20/04/2025
All hope restored. Sunday is here ๐๐ป
HE IS RISEN ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
๐ DEATH WHERE IS YOUR STING?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event of the Christian faith. The very foundation of all Christian doctrine hinges on the truth of this account.
Jesus rose at midnight to fulfil the type of Passover in Exodus 12:29.
Early Sunday morning, several women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Salome, and Mary the mother of James) went to the tomb and discovered that the large stone covering the entrance had been rolled away. An Angel announced: โDo 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.โ (Matthew 28:5-6)
On the day of His resurrection, Jesus Christ made at least five appearances. Mark's Gospel say it s the first person to see Him was Mary Magdalene. Jesus also appeared to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and later that day to all of the disciples except Thomas, while they were gathered in a house for prayer. However in Johnโs Gospel we read that Jesus again appeared and stood in the midst of them. After Thomas had seen and felt the print of the nails in Jesusโ hands and side, he said: โMy Lord and my God.โ And Jesus said to him: โThomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.โ (John 20:28-29)
The eyewitness accounts in the Gospels provide what Christians believe to be undeniable evidence that the resurrection of Jesus Christ did indeed happen.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He appeared to His disciples in Galilee and gave them the Great Commission: โAll authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.โ (Matthew 28:16-20)
These events are recorded in Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-49, John 20:1-31.
THE GOD WHO WAS, WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.
In an act of supreme sacrifice, Jesus of Nazareth gave His life for all mankind. Yet the grave couldnโt hold Him; He rose to life everlasting. What is He like today? The apostle John was given a vision of the resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:12-13: โWhen I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. There with the lampstands was someone who seemed to be the Son of Man.โ
We further read: โโWhen I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, โDonโt be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am The Living One. I died, but lookโI am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.โโ (Revelation 1:17-18)
Jesus now lives forever as an eternal, immortal Spirit Being. John also tells us that His faithful followers, in the resurrection, will be like Him: โAnd everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pureโ (1 John 3:3)
Jesus now sits at the right hand of God the Father as we read in 1 Peter 3:22: โwho has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.โ
He is the living, active, Head of His Church (Colossians 1:18), and as โthe Firstborn among many brethrenโ (Romans 8:29). He continually helps bring others to salvation in Godโs family.
How is He serving His brothers and sisters on earth? Remember that Christ is the Mediator between God and man (1Timothy 2:5). One of the major themes of the book of Hebrews is to show how Christ carries out His sacred role as our High Priest.
Sin has seriously damaged the human race. โWhoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.โ (1John 3:4)
Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and threatens our eternal destiny. Sin is the implacable enemy of every human being and must be conquered, because death is ETERNAL SEPARATION from God. This is not easy and never has been. But Christ knows what it is like to have human nature, to be tempted to sin, to be tempted to transgress Godโs spiritual law. โFor in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.โ (Hebrews 2:18)
Christ did whatever was necessary to resist the pulls of the flesh and temptations to sin. He never underestimated them. He prayed and fasted, but mostly He continually relied on and looked to the Father for help. By never once transgressing Godโs law, โHe condemned sin in the fleshโ (Romans 8:3)
In contrast, sin has tainted us, and one of our major goals as Christians is to learn to overcome its entanglements. Yet we cannot do this apart from our Saviour, who told us, โโฆwithout Me you can do nothing.โ (John 15:5)
Notice Hebrews 4:14-16: โSeeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.โ Christ is the Author and Captain of our salvation.
Paul says that, through the indwelling of Godโs Spirit, Jesus lives again within converted Christians (Galatians 2:20), empowering us to live a new, godly life patterned after His life. Through His sacrifice and living again within us, we can be redeemed โfrom every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.โ (Titus 2:14) But to live is to die to self and to live for Christ. โFor the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.โ (Romans 6:23)
โHe who testifies to these things says, โSurely I am coming quickly.โ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!โ (Revelation 22:20)
โIn this world, bones will still break. Hearts will still break. But in the end, โฆTHE LIGHT OVERCOMES DARKNESS!โ
๐๐ป PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You make all things new. Thank You for the Victory and Power in your Name. Thank You that You hold the keys over death, and that by Your might, Christ was raised from the grave, paving the way for us to live free. Thank You that You had a plan, thank You that You made a way.
We praise You for Your great strength, we praise You for Your lavish love. We praise You for You are our Conqueror, Victor, Redeemer, and Friend. We praise You that You alone are our Deliverer, You are Worthy, You are our everlasting Father.
We confess our need for You. We ask that You would renew our hearts, minds, and lives, and for Your Spirit of refreshing to fill us again.
Keep Your words of truth planted firmly within us, help us to keep focused on what is pure and right, give us the power to be obedient to Your word. And when the enemy reminds us of where we have been, whispering his lies and hurling attacks our way, may he be reminded again of his future. For we have a future and a hope in You. Weโve been set free, redeemed, for death has lost its grip, the new life has come.
Thanks be to You Lord, for Your indescribable gift! To You be glory and honor, on this Resurrection Sunday, and forever.
In Jesusโ name, Amen ๐๐ป
