Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-23
Death is a tragedy no matter who is involved. Some people die and we take little notice, while other die and we never forget. Some people die and we cheer it and wished it came sooner, while others die and we cannot bear the thought. The common theme is of course Death. However, the common theme of Jesus Christ's ministry was Life and it was Light.
The tomb that sealed the body of the Lord was horribly dark. I don't mean that in a physical sense, though it was dark, but in a spiritual sense. It would have seemed that Satan had won his victory and that the power of darkness now surrounded the body of the One whom it feared the most. Yet there was more darkness to be observed...a darkness of hopelessness on the part of discouraged disciples. They had heard Jesus say that He would raise from the dead, but nobody in that dark upper room really fully believed it. Then there was the darkness of the curse of sin. Did Calvary do what Jesus had promised? Did sin really have a death blow dealt it? From Friday's events it would not seem so.
The stage was dressed up for Night, but it was not set correctly. The Christ was crucified and out of the religious leader's hair. The body was put in a borrowed tomb and not only shut, but sealed with a detachment of soldiers to guard it. The disciples were in defeat. The High Priest was in his glory and Pilate was just glad to be done with the whole matter. The death of Christ was most grim for those who either chose not to listen or did not understand the reassurance of the Master. From a human standpoint, all that Jesus was and said had been vanquished. The cries of "He saved others, but He Himself He cannot save" seem to bore in on the minds of His followers. Total and absolute darkness of the spiritual kind and lulled in and settled like a heavy fog.
In my mind, I scan the Upper Room and see many faces. But look off in the corner, see the man with his head in his hands, the man who had been like this for hours. The man who was in such despair. This same man who hours earlier boasted amongst them all, "Lord, if all be offended in thee, I will not!" Yet a few hours later used words he hadn't used since he met the Master by Galilee's shore, to deny all knowledge of the One whom he would not supposedly be offended at. For the disciples, the darkness hung its most heavy yoke on Peter.
Such a stage that seemed like darkness was about to roll its curtains up for Morning!
Two women, the most devout of the whole group, went early to the Garden Tomb to bring spices to anoint the dead body. Just how they were to enter I know not, for Rome made it secure with a contingent of soldiers and the great seal of Pontius Pilate. Yet they came. Faithful. Devoted. Caring. The scene was not what they expected. There were no soldiers, no seal, no body! Mary Magdalene supposed someone, perhaps the Gardner had taken the body of the Lord. The two women in Luke's account approached the tomb and found two men clothed in white. These divine messengers were living up to their job.
The message: HE IS RISEN, just as He said. Go and tell His disciples.
All the chains of darkness. All the supposed victories of evil. All the shroud of ungodliness now found themselves bruised under the heel of Christ.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ and its meaning to the spiritual forces of darkness is not quite understood by mortal men. What happened that day, spelled the doom on those who were most satisfied to have doom pronounced on God Himself. The Apostle Paul said it best, "Oh Death where is thy sting, Oh Grave where is thy victory?" No one in the ranks of Hell could now lift up their heads, but the sentence of eternal defeat, damnation, condemnation and separation now abode and abides on them to this day. You see when God defeats an enemy, the enemy never, never recovers. The evil which had been long in place now was abolished.
Now for us, the mortals, the benefactors of the Resurrection. Had there been no resurrection, evil will still have its kingdom. Paul says if there be no resurrection, then what do, believe and have in Christ would be in vain, or simply, would not exist anywhere. But you may think that the world is full of evil and increasing every day. Yes, that is true. The Lord allows evil its space only because there are those of its ranks who have never trusted Christ's finished work to save them and God is willing that none should perish and gives the condemned a chance to repent before the judgement. During the time of grace, evil is present. However, God never looks at our timeline as we do. Evil to God is a forgotten foe. Just as God already sees the believer in our glorified state, He sees evil in its ruined state. Of course God knows that evil thrives. After all He is coming again to finalize its destruction, but note....evil at the morning of the Resurrection is already destroyed in the eyes of God. We left standing who have trusted in Christ are the grateful and most blessed victims of once being evil, now being redeemed, pardoned, restored and glorified. The Resurrection of Christ in one act guarantees all of this for those who will trust in Him. It is not enough to receive Christ death for sins, you must also receive His Resurrection too, for therein lies the power of God over your sin. With no Resurrection there is no hope of pardon.
One more item. The Resurrection not only guarantees the pardon of corporate sin of the whole people, but the pardon for each and every individual sin of the person.
Do you remember Peter in the Upper Room? Wonder what must have went through his mind as he contemplated what he had done. Judas had sold out Christ, but Peter had denied Him. However, in all of this we see the tenderness and personal attention to the heart of Christ. You will recall that Christ had the angel in Mark 16:6-7 tell, "Go, tell my disciples, and Peter, I am risen." There was no sharp rebuke or lingering bitterness on the part of Christ. He knew Peter was hurting the greatest of the eleven for his acts. We see later that Christ forgave Peter and restored Him on the shore of Galilee in John 21:4-20. He made it a point to tell Peter the Good News so that Peter himself would not languish another moment in guilt that swallowed him. Such is the heart of Jesus Christ for you and for me. The Resurrection shows victory to those engulfed in sin, for sin was paid for on Calvary, and new life began in Gethsemane.
Whenever I go to a cemetery for Memorial day or some other occasion I am reminded that Christ is the victor over death. Had he swooned or was stolen and then impersonated it would not be the same. He shared the same grave with all those whom you see lying underneath the sod. Christ is the firstfruits of the dead. All those buried bodies, who in life committed their souls to the Bishop of Souls--Christ Jesus will leave their graves as He did that morning. The graves will be opened that had not seen the light of day since the funeral home placed the dirt over them. GLORIOUS as we shall see all those who lived, was dead, and now lives forevermore, just exactly as the Saviour, the forerunner, the pathfinder, the fiery pillar, the sea parter, the Resurrected Christ has done. This is the hope we have in Him that none can take away, for there is none now who opposes Him because of the Resurrection.
Simply put, Light dispels Darkness. When Christ arose, that which held us prisoner fled for fear from the Almighty. No darkness stands in the way of Christ's Light.
If you know Jesus Christ as you personal Lord and Saviour, for you, THE FIRST LIGHT, even Jesus Christ, lives within you and has replaced the night of sin in your hearts, with the glorious rays of Morning and Hope.
Praise His name for what He has done.
Look for His soon return.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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