Why the Resurrection is One of the Greatest Treasures (Part 1 of 2)

Context of the Passage

This is the portion of Scripture in the book of Acts where Peter and John, empowered and indwelled with the Holy Spirit, spread the message of the gospel. Thousands are getting saved, miracles are being performed. They go to the temple, passing by the Beautiful Gate, where a man crippled from birth—more than 40 years—sits begging for alms. He has to be carried there every day, seeking compassion from passersby.

The man asks Peter and John for alms. Peter confidently responds that he has no money, but something far more valuable: the name of the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. The man is healed, walks, leaps, and praises God. He grabs onto Peter and John, following them. This catches everyone's attention. Peter preaches again, irritating the Sadducees once more.

The purpose of our context is not primarily the healing, nor the wrong Sadducees, nor the ministry of Peter and John. The primary theme is the untamable power of the resurrected Christ. Everything in this passage relates to and points to the exceptional power of a resurrected Savior and its effects.

The resurrection is one of the most treasured concepts of our lives—a significant treasure for Christians. It is part of the gospel itself, producing real effects. It cannot be stayed by Sadducees who deny it or hindered by critics. It is at the centerpiece of the gospel that saves us—a treasure we desperately need.

1. The Treasure Seen Through the Sign of a Man's Healing

The healing points to a greater spiritual reality. Acts 4:22 calls it a sign, confirming a biblical truth beyond physical healing.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed...” (Acts 4:8-9)

The Greek word for “healed” means saved. This man was physically healed but ultimately saved from his sins. In Acts 3, he is “raised up”—the same terminology used for Christ's resurrection. Peter commands him to rise, grabs him, and raises him up, as if experiencing a physical resurrection from infirmity.

The power of Christ's resurrected life revolutionized this man's life physically—he walked and leaped—and spiritually—he praised God. Previously begging outside the temple, now he enters for worship. He was saved by the resurrected Christ.

His reflex to the resurrection was joy. A crucified yet risen Savior never intended indifferent believers. Christians are to be satisfied, excited, exhilarated by what Christ did.

This man praised God using what God corrected: he couldn't walk, now he walks and leaps; couldn't glorify, now he praises. What has Christ saved you from that you now glorify Him with? From drunkenness with sobriety? Immorality with purity? Lies with truth? Pride with humility? Uselessness with usefulness? Not as obligation, but reflexes of resurrected life.

The tragedy is when Christians immobilize themselves, forgetting the power of resurrected life—sitting when they should walk, standing when they could leap, silent when they could praise.

Our Savior was physically dead, buried, then rose three days later. This is real, powerful, mighty—something to rejoice in. It sets Christianity apart: a crucified yet living Savior.

Live by this principle: “I have power not to sin—my Savior rose from the dead.” “I can praise God—my Savior rose from the dead.” This man clung to Peter and John because they proclaimed the name of Jesus, which brings the dead to life. “You have the words of eternal life.”

We see treasuring the resurrection in Peter and John’s boldness. Verse 13: They recognized these uneducated, untrained men had been with Jesus. Nothing special about them—the Lord’s hand healed. They were conduits for Christ’s power.

Be insignificant people with the most significant message. When convinced of its validity, boldness is muscle memory. “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Far be it from us to obey men rather than God who raised Jesus.

If you think, “I’m not equipped to evangelize,” you’re in the company of apostles. The message works through obedience alone.

2. The Treasure Seen in the Salvation of Thousands

After preaching the resurrection, 5,000 believed (Acts 4:4), added to the 3,000 in Acts 2—thousands saved quickly. The gospel spread like wildfire. Nothing in the first century went viral like Christ’s resurrection.

People from everywhere came for Passover, stayed for Pentecost. This Pentecost was different: the resurrected Christ was preached, thousands saved. Some formed the Jerusalem church; others returned home proclaiming a resurrected Savior who saves perfectly, permanently, completely. The gospel spread.

This is a treasure: salvation of innumerable souls. Miracles continue: thousands with one heart, one soul, total commonality, great grace upon them all (Acts 4:32-33). Miraculous for the resurrected Christ to purchase self-forgetful people.

All sin traces to pride, discontentment, self-centeredness. Christ, equal with God (Philippians 2:5-7), became obedient to death, concerned for others. Resurrected Christians live for others’ needs: “It’s not my property—yours. Not my time—yours.”

The disappointment in church comes from “How will it meet my needs?” instead of “How can I meet others’ needs?” When all care for all, everyone is cared for—that’s resurrected life.

3. The Treasure Seen in Great Grace

With great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all (Acts 4:33).

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him... so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7).

“Great grace” is mega grace—extraordinary, beyond normal, exceeding needs. An epicenter of blood-bought, resurrected life.

