Called to Believe the Resurrection

April 21, 2019 Background Scripture: Matthew 28:1 – 15 Lesson Passage: Matthew 28:1 – 15 Easter Sunday is a very special day for Christians. We read the scriptures in the gospel accounts that tell of Jesus’ disciples being overwhelmed as their sorrow was turned into unspeakable joy. They had witnessed the arrest and ill-treatment of Jesus by the religious authorities as well as the officers of the Roman Empire. They recalled his badly beaten body being attached to the cross by nails driven through his hands and feet. The shame of him being put on public display between two criminals was still fresh on their minds. What would all of this mean for them as they go forward? Should they return to the occupations they held prior to Jesus calling them? As Peter had noted in talking with Jesus one day, they had left all just to follow him. Now, three years later, Jesus had become the victim of capital punishment in its cruelest form, crucifixion. Apparently, the movement was over. The religious authorities had out-foxed Jesus and gotten their way. But then they received “good news from the graveyard”. Jesus was alive! Indeed, he had died on Friday and they saw it. But the grave could not hold him! Through the operation of divine power, he who had raised the dead, was now raised by the power of the Father. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory? The one who is the life giver, had laid his life down on Friday, but he picked it back up on Sunday. I get excited every time I am reminded of Jesus’ resurrection. I am not just excited for Jesus’ sake. I get excited for my sake. Now, I have the assurance that all of the promises of Jesus are true. Jesus promised to raise up all of us who die in him. If he can raise himself up, I have no doubt that he will raise us up. This is not a question of his power. Jesus raised the dead on several occasions before his own death. He has always had the power to raise the dead. His resurrection was back to eternal life. He now lives to never die again. This is the same life Jesus offers each of us. Being a Christian is not about living this earthly life that is limited, painful, and brief! Christians have the hope of eternal life in them. The Holy Spirit is the proof, or earnest, that God will fulfill in us all that Jesus promised that we would receive. Jesus now lives forever in a glorified body and he promised to give each of us the same thing. The resurrection of Jesus is the assurance for believers. If Jesus had not been resurrected, he would be no different to us than Confucius, Mohammed, or Jim Jones. They all promised great things. They all demonstrated, to some extent, something new to people and gave them hope. But they died and are still dead. They don’t have the power to raise themselves from the dead. Their bodies have decayed, and they cannot create new bodies for themselves. They died, and all of their promises died with them. All that any can hope from their teaching is a form of peace of mind in this life with nothing to offer afterwards. But Jesus, who raised himself up, calls us to believe the resurrection that he has demonstrated in himself. Robert C. Hudson February 21, 2019