“From then on, Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.” Matthew 16:21
“For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.” Psalm 16:10
“Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.” John 20:1.
“Christ is Risen!” That is our strident call this Easter Sunday. I repeated this to churchgoers near where I live on Easter Day last year, and most responded in kind, although one or two gave me a funny look. Perhaps they weren’t going to church, but I gave them a greeting anyway.
This day is fundamental to our Christian belief, because if it all ended with Jesus in a grave, what hope would there be for us pilgrims for the future? Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19, “For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world”. Thank you, Paul, for setting out this truth so clearly and logically.
We know factually that Jesus rose from the dead because of the number of witnesses. We turn again to 1 Corinthians 15, and read what Paul wrote, “[Christ] was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him” (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). I presume, because of the male-driven society of the day, the women weren’t counted, but Scriptures tell us that the first person who saw the risen Jesus was a woman. We read in John 20:11, 14-16, “Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. … She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognise him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”)”.
The impact of the Resurrection on believers, both men and women, today is life-changing. We pilgrims do not have to be concerned for the future, because one day we too will be resurrected and able to join Jesus and the rest of His followers in a tremendous worship service in the air over Jerusalem. We can only dimly imagine what that will be like, but in the light of that experience, there is nothing that this world can offer that will come anywhere near to matching the day when we see the Lord. Somehow, all the worldly privations, such as the cost of living, the price of petrol, the aches and pains, the limitations of the health service – the list is endless – become a momentary irritation on the way to Glory, where we will spend eternity.
Jesus Christ is risen today. Let’s shout out that truth from the rooftops so that Jesus gets all the honour and all the glory, and all the praise. I don’t personally care what the society around me does or thinks. All that matters is the empty tomb; the image of an angel sitting on the stone will always be a reminder that the grave could not hold Jesus any more than it will hold me.
Dear Lord Jesus. I’m gripped this morning by the excitement that You are risen and the grave you borrowed for the weekend is empty. You went through so much for my fellow pilgrims and me that all I can do is worship You today, with a deeply thankful heart. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 