Focal Passage: Luke 24:1-8, 36-40
On a Sabbath evening many years ago, Jesus’ disciples slept fitfully, if at all. Disturbed, frightened and worried – they could not understand. Their Master, their Rabbi, their Teacher, had been crucified. He was supposed to be the Messiah. He was supposed to lead Israel to an unsurpassed political glory with them as his lieutenants and generals.
But now, they thought, that was not to be. He was dead. He had been taken, mocked, cursed, beaten, bruised and executed.
Jesus had told them over and over, both in metaphor and plain speech, “I will rise again.” Despite Jesus’ statements, they did not understand.
In some ways, we shouldn’t be too hard on them. Resurrection is an amazing prospect. It is not normal. Men don’t rise from the dead. People just don’t walk out of a tomb.
But all that was about to change.
Sometime early on Sunday morning, Jesus stepped out of that borrowed tomb and everything changed. Sorrow became surprise. Worry became wonder. Fear became faith.
All of this changed because death had given way to the Lord of Life. Death could not contain the author of life – Jesus Christ himself.
John Stott summarized Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection this way: “The resurrection was the conquest confirmed and announced. We are not to regard the cross as defeat and the resurrection as victory. Rather, the cross was the victory won, and the resurrection the victory endorsed, proclaimed, and demonstrated.”
Jesus’ resurrection was God’s exclamation point on the victory Jesus won on the cross. In the weeks leading up to Easter, we should ponder pensively the depth of Christ’s suffering on the cross.
On Easter Sunday, we must proclaim powerfully his victory over sin and death. On Good Friday, we should consider carefully the meaning of Christ’s cross and the extensiveness of our sin. On Easter Sunday, we confess courageously the glory of Christ’s resurrection.
This Easter make sure you declare the good news of Jesus Christ because his resurrection changed everything!