“HE IS NOT HERE. FOR HE HAS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID…”
“…Come and see the place where He lay” (Matthew 28:6). The angel’s invitation to the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection—the women who had looked after Jesus until the end (Matthew 27:55-56) and continued even into His burial (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:55-24:1)—was a call not only to see, but to bear witness. “Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead…’” (Matthew 28:7). By virtue of their gender, these women were ineligible to testify in civil matters. By virtue of their faithfulness, they were commanded and commended to testify to the eternal resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of Jesus is not the first Bible story of the dead coming back to life. In 2 Kings 4, we read the account of Elisha and the Shunamite woman’s son who was returned to her from death. In 2 Kings 13:20-21, a nameless man was raised from death to life simply because his dead body accidentally touched the buried bones of Elisha; “he revived and stood on his feet.” Jesus raised from death to life Jairus’s daughter from her sick bed (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41-56), the widow of Nain’s son from the bier carrying him to his grave (Luke 7:11-17), and Lazarus from the tomb he had occupied for four days; “Lord, by this time he stinketh,” Martha warned (John 11:1-57, KJV). If resurrection was nothing new, what makes the resurrection of Jesus worthy of annual commemoration? Why is this resurrection—one among many—perhaps the highest of all holy days?
“If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone. But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:19-22).
The Shunamite’s son was raised, yet he died again. The man thrown into Elisha’s grave was raised, yet he died again. Jairus’s daughter, the widow of Nain’s son, and even Lazarus of Bethany were all raised, yet all died again. But not so for Jesus!
…we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him. For the death He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life He lives, He lives to God” (Romans 6:9-10).
Jesus’ “resurrection marked the Father’s satisfaction with the Son’s completed work of salvation; nothing more remained to be accomplished” (Allison, 2018). The sinless Son of God lived a life of perfect obedience; He secured our blessing. The spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, bearing the wrath our sins were due in our place at Calvary; He bore our curse. The Great High Priest who mediates a new covenant (Heb 9:11-28) in His blood; He became our propitiation (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2, 4:10). The risen King who defeats death, overcoming the grave; He secured our eternity. The ascended Savior now seated at the right hand of the Father in the position of universal authority; He intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25) and by virtue of our union with Him has seated us in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6-7).
Jesus’s death was vicarious in the sense that it was in our place, as our substitute. Jesus’s resurrection is vicarious in the sense that it foretells our own. “For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. …So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:5, 11). The Scriptures refer to Jesus as the firstfruits—the first of a larger harvest to come. Because He was resurrected to eternal life, those of us who are in Christ will follow in like manner. Because Jesus lives, we will live also with Him and can join this prayer with all the saints:
“Almighty God, who through Your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever and ever. Amen” (The Book of Common Prayer, 1979).
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EASTER SEASON
Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal (Fullness of Time) by Esau McCauley (2022, IVP Formatio)
The 1979 Book of Common Prayer (2005, Oxford University Press)
50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology by Gregg R. Allison (2018, Baker Publishing Group)