Grace is God’s undeserved involvement: all His benevolence without killing us. True prosperity gospel: riches of grace, mercy, forgiveness—not cash. Peter and John had no silver, but better riches: the name of resurrected Jesus.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7).

Paul was content in riches or poverty because of resurrected life (Philippians 4). You are rich with what’s needed. Suffering comes, but you have abundance.

Rich in the Lord means a kind God who lavishes grace, kindness—no matter the trial. Everything God does vibrates with kindness. Unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8)—plumb their depths; you’ll never find the end.

4. The Treasure Seen in the Vindication of Christ

Either Jesus was the most righteous man, God in flesh—or delusional. What vindicates Him? He rose from the dead. Every word true, heaven guaranteed, sins forgiven.

Sadducees denied resurrection (Matthew 22), crucified Jesus to silence Him. But now resurrected Christians proclaim the resurrected Christ everywhere in Jerusalem. They’re speechless, can only threaten—because Christ rose. They can’t deny it. Everything about Christ is true.

Evidential Apologetics and Boldness in Preaching

They saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, common men. They were astonished and recognized that they had been with Jesus. Seeing the man who had been healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. When they commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For a notable sign has been performed through them, evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it."

Acts 4:13-16

They are stuck with the irrefutable fact of Jesus rising from the dead. Peter and John advance the resurrected life of Christ in their message, in their lives, and in the results—like the healing of this man.

Three things emerge immediately: evidential apologetics, preaching the truth of Christ crucified and resurrected based on the evidence. The evidence is undeniable. Even National Geographic ran an eight-hour special on the resurrection, trying to introduce doubt about something they couldn't disprove. The conclusion? "We don't know." Solid scholarship led to "we don't know" about the resurrection. We know that tomb was empty three days later.

Do we live in a way that demonstrates we have been with Christ? There must be some result from encountering Jesus in the gospel. Do we know this message's validity so deeply that we cannot deny it? Those who deny the resurrection can't even deny it. With that boldness, go forth and proclaim this good news, then watch what happens when the message of a resurrected Savior is unleashed on a world that desperately needs it.

The Treasure of Assurance in Our Salvation

We learn the treasure of the resurrection through the assurance of our salvation. If you've ever had a moment of weakness, doubting if you're really saved, you're not alone. Moments of doubt and discouragement happen. Heretics like Rob Bell dismiss 2,000-year-old letters, but how do we know that we know?

1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

If there is no resurrection of the dead, our preaching is pointless, our faith is futile, we've misrepresented God, and you're still in your sins. Christianity uniquely solves the problem of sin. If the dead are not raised, we've been scammed. But Christ has been raised, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. It's okay to have doubt, as long as it's met with the irrefutable reality: Jesus rose from the dead, and we will be like him.

The Hope of Physical Resurrection

We learn the treasure of the resurrection through the hope of a physical resurrection and seeing those in Christ who have fallen asleep. Jesus' resurrection gives spiritual life from death, but also physical resurrection without death, pain, or corruption forever.

Adopt this attitude daily: if I die, I will rise.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

In Christianity, believers who die are called asleep because they will rise. We don't grieve without hope. Jesus died and rose; through him, God brings with him those who have fallen asleep. A Roman Catholic once asked: if Jesus paid for everything on the cross and death is the wages of sin, why do believers still die? The answer: death for believers is no longer judgment but shedding the corruptible for the incorruptible. Death, where is your sting?

Five Significant Responses to the Resurrected Life

Here are five responses, each starting with "Since I have the resurrected life of Christ":

1. I am confident that I have salvation now. He rose, vindicating all he said. Salvation is true—forgiveness of sins, completeness, walking in newness of life.

2. I am confident that I can say no to sin. Temptation seems huge when Jesus seems small, but when you see Christ, temptation shrinks. The power that raises the dead empowers saying no to sin.

3. I am confident that I can be pleasing to God. You're not resurrected to relive the Garden under works. You have Christ's life.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God is never disappointed in his Son—and never in you. Discipline comes from love, not disappointment. Your standing doesn't fluctuate.

4. I am confident that I can suffer now, knowing it will be far better. Our bodies deteriorate, still corrupted by sin. Suffering ceases sin's hold and reminds us this life isn't the best—something greater awaits. To live is Christ, to die is gain.

1 Peter 4:1
Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

5. I am unwavering in the extent of change that resurrected life can give. If your marriage, children, or life feels unchanged, trust the power that raised Jesus. It enables newness of life.

Acts 4:24-31
They lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, 'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

The resurrection can't be silenced. Its power shook that place and will shake yours, filling you with the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel boldly to yourself and the world. This message works.