He was Nowhere to be Found

Happy Easter from the New Man Movement

The Bible tells us of the resurrection morning when some women and apostles went to Jesus' tomb, expecting to find His body. On getting there, they discovered that the tomb was empty, and the angel at the tomb told them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen".

Every time I read this, I get a new revelation into how Jesus conquered the grave and set us free. He tore the veil and reconnected us back to a holy God. In 1st Corinthians 15:14-20, we read that "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" He also conquered the sting of death and won death, giving us the victory (1 Corinthians 15:55). This further explains that Jesus Christ did not only die for our sins, but also rose physically from the death as proof that God had truly accepted His sacrifice. In the words of Rick Warren, "no other event has impacted the world so much as the resurrection of Jesus Christ." The resurrection of Jesus is the very heart of the Christian faith because without the resurrection, faith in Christ would be meaningless. The resurrection was even foretold hundreds of years before Jesus' birth: Psalm 16:9-10.
 
In 1 Corinthians 15 Apostle Paul reasoned saying, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… We are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead." In that same chapter he says "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." But then Paul triumphantly declares, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:14-20). This is the promise to us and we believe God's word unlike the Sadducees in Mark 12 who do not believe in the resurrection.

When Lazarus died, Martha said to Jesus if you had been here my brother would not have died. However, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25) Then Jesus went into the tomb and literally called Lazarus up to life again. This confirms the scriptures in 1 Peter 1:3 which says blessed be God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ because according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
 

From these verses, it is clear that it is upon the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ that the whole Christian message and hope rests. If there is anything that could be described as the greatest event in history, without doubt, that is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago. The greatest moment in history is the very moment when Jesus rose from the dead! It was the great culmination of God making Himself known to us that He alone is the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End. He Himself is the unlimited, the all sufficient El Shaddai who is in control of everything.


THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AFTER DEATH

Resurrection is the great hope and destiny of every Christian. When we deal with this "great matter of resurrection, we are actually talking about the mysterious subject of life after death. And the Bible talks about this subject very seriously and realistically in terms of resurrection. Resurrection does not mean that I will or I can take this body – this actual body of mine – into the world that is to come. But it does teach us that the body that I shall have then will be a body that will be very wonderfully and intimately related to this present body which I have now.

The great Christian belief and hope of resurrection in a nutshell is this, that just as Jesus Christ was raised from the death in a body of glory so our lowly bodies will be transformed and made like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). Therefore since God organises matter in a variety of ways there is no reason to doubt that it is beyond His powers to raise to eternal life the body that is sown in corruption.
 
The Bible in 1st Corinthians 15:54-55 says that "when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the words will be fulfilled which is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" As we inherit our natural life from Adam so we receive our spiritual life from Christ. As we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall bear the image of the heavenly. You cannot figure out how God does all this; it's beyond our capacity to comprehend. God made the whole world from nothing. He is an omnipotent God. What may be seen as impossible and ridiculous to the human mind is possible to God. God's power underlies Jesus' resurrection. If He created the universe and has power over it, He has power to raise the dead.



THE BEAUTY OF A CHRISTIAN'S DEATH

1st Corinthians 15:20 says that "Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep". What is so beautiful about a Christian's death?  Well of course anyone would ask for that matter, is there anything in the world that is so beautiful about death? You might perhaps say death is the most ugly, solemn and depressing thing that you could ever think off. Yet this verse says the Christian's death is just like falling asleep in the arms of Jesus. Christ has become the first fruits of those who sleep. And the figure of sleep is used constantly in the New Testament to portray the death of those who belong to Jesus Christ. Death is harmless to the people of God. For those who are in Christ, the happiness of heaven commences immediately after death.

 
WHEN TIME SHALL BE NO MORE

One thing that we are certain of in life is death or the inevitability of death so to speak. All the rest of the concerns that are related to our lives hang with uncertainty. But our approaching death is a very very certain and definite thing that no one can escape from. A moment lies ahead for each one of us when time shall cease and no longer available and a step into eternity will take place. What is on the other side of time? Jesus said, "I AM the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25); "I AM the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

Death brings fear to those who lack a relationship with Christ. Unfortunately, it is the certainty of this approaching death that brings so much of fear and depression to the minds of many people. Many people do not like to think of this death as a reality and therefore we continue and continue to pretend that our lives will never end. But you and I who are in Christ can be certain of our destiny and be sure of what is on the other side.  When death departs us from this world, we will immediately go to be with Christ. The figure is no less beautiful that after the toils of life have ended we shall fall asleep in the arms of Jesus.
 

Our passage says that Jesus is the first fruits of His people and the promise is that just as certainly as Jesus rose from the dead, so His people in the moment of resurrection shall also rise from the dead and they shall be like Him and they shall be with Him forever. Right down towards the end of the passage, it tells us perhaps the most wonderful truth in the New Testament; that there is a moment coming when Jesus will return. It is that moment when He returns that those who are asleep shall be called from the grave. They shall be changed in a moment and they shall rise and meet Christ in the air.  But the generation of Christians who are alive when Christ returns they will not die and in a moment they will be changed and caught up with Christ. (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Resurrection: The Beginning of a Christian's Destiny

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the beginning of our destiny as Christians. Our destiny is entirely bound up with Christ and His resurrection and His coming again. Jesus said at a moment that He is least expected He will return again. And those of us who are around and tuned to the things that are happening can see already the signs and symptoms pointing towards our Lord's return.

 
CHRIST INDEED IS OUR HOPE AND ASSURANCE

But what I have said is true only to those who have surrendered their lives to Christ and are walking in fellowship with Him. However there are a great number of people unfortunately, who do not belong to Christ and therefore do not share in this great hope and destiny of Christians.

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and He appeared to His disciples during a period of 40 days, showing Himself to them by many "infallible proofs." Paul said that Jesus appeared to more than 500 of His followers at one time, the majority of whom were still alive then and who could confirm what Paul wrote.

Jesus Christ is alive, and His life is the essence of our relationship and experience right now.

 
As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not overcome Him. Sin could not defeat Him. Satan could not condemn Him. He lives! He lives! And He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in heaven interceding for you and me. "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" (Rom. 14:11)

As true believers celebrating the death burial and resurrection of Christ this season, it is our prayer as a ministry that you will be tremendously encouraged by this message. We trust that this will give you renewed hope and encouragement to live for Christ. We also hope that whatever the future holds for you, you have a calm and settled faith and that you will be able to glorify God both in this life and the life to come.

Happy Easter Celebrations!
 
 

0/Post a Comment/Comments

Please drop a comment and use the Social Media Buttons below to share to friends and family.