“He’s alive!” “He’s alive!” Imagine it. Mary Magdalene, sent on a divine mission from Jesus himself, running through the streets declaring to His despondent and forlorn followers for the first time ever – “HE’S ALIVE!! HE IS RISEN! Our God’s not dead! The grave could not hold him! Death is defeated! I saw Him! The Teacher spoke to me! Did you hear me?? He is risen!":
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize 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”).
“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. (John 20: 11 – 18, NLT)
Tears of mourning turned to shouts of praise. Dejected spirits renewed. Broken hearts restored and bursting with the good news. Can you imagine?? The first time the Gospel is ever proclaimed – to a group of people mourning not only the death of their Teacher, their Rabbi, their Friend, but their hopes and dreams as well.
The first time the Gospel is ever proclaimed – to a group of people mourning not only the death of their Teacher, their Rabbi, their Friend, but their hopes and dreams as well.
For hadn’t He promised victory? Hadn’t He promised His Kingdom was at hand? Hadn’t He promised them living water and the bread of life? Hadn’t He promised them eternal life?? And yet, He died. They watched as it happened. The life slip away from his body, broken, bleeding, hanging on a cross. The “King of the Jews” crowned with thorns and scorned. His body buried. Entombed for three days. Imagine. The confusion. The fear. The doubts. The pain. The brokenness. The anger. The resentment. The accusations. God, where are you!?! God, how could You??? God, are you even real!?!?
For not the first time, and certainly not the last, Jesus acted in a way that defied His followers’ expectations – those who had literally given up all they knew and owned to follow Him. All of His promises seemingly made lies – lay null and void at the foot of the cross. Or so they thought. But God. But God had a different plan. But God was writing a different story. Victory through death – could it be so??? Yes. Yes, declares Mary Magdalene – it is so! – “He is risen!! His promises still stand!!”
All of His promises seemingly made lies – lay null and void at the foot of the cross. Or so they thought. But God. But God had a different plan. But God was writing a different story. Victory through death – could it be so??? Yes. Yes, declares Mary Magdalene – it is so! – “He is risen!! His promises still stand!!”
He was risen then, and He is risen now. Together with our God He reigns. The Good News declared to the disciples is declared to you, here, now, today, every moment, again and again and again. He is risen. His promises still stand. And it changes everything.
No longer are we captive to sin and shame. No longer are we bound to the law, trying to live holy lives and earn our way back into God’s favor. No. His blood purchased our redemption. Paid our ransom. Freed us from our chains. And freed us from our destiny as sinners.
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) It's not a sliding scale – we are all slaves to sin. Not one of us is righteous, holy, or good enough. God’s standard is perfection, and none of us measure up. There’s no case to be made for our righteousness. No defense we can offer that will stand up in court. No matter who we are and what we have done, when we stand in the presence of the Holiest of Holies, God Almighty,
We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind. (Isaiah 64:6, NLT)
But God. But God does not let us stand there in our filth. He doesn’t let us remain in bondage. Lovingly, He reaches out and calls us to Him. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, He redeems us from the evil one. Sets us free from sin. Forgives us our trespasses. Satisfies His wrath and judgment. And offers us communion with Him and the amazing gift of everlasting life.
Dangers and trouble and trials may press against us on all sides, but our ultimate fate is sealed. Jesus has already won. Whatever we face in this life, we have a guarantee of what is to come.
How is this even possible? By no thanks to us. Not by anything we have done. It cannot be earned. It is only by the grace of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8, NLT)
It’s not about what I did or what you did. It’s about what Jesus did for us. And He did what we could never do on our own – He reconciled us to God and grants us the gift of eternal life. Praise be to God! He is risen! Dangers and trouble and trials may press against us on all sides, but our ultimate fate is sealed. Jesus has already won. Whatever we face in this life, we have a guarantee of what is to come.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. (1 Peter 1:3 – 4, NLT)
Do you see? God cares about so much more than our health, wealth, and happiness. He is about a deeper, more meaningful work. He cares about our eternal health and so offers us eternal life in Jesus. He cares about our eternal wealth and so offers to us an eternal inheritance – the riches of His Kingdom. And, He cares less about momentary happiness than He does eternal joy, and so He offers us eternal hope found in knowing Jesus as our Savior and that He has overcome this world.
He cares about our eternal health and so offers us eternal life in Jesus. He cares about our eternal wealth and so offers to us an eternal inheritance – the riches of His Kingdom. And, He cares less about momentary happiness than He does eternal joy, and so He offers us eternal hope found in knowing Jesus as our Savior and that He has overcome this world.
Jesus himself acknowledges the suffering we will face in this world but promises:
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] (John 16:33, AMP)
It’s for those reasons that we are able to say confidently say – no matter what life circumstances come our way; no matter what storms threaten us; no matter the hardships that press in all sides – “It is well with my soul.” Like Mary Magdalene before us, when faced with fear, doubt, anger, and grief, we can lift up our voice and declare: “He is risen!! His promises still stand!!” And we know, it changes everything.
Worship Song Recommendation:
Comments