Risen

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen.”  (Luke 24:1-6, NASB)

In the narrative above from Luke the beloved physician, it’s now Sunday morning, the day after the Sabbath.  The disciples are still in shock after witnessing their Teacher brutally tortured and executed.  They’re behind locked doors for fear of the Temple leadership coming after them next.  The two Marys (Jesus’ mother, and Mary Magdalene) have prepared spices for a proper burial, and now that the Sabbath is past, are going to the cave where Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had put Jesus’ body late Friday afternoon. 

According to Luke, they find the stone rolled away from the tomb’s opening, and Jesus’ body is not there!  Two angels appear, and they utter a statement that is arguably the most important of all Christendom:  “He is not here, but He has risen.”  

The fact of the resurrection is crucial to our faith.  Jesus said He would be crucified, and the third day would rise again.  The disciples and the two Marys watched Him die and didn’t remember what He told them.  After all, they weren’t used to seeing people come back from the dead, even though just weeks before they had seen Jesus call Lazarus from out of his tomb.  If Jesus was Who He claimed to be (God), then if He had not come back from the dead our faith would be useless.  There would be no hope of everlasting life.  No hope. 

The angels also ask the question:  “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?”  They wanted to emphasize that not only had Jesus been risen, but He was alive.  There was hope in their question and statement.  Jesus would seem to emphasize His being alive when He appeared to the disciples several times before His ascension.  What’s important is that to followers of Jesus, Christ’s death and resurrection means that sin and death are defeated.  Because He’s alive, we can also have life everlasting. 

We have seen despair and hopelessness on Friday turn to joy and hope on Sunday morning.  It took awhile for reality to catch up to some of the disciples (Thomas the Doubter, for one), but over time they understood Who Jesus really is, and His words of salvation.  Jesus told His disciples what would take place, and it did.  He came to earth to die as a substitute to take the punishment we all deserve as sinners.  God’s most precious gift that we celebrate at Christmas fulfilled His mission on Good Friday.  He completed the promise of eternal life on Resurrection Sunday.  Because He lives, we have hope for eternal life.  Do you believe in Him?
When Christianity was in its infancy, in the middle east and southern Europe, it was dangerous to be a follower of Jesus.  The Christians used a greeting that only they were familiar with, used to find out if a stranger was a brother or sister in Christ.  The first person would use the greeting, “He is risen!”  The second would reply, “He is risen indeed!”  He is risen! 

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.  (1 Peter 2:21-24, NASB)

On Good Friday night, Sue and I watched Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie “The Passion of the Christ.”  We saw it in the movie theater when it first came out.  Powerful.  Gibson captured the last 18 hours or so of Jesus’ life as authentically and true to the Bible as possible.  What also struck me was how quiet it was afterward.  I don’t think anyone said a word filing out of the theater.  I remember a column written by Charles Colson at the time.  He said that Mel Gibson had a cameo appearance of sorts in the movie.  During the film when Jesus is being nailed to the cross, Gibson’s hand is wielding one of the mallets.  We’re quick to judge the people who had a part in Jesus’ crucifixion.  Truth be told, if any of us had been there, we would have done the same.  This was Gibson’s way of acknowledging his guilt and his sins.  Colson explained that years ago one of the masters (I think it was van Gogh) painted himself into the crucifixion as a Roman soldier and an active participant.  Interesting!