HE IS RISEN

“He is not here: for He is risen as He said. Come, see the place

where the Lord lay.” - Matthew 28:6

With the death of our Lord the hopes of His disciples perished. Filled with sorrow, they failed to recall His words foretelling His resurrection. They were not comforted; they saw only the cross. The future seemed dark, and their hopes were at their lowest ebb. Sorrowfully, they went away. But, at the appointed time, on the third day a little group of women approached the tomb where their beloved Lord had been laid. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." To them it was but a little thing that they should visit His resting place, and perhaps recall precious memories. "And, behold, there was a great earthquake and the keepers did shake and became as dead men." The angel of the Lord appeared, and the stone was rolled away. "Fear not ... He is not here: He is Risen as He said." Surely, His words came to the minds of those dear witnesses: "I am the resurrection and the life." The love, power, grace, and purpose of the Eternal God is revealed in this, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest act of all time. Words fail to describe their joy as they ran to tell the glad news "to the disciples."

"Christ is Risen!" That is their message. "He lives!" And because He lives, we too shall live. Soon those disciples, with hearts charged with fears and doubts were to know the power of the Risen Christ, and in His name and strength, they were to be used to the glory of the Father and Son. With the Spirit of Pentecost, they were to go forth with the message of saving grace, all made possible through and by a crucified and Risen Savior.

Shortly after His resurrection, He manifested Himself to His disciples. By this, they were reassured, and just before He left them for the last time, He gave to them His final instructions as He enlarged their understanding about the things relative to Himself (Luke 24:44-49). Among His last words, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age," are especially important to the believer.

As we read the account of His death and resurrection, our thought is one of an increasing sense of reverence and appreciation as the unfolding of that supreme and unparalleled sacrifice comes to mind. As yet, we see not the grandeur or the magnitude of the love and grace, the wisdom and mercy, involved therein.

To some have been given the "exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature," the highest possible reward, promised to those who are to be "joint-heirs with Christ" (2 Peter 1:2-4, Romans 8:16-18), who is held up before us as a means to a larger, fuller, and more sanctified life. Such a life is that which must be our goal to follow the Master. Only thus can we feel our sanctification is progressive, producing results.

Whatever we may think of sanctification, the Apostles were united in their exhortations to that end. Let us not be deceived by the Adversary as to the limit of attainment…or to despair of full submission of His will. Let us be honest with ourselves, and live in that 8th chapter of Romans, not forgetting Jesus' words, "Sanctify them through Your truth, Your word is truth." "This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” Only as we look to Christ can we know the depth and potency of Paul's words, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God." Let us not be afraid of heeding the words, "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves." How shall we do this? The answer is found in Hebrews 12:1-3 and onward: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds."

Hence, the Resurrection holds for us much that can be to our gain. The Risen Christ assures all, who accept Him as their Savior, of everlasting life. He declares, "Because I live, you shall live also." That “He is risen, indeed!” is the positive pledge that the glorified Christ "shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body." All who fall asleep in Him shall arise endowed with bodies perfect and glorious to be forever with their exalted Redeemer and King. There we shall have left behind the flesh and all that is a means of testing. "It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope in him, purifies himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

W. Wainwright