Resurrection
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After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
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Resurrection
Personal
In 2010 Jennie and I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and I had the privilege of leading a service of Holy Communion for our tour at the empty tomb of Jesus. The next day we went to the Holy Sepulchre, to a different empty tomb of Jesus. I thought, “Wait a minute how can you not be sure where he was buried?” In fact, it turns out there are quite a few possible locations of the empty tomb. Think about it, the most famous person in History and we’re not sure where he is buried. How can that be when we have a Pharaoh in the Great Pyramid in Egypt since 2500BC (Khufu), we have a tomb of a Chinese Emperor (Qushihuang) since 208BC, Hadrian died in AD138 and is in Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome. These are all places where tourists and pilgrims can visit but not us Christians, we aren’t sure.
But why does it matter?
I think it’s significant because it proves what really happened on the first Easter and what it actually means today.
What really happened and what it actually means for us 2000 years later.
I did my ordination training at Bible College in Durham in the 1990’s and around the same time the Bishop of Durham was getting the headlines because he said he didn’t believe Jesus physically rose from the dead. He believed Jesus’ spirit rose and that his spirit lives on through his teachings.
Maybe you can live with that, but it’s not what really happened. Going back to my rant about the empty tomb, the reason the Christians have lost the empty tomb is because it was empty and once it was empty it was not important to the first Christians because they had the risen Jesus with them. Two Marys, Peter and John went to the empty tomb but no other disciples ran to the tomb to check it out. Presumably, they believed the women but more importantly, Jesus was present with them, he came to them on that first day (except Thomas).
None of the stories of the body being stolen or his ghost or spirit rising can be true because the risen Jesus was present with them he ate with them, they touched him, talked and walked with him.
Jesus really rose in bodily form, the tomb was so empty they forgot to remember where it was, the tomb wasn’t important because they had the risen Jesus with them - it really happened. Hallelujah! He is risen indeed.
It really happened but what does it actually mean?
In 1966 the England Football team won the World Cup, it happened but it wasn’t life-changing for most people in the world. If the Resurrection was just an incredible miracle that proves Jesus is the Messiah it isn’t life-changing for most people. A lot of Easter preaching focuses on retelling the events of the first Easter, the empty tomb the appearances but it is history, abstract, so what.
But think it through if Jesus rose from death in bodily form it changes everything. Paul wrote:
‘I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection’ — Philippians 3:10
The Resurrection really happened but what does it actually mean?
(Four quick answers and then a fifth with a personal story)
The Resurrection means our future is a physical one. At our life’s end we will not rise in heaven as floating spirits we will walk the heavenly streets, we will feast and worship Him John 14:3 says ‘we will be with him’ 1 John 1:3 says ‘we will be like him.’
The Resurrection was the beginning of the Kingdom come that we are taught to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer. The first fruit of God’s Kingdom power coming into the world to restore and heal all. The Kingdom come has gate-crashed the here and now!
The Resurrection means he is Risen Lord. Matthew 28:9 ‘Mary clasped his feet and worshipped him.’ Revelations 1:17 John says when I saw him I fell at his feet and he said ‘I am the living one I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever.’
Risen Lord (Lord of all) affects everything we relate to. Our money, our possessions, our relationships, our attitudes, how we do our jobs, our studies, how we are in race relations, in sexual practice, in justice – everything. The Risen Lord challenges us to allow him to be Lord of all we are, all we do and all we have.The resurrection means Jesus is with us in partnership. We get to be partners in spreading his good news in the world. Matthew 28:19 ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ Acts 4:33: "With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all."
What does the resurrection actually mean, in a word it means ‘presence’ and presence means everything.
If Christmas is about God with us then
Easter is about God with us always
The resurrection means his presence, ‘I am with you always.’ —Matthew 28:20
The physical resurrection means we can experience him. Today we don’t just follow Jesus’ teachings or imitate his lifestyle, we can actually know and be known by the living Lord Jesus. By inviting him into our lives we become spiritually alive, a new creation, transformed because he dwells within us (2 Corinthians 5:17). More than 160 times in his letters Paul wrote about us being In Him and Christ in us The resurrection means he longs to be present with us in and through all things in life’s journey
I’ll finish with a personal story which will explain why I am so passionate about this.
When I was a young boy I invited Jesus into my life and without any pyrotechnics I know I became spiritually alive (born again) that day.
About 10 years later at the age of 23, I was in a car accident and lying paralysed on a grassy bank on Honister Pass in Lake District I was fighting for my life. I distinctly heard a voice which I believe to be the Lord’s saying these comforting words
‘I am with you always’ — Matthew 28:20
Those words kept me hanging on and yes I sit here today in a wheelchair but in the last 40 years I have found it to be so true, he is my ever-present help at times of trouble, he is not a spiritual guru whose writings I love he is a living risen Lord Jesus who I know and love and he knows and loves me come let us worship and glorify him again this Easter.
Anastasis
Then on the third at break of dawn
The Son of heaven rose again
O trampled death where is your sting?
The angels roar for Christ the KingO praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
