A quote from D.A. Carson

The only way that Jesus could become the resurrection and the life was by dying Himself…Jesus comes up against moral and spiritual death and gives life by dying Himself…What we must see is that these sorts of themes (sin, death, substitution, redemption, resurrection, etc.) are central to the Bible, central to the gospel, and these are the frameworks in which we need to address people. It is right to say that the gospel comes along and improves your marriage, challenges you about how to handle your finances, or rear your children—the gospel has all of those peripheral benefits, sure—but at the end of the day, it deals with the ultimates of life and death and sin and guilt and resurrection and eternal life. It deals with these ultimates…Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). It transforms absolutely everything.

This comes from the end of the third session he led at Mars Hill Church's recent conference, "A Day with Dr. Don." Click here for the media from that conference. I recommend it highly.