The Reality of Resurrection & What it Means for Us
"But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 28:5-6)
Earlier in the week, Jesus came into Jerusalem and the people responded in praise and worship and the rocks did not need to cry out. As the week progressed, the hopes of Jesus fulfilling their human expectation of a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman government began to wane. And the masses shifted from cries of praise to appeals for His execution. Hearts began to harden and the true followers of Christ were silenced for fear of death from the moment that Jesus was arrested. Hopelessness had settled in.
But on the morning of the Resurrection, everything would change forever. God sent an earthquake and the rocks of the city began to shake and speak as the large stone was rolled away...calling our attention to behold how the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb...for HE HAD RISEN!
The tomb was forever empty so that our lives could be FOREVER FILLED!
We see that from this moment onward, a GREAT REVERSAL had taken place. The guards which were commissioned to guard the tomb appeared as through they were the ones dead (Matt. 28:4) but the Man inside the tomb WAS NOW ALIVE!
To the Jewish mindset at that time, there were all kinds of views and undeveloped concepts about the Resurrection, with the simple idea being that God would somehow raise that which was dead in the life to come. But after Jesus had showed Himself alive from the dead it meant so much more to the followers of Christ.
Resurrection meant that:
The earthly race of Adam was replaced by a new heavenly race under Christ.
The sins of humanity were washed away without a trace and were now righteous.
The curse had been reversed and there was a dawn of a new kingdom.
The sting of death was removed and the hardened hearts were moved, so that the weeping which endured for a night turned into a joy that came in the morning!
Resurrection ultimately meant that the presence of Christ could now indwell mankind so that we could live in HIS FULL POWER and FULFILL HIS PURPOSE while here on this earth.
Paul writes these words in his letter to the Colossians,
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Col. 3:1-4)
We are now awaiting the triumphant return of our Lord. All of the earth is eagerly waiting for our redemption to be complete when we are raised with Christ and given our glorified resurrected bodies. Once this happens, the earth will be fully restored in its intended order and under the full dominion of Christ's righteous reign on this earth.
In the meantime, we are to live faithfully and obediently to Christ and to expand His kingdom on this earth. We have the Holy Spirit deposited in us as a GUARANTEE of the glorious inheritance to come and of the glorious liberty that we now have. We are called to serve and trust the living God who has saved us from the wrath to come.
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Phil. 3:20-21)
HEART WORK
In light of all that God has reminded you of this past Holy Week, what is God now showing you about how you are to personally respond to God?
How will you carry out His will and join with His Church in fulfilling your heavenly purpose here on this earth?
Pray for God to show you what His will is for your life at this present time and write down what God has revealed to you (in bullet points). Give this some careful thought.