environmental consciousness. Imams can regularly incorporate environmental themes into Friday sermons, Islamic lectures, marriage counselling, youth programmes, and educational activities. Teaching congregants that protecting rivers, forests, wildlife, and public spaces is an act of worship that helps bridge the perceived divide between religious devotion and environmental responsibility. Such education can inspire lasting behavioural change rooted not merely in fear of legal sanctions but in consciousness of accountability before Allah.
Religious institutions can also lead by example. Mosques can organise community clean-up campaigns, tree-planting exercises, and public awareness programmes on sanitation and responsible waste disposal. They can adopt environmentally friendly practices by reducing unnecessary waste during religious gatherings, encouraging water conservation during ablution, and promoting the proper maintenance of mosque facilities and surrounding communities. These initiatives demonstrate that Islamic values are best communicated through practical action as well
as words.
Meaningful environmental protection also requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. Government agencies should continue strengthening the enforcement of environmental laws while addressing corruption and enhancing institutional accountability. Environmental governance must be guided by transparency, fairness, and the consistent application of the law. At the same time, sustainable economic alternatives should be developed for communities that depend on environmentally destructive activities, particularly illegal mining. Investments in vocational education, climate-smart agriculture, responsible small-scale mining, and entrepreneurship can provide dignified livelihoods while reducing pressure on fragile ecosystems (UNDP, 2023).
Traditional authorities equally have an indispensable role to play. As custodians of customary lands, chiefs and community leaders possess considerable influence over land use and natural resource management. Their collaboration with government institutions, faith leaders, and local communities is essential in protecting forests, water bodies, and communal lands from unsustainable exploitation. Community ownership of environmental conservation initiatives often produces more enduring outcomes than enforcement measures alone.
Educational institutions should integrate environmental ethics into their curricula from the basic to the tertiary levels. Beyond teaching scientific concepts, schools should cultivate a sense of environmental citizenship, encouraging young people to appreciate the interconnectedness of ecological health, economic development, and human wellbeing. Parents likewise bear the responsibility of nurturing environmentally responsible habits within the family by teaching children the values of cleanliness, moderation, conservation, and respect for public property.
Individual citizens cannot be absolved of responsibility. The Qur’anic concept of Khalifah reminds every believer that stewardship begins with personal conduct. Conserving water, disposing of waste responsibly, planting and protecting trees, reducing unnecessary consumption, respecting public spaces, and reporting environmental offences are practical ways through which every Muslim can fulfil this sacred trust. Environmental stewardship is not reserved for governments or
environmental experts; it is the collective duty of every member of society.
The environmental challenges confronting Ghana should also be viewed as opportunities to strengthen national unity. Climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation affect people irrespective of religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or social status. They therefore call for collective action grounded in shared values of justice, responsibility, and compassion. Islam’s
ethical framework complements national development efforts by reminding believers that service to humanity and protection of creation are integral dimensions of worship.
As Ghana strives to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection must cease to be regarded as a peripheral concern and instead become a national moral priority. The combined efforts of government, traditional authorities, religious institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, and citizens can restore degraded ecosystems and build resilient communities. Through wise leadership, sound governance, and unwavering commitment to the divine trust of
stewardship, the nation can preserve its rich natural heritage for generations yet unborn.
In conclusion, protecting the environment is not merely an environmental obligation—it is an act of worship, a fulfilment of humanity’s divine trust, and a legacy of justice for future generations.
Thank you.
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert
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