This week, we reflect on one of the most powerful moments in all of history: the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. While His death on the cross was a profound act of love and sacrifice, it is His resurrection that serves as the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without it, the gospel would be incomplete, which is why Apostle Paul declares, “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Corinthians 15:14). The empty tomb is our eternal assurance that Jesus indeed conquered death and the grave – that is the foundation of our hope. And unlike other religions and beliefs, we serve the One true God, the risen King who lives forevermore!
We read that after Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body, and it was given him (Matthew 27:57-58). He wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a new tomb carved out of rock, a costly and sacrificial act. This teaches us that as disciples, we must be willing to serve the Kingdom with our resources. Joseph’s wealth gave him access to the king, and likewise, we are called to influence society for the advancement of the Kingdom. After Jesus was buried, His mockers – the chief priests and Pharisees – remembered His words and went to Pilate, saying, “that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:63-64). Fearing that His resurrection would settle the matter of His Lordship forever, the religious and political powers of the day conspired to prevent even the appearance of it, urging Pilate to secure the tomb with a seal and rotating guards (vs.65-66). But in trying to suppress the truth, they became witnesses to the greatest miracle in history. The seal was broken, the stone was rolled away, and the Son of God rose in victory!
Romans 10:9 declares, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Saints, our salvation hinges not just on Jesus’ death, but on believing that He rose again. That is what sets Christianity apart from every other faith – our Redeemer lives! Christ is the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), which means that just as He rose, we too will rise after the same manner – because if the firstfruit is holy, so are the rest (Romans 11:16). His resurrection secured our own, which is why John 5:28-29 promises that “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” Romans 8:11 confirms this, saying, “The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ … will also give life to your mortal bodies.” It is the Holy Ghost that was responsible for the rising of Jesus, and He is the same today that has become the very guarantee (surety) that we too will be raised in like fashion. That is why it is essential that we grow in the understanding of our inheritance, a cry echoed in Philippians 3:10 by Apostle Paul saying, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,” and 1 Peter 1:3, which reminds us that we have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Church, this hope will be fulfilled when the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:54). So, we proclaim with boldness, “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (v.55), because through Jesus, death has lost its power forever. And when Christ returns, our bodies will be raised in glory, and we will reign with Him forevermore.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the works of the cross and the victory we have over death through the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May we daily walk in the light of that truth with boldness, knowing that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in us. In Jesus name, Amen!
