THE RESURRECTION

It was the custom of the early church to greet one another on Easter morning with the words, “The Lord is risen indeed.” This event, the resurrection of Christ, is ascribed to all three Divine Persons. It was the work of the Father, as you can find in Psalm 16:10, “For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.” It was also shown in John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was,” and in Acts 2:32, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

That the resurrection was also the work of the Son can be found in John 10:17 & 18, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father.”

The resurrection is also the work of the Holy Spirit according to Romans 1:4, “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

In considering the resurrection of Christ, we notice that it is an event clearly proved, it is a terror for many, and yet for some a very great comfort.

In addition to the above texts regarding the work of a Triune God in the resurrection of Christ, Scripture confirms it in many other places. In John 2:19, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” It was typified by the prophet Jonah, “And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2:10; Matthew 12:40). In the beginning of Matthew 28 we read, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”

It was also proven by the testimony of the angel, which we find in the fifth verse of that same chapter. “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.” In the ninth verse, Jesus Himself appeared unto them. “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came, and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid; go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.” Finally, we have the witness of the women and the disciples that Christ had truly risen, appearing unto them on various occasions.

Oh, blessed women and blessed disciples, who may have received an appearance of Christ in their lives! The Lord had spoken so many times in the past about His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. You can find in John 2:19 how He talked about death and resurrection, about the temple which would be broken down and rebuilt again, but there was no ear for it and no room for it in the hearts of the disciples. They were given by free and sovereign grace to love the Lord, but still they had the expectation of an earthly kingdom. In their minds was the thought that Christ would become the earthly king of Israel, delivering them out of the captivity of the Romans. Even though the Lord had spoken so many times about His suffering, death and resurrection, little heed was given to it.

Is this not also true in our day? Young and old, we may hear much in advent sermons about the birth of Jesus Christ, in the passion weeks about the suffering and deep humiliation of Christ, and later the steps of His exaltation, but is there an ear for it? Is there a need for it? May the Lord grant that we may be brought to Paradise, there to know by the discovering and convicting light of the Holy Spirit what we have done in our covenant-head Adam, and that we may then need a Redeemer, such as Boaz was, a near kinsman of Naomi and Ruth. Oh, to need Him as the blessed Kinsman! He was willing to take upon Himself the human nature, willing to take upon Himself the guilt of all His people, willing to become like unto us in all things, sin excepted — willing to be a sin-bearing Surety for His people, not only to fulfill the law, magnify the law, and glorify the attributes, but also to conquer sin, Satan and the world. It is therefore no wonder that the church of former times testified to one another, “The Lord is risen indeed.”

Without that risen Christ, there is no hope. The death of Christ alone cannot save us, but the resurrection of Christ is the sure hope and pledge for the resurrection of God’s people from the state of death — for a glorious resurrection unto that state of eternal bliss. There is no doubt that the resurrection of Christ is clearly proven, and is also experienced in the heart of God’s people. They may say, “He is risen, also for me.” He not only arose, but also ascended to the right hand of the Father, there to be the Advocate for His people to make intercession for them. One day He shall return upon the clouds to bring His blood-bought bride home to glory. Oh, blessed day for the church of God!

For many the resurrection is a terror. What is it to you, and what is it to me? It has been and still is denied by many, but is also a great terror for many. We can also find this in the Holy Scriptures. What a trembling there was around the sepulchre when the angel of heaven descended to roll away the stone! We read, “And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.” What a terror it caused in the hearts of the enemies of the Lord, and what shall it be one day when Christ as the great Victor shall arise against us in the day of judgment! May the Lord grant that it not be so for us and for our children.

For some it will be a great comfort. The resurrection of Christ is the sure pledge of the church’s justification. The whole body of the elect was quickened together with Christ, as well as raised up together with Him in his resurrection. When He ascended to the right hand of the Father, He was there as a sure pledge that He will gather unto Him all those who may receive His death and resurrection, the true forgiveness of all their sins. In the resurrection the Father gave His approval upon the work of His beloved Son, and gave unto His Son that receipt for all who were known by Him from all eternity.

It was the Lord’s desire that the message of the resurrection be proclaimed to the ends of the world, to the ashaming of hell, to the destruction of the prince of darkness, and as a solemn warning to all who trample upon the blood of Jesus Christ. In this season may the resurrection of Christ become indispensable, because without the death and resurrection of Christ there is no salvation.

Dear young people, search the Scriptures, search them prayerfully. By God’s Word we are instructed to bow before the Lord and to ask Him to convert us while we are in the days of our youth, before the evil years come when we will say that we have no pleasure in them. Oh that the Lord might yet work in the hearts of the unconverted to truly stop them! May you learn to tremble now, but not as the enemies of the Lord shall tremble when Christ, at the last step of His exaltation, will come upon the clouds of heaven.

People of the Lord, may you be given to gather round that sepulchre with those women, to behold in your experience that Christ is risen, risen for the chiefest of sinners. May the Lord give concerned ones to be led by His Holy Spirit to behold that risen Savior for the first time in your Ufe as your Lord and your King.

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