When the disciples were distressed about Jesus ascending into heaven, he assured them, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). That Advocate is the Holy Spirit. If Jesus had stayed in the grave, the Holy Spirit would have had no reason to enter the lives of disciples.

But Jesus lives, and it makes a difference. The Spirit provides faith and purpose for life. Pentecost, the celebration of the special arrival of the Holy Spirit, is the third great festival of the Church, along with the Nativity and the Resurrection. Pentecost closes the fifty-day period after Easter and ends the festival half of the church year. The Church dresses in red on this day to commemorate the tongues of fire that marked the Spirit’s gift as well as the blood of the martyrs.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, my uncertainty can easily lead to anxiety. I am waiting for everything to turn out, and not knowing what will happen is much harder if I think I cannot rely on anyone. It’s been a long time since Jesus ascended into heaven. Sometimes I suffer. Has he forgotten about me?

He lives, and it makes a difference. I know how my life will turn out, and that certainty about the future helps with life’s present difficulties. While I wait in the time between Christ’s ascension and his return on judgment day, I know that God will work everything out for my good.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would be tempted to live only for myself. After all, I have to be in good shape before I can be of help to anyone else, right? I think I know what’s right for me, and I can identify when other people are standing in the way of my self-improvement. If Jesus is dead, I don’t have to worry about what he said or what he thinks.

But he lives, and it makes a difference. He takes care of my basic needs. He promises to do more for me than I can imagine. He puts people into my life so I can help them. Now I live for him.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have to wonder if he wasn’t just a human being. If my last view of him is a criminal crucified on a cross, he would look like someone to be rejected. He couldn’t even help himself, much less anyone else!

But he lives, and it makes a difference. He is the only way to heaven. This gospel message is the most inclusive message in the world. The benefits of the resurrection of Jesus are meant for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have to choose my own direction in life. I would be terrible at it, because, like a sheep, I can generally see only what’s in front of me at the moment, and I get myself into trouble. It is especially difficult for me to look far into my future as planned by Jesus. If he had not risen from the dead, I would be on my own.

But he lives, and it makes a difference. I have the reliable direction of the Good Shepherd. He feeds us with his Word. He protects us from the roaring lion, Satan. He is leading us into the green pastures of eternal life. For centuries, the Church has observed this Fourth Sunday of Easter to celebrate that Jesus lives to be our Good Shepherd.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have little hope for the future. That’s how the disciples felt after this death. “We hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:19). Their hope for a better life had died along with Jesus.

But he lives, and it makes a difference. My hope for the future is restored. I have victory over the feeling of hopelessness, because the one who heals me and gives me a better life is himself alive. He lives to restore my hope.

It's far to easy to rest poorly. Whenever we rest in lies, we'll always end up more exhausted than we were before we attempted to rest. Only when we rest in truth can we find the peace our hearts need to endure until we enter into our eternal rest!

Without the resurrection of Jesus, death would appear permanent. No one would have come back from the dead to explain what happens after death. Jesus told his disciples what would happen. But they were slow to believe the Easter truth. God ensured that his people had witnesses to assure that Jesus did not remain dead.

He lives, and it makes a difference! I too shall live. Death has become a pathway into paradise. Jesus has already made me spiritually alive by giving me faith in his resurrection. In every possible way, Jesus takes me from death to life.