Q:
Recently, I heard a preacher say that if Jesus were alive today, He'd be using television and the Internet to reach people with His message. I suppose that's true, but why do you suppose he said, "if Jesus were alive"? Isn't Jesus alive today anyway, although He's now in heaven?
A:
I’m sure he simply meant that if Jesus had been born into the world today instead of 2,000 years ago, He would be using every means of communication He could to reach the world with His message. And we are called to do the same today, because Jesus’ command to His disciples has never been withdrawn: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15).
You are right, however: Jesus Christ is alive. He is just as alive today as He was when He walked the roads of ancient Palestine 20 centuries ago. His words are true: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18). He is now in God’s presence in heaven, where He sits in the place of authority at His Father’s right hand, praying for us.
But Jesus Christ isn’t just confined to heaven. He also is at work in the world by His Spirit, and when we come to Him and receive Him into our lives, He comes to live within us. Remember: Jesus is divine, and He has all the attributes of God – including the ability to be everywhere at once.
What difference does this make? Because Christ is alive, He can save us and give us hope for the future. As He said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Is your hope in Him?