MATTHEW 28:1-10 – Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
THEME OF THE DAY: REMEMBER AND APPLY. The following story is told of D. L. Moody when he was a young man. He was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He hunted all through the Four Gospels trying to find one of Christ’s funeral sermons, but searched in vain. He found that Christ broke up every funeral He ever attended. Death could not exist where He was. When the dead heard His voice, they sprang to life. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).
Every Christian knows the resurrection of our Lord is the key element in our faith. Here is what the Apostle Paul says of the importance of Christ’s resurrection – Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). But there is more to Christ’s resurrection than us acknowledging its importance in the Gospel and our faith. It extends to living the Christian life.
The glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is not just an event in history but the power for the Christian life. As we meditate on the Risen Lord Jesus, we are reminded the Christian life is a moment-by-moment walk with the Living Jesus, not a lifeless moral code or ethic lacking power, love, joy, and influence for Him. We do this by faith that brings the reality of the Lord Jesus into our daily experience as a Christian. We walk with Him in prayer. We see Him as we read our Bibles. We watch His hand of providence guiding us through all our days, recognizing His work in us through trials and tough circumstances. All these are only possible because of today’s scripture – But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for raising Your Son from the dead and giving me hope beyond the grave.”
QUOTE: “The resurrection of the Lord Jesus in the past is the power for the Christian life in the present.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim