Originally posted: 11/17/2019
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb… 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead, (20:3, 9).
Can we ever grasp the magnitude of His Resurrection? If we were to ponder, meditate, reflect on, and consider His Resurrection every hour of every day would we ever fully comprehend the enormity?
We will never be able to fathom all we have received by His Resurrection, but to spend a lifetime pursuing such a lofty goal is well worth it, to see even a glimpse of His glory and gifts revealed by His Resurrection.
It’s approaching December, and soon we will find ourselves busy with getting ready for Christmas, the time we celebrate the birth of our risen Savior, born of a virgin. Born to die for the sins of mankind, He endured an agonizing death by crucifixion, as our perfect sinless Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
By His death, He paid the price none of us could pay, the debt we incurred by our sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).
By His death, He rendered our enemy, the devil, powerless.
…that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14).
And by His Resurrection, He abolished our last enemy… death.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death, (1 Corinthians 15:20-26).
…but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (2 Timothy 1:10).
Consider His Resurrection
- It is by His Resurrection we receive the gift of His glorious peace.
- So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you,” (20:19).
- It is by His Resurrection we receive the gift of His glorious joy.
- And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord, (20:20).
- It is by His Resurrection we receive the gift of His glorious commission.
- So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you,” (20:21).
- It is by His Resurrection we receive the gift of His glorious Holy Spirit.
- And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” (20:22).
- It is by His Resurrection we receive the gift of His glorious Life.
- Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name, (20:30-31).
How do we respond to His Resurrection?
It always begins with faith. Those in Jesus day saw His resurrected body and they believed.
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (20:27-28).
We too are called to “not be unbelieving, but believing,” and we are promised His blessing.
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed,” (20:29).
It is by His Resurrection we are blessed with His peace, His joy, His commission, His Holy Spirit and His Life; all received by faith.
May we so grow in our faith as to apprehend all He has given us by His Resurrection.