THE SAVIOR'S
RESURRECTION
'Early hasten to the tomb,
Where they laid His breathless clay
All is solitude and gloom-
Who has taken Him away?
Christ is risen! He meets our eyes.
Savior, teach us so to rise.'
"You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here!
He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body."
Mark 16:6
"But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become
the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again." 1
Cor. 15:20
'The consideration of our Lord's resurrection should strengthen our faith,
and quicken our hope in God, causing us firmly to believe His word, and
confidently to rely upon His promises, especially those which concern our
future state.' -Barrow.
'The wisdom of God, the righteousness of God, and the truth of God, did all
shine forth in their fullest beams, in the raising Him from the dead; which
was the top stone of our reconciliation, as His death had been the
cornerstone and foundation.' -Charnock.
THE SAVIOR IN HIS RESURRECTION.
Majestical He rose: trembled the earth;
The ponderous gate of stone was rolled away;
The keepers fell, the angels, awe-struck,
sunk into invisibility, while forth
The Savior of the world walked, and stood
Before the sepulcher, and viewed the clouds,
Empurpled glorious by the rising sun. -Graham.
The divine declaration that Jesus has risen from the dead is most cheering
to the true Christian. If our blessed Surety who was voluntarily brought to
the dust of death for us, had not burst the bars of the grave and risen for
our justification, all our hopes of future bliss must have been buried in
the tomb. Our pilgrimage on earth would have been dark and lonely, and our
descent into the valley of death sad and despairing. In vain would we have
looked for sympathy and support in the solemn hour of the spirit's departure
to its everlasting home. No bright morning-star would have appeared in our
sky, to foretell the rising of the Sun of Righteousness- to point us to a
blissful immortality beyond the dark and silent grave. No precious promises
would have glowed on the pages of the Scriptures, to tell us of a risen and
glorified Redeemer- of saints being raised in His likeness- of the songs of
a complete and glorious salvation- of the rivers of pleasures in Emmanuel's
land- of the boundless stores of divine riches laid up for the righteous in
the mansions of the better country. Without the joyful tidings of the
Savior's resurrection, how could the Bible have proved a lamp to our feet,
and a light to our path? How important, then, is the doctrine of the
resurrection of Christ! for upon it we build our hopes of eternal life. We
cannot estimate this subject too highly. It is a fundamental article of
Christianity- the very pillar and ground of the truth, as it is in Jesus.
While we would here essay to dwell upon some of the leading particulars of
this delightful theme, and consider the great consolation it affords to a
world over which death reigns, let us rejoice evermore in the blessed
assurance that Jesus has risen indeed. Let us regard His resurrection as a
most joyful event. And in the divine belief of it, let us repair to Him
whose arms are now stretched out from the throne of heaven to save the lost;
and we shall find, that in committing our souls to His care and keeping, He
will guide us safely through life with His counsel, be with us in death, and
on the morning of the resurrection take us up in His own likeness, to
participate with Him in that glory with which He is now crowned in the
celestial Paradise.
THE TIME OF THE SAVIOR'S RESURRECTION. It was on the morning of the third
day after His crucifixion, that Jesus rose from the dead. It was on the
first day of the week, 'very early in the morning,' while 'it was yet dark,'
that this bright and Morning Star rose from the regions of darkness and the
shadow of death. 'A morning then dawned which is to be followed by no
evening; a brighter Sun arose upon the world, which is to set no more; a day
began which shall never end; and night and darkness departed to return not
again.' Then did the blessed 'day-spring from on high' revisit us with
increased glory. Most appropriately did Christ, the true Light, rise 'early
in the morning.' He agonized in Gethsemane in the gloom of midnight; He
suffered on Calvary in darkness; now He rises in light.
He rises early. He does not leave His disciples long to mourn His absence.
On the eve of His departure, He said to them: 'A little while, and you shall
not see me; and again, a little while, and you shall see me.' Deep, indeed,
was their distress, when they saw His body committed to the grave on the
evening of the day of his crucifixion: and with hearts much affected with
grief did they return from the sepulcher, to pass the cheerless hours of the
night. But brief was the period of their tears, as is the case with all the
children of God. 'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the
morning.' In His infinite grace our blessed Lord shortens, as far as it is
for His glory and our good, the period of our earthly trials, making our
afflictions both light and momentary.
As the darkness of that last night in which the Savior lay in the tomb
begins to disappear before the returning light of morning, angels descend
from heaven to witness the triumphs of the cross; to roll away the stone
from the sepulcher; and to rejoice over the resurrection of the Son of Man.
The hour at length comes, when He, who voluntarily laid down His life for
sinners, takes it again amid illustrious displays of divine power and glory.
How solemn and momentous was the period of the Savior's awakening from the
sleep of death! With the eye of faith let us draw near, and within sight of
the sepulcher, witness the rising of our divine Redeemer. While gazing on
the solemn scene we see the great stone suddenly rolled away from the door
of the sepulcher by a messenger from heaven, whose countenance was like
lightning, and whose clothing was white as snow. We see life returning anew
into the cold inanimate body of the Man of Calvary. We see Him come forth
and stand before the open sepulcher; while, at the same time, we feel the
ground trembling; we see the rocks cleaving, the graves of saints opening,
and the Roman guards alarmed and terrified, falling to the ground like dead
men. How impressive is the narrative which the Evangelist Matthew gives of
this solemn and miraculous event! 'Suddenly there was a great earthquake,
because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the
stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as
white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell
into a dead faint.'
THE APPEARANCE OF THE SAVIOR TO HIS DISCIPLES. Let us now consider the
appearance of the Savior to His disciples after His resurrection. On the
first day of the week, 'at the rising of the sun,' those pious women, who
were last at the sepulcher, come first to it, bringing the 'sweet spices'
which they had prepared for the purpose of embalming His body. But little
did they imagine, as they hastened towards Calvary at the dawn of that
joyful day, that Christ was now no longer under the power of death- that He
had risen victoriously from the grave- that His body had no more need of
being anointed with 'sweet spices'- that He was now clothed with the robes
of immortality- that death could have 'no more dominion over Him'- that He
could now exclaim in language of exultation, 'O grave, where is your
victory?' If they had known all this, they would have been overjoyed; but
'as yet they did not understand the scripture, that He must rise again from
the dead.' The brightest glories of Calvary had not yet shone into their
hearts, disclosing to them the moral grandeur of the atonement.
Now, depressed in spirit, they set out for the garden and the sepulcher; and
with eager footsteps advance towards the sacred spot. The thought of passing
the guard stationed near the tomb, does not seem to have occasioned fear in
them. Their only inquiry is, 'Who shall roll us away the stone from the door
of the sepulcher?' Notwithstanding this impediment in the way of performing
a benevolent work, they still proceed. Let us imitate them in seeking Him
who was crucified. Let us early tread the path which leads to Him, relying
on His promise, that those who seek Him early shall find Him. Let us not
fear on account of the difficulties by the way. Let not the depravity of our
hearts, nor the devices of Satan, nor the opposition of the world, keep us
for a moment from looking to the blessed Jesus.
O my Savior! may not the empty and transient pleasures of earth turn away my
heart from following You with whom is the unfailing fountain of all
felicity. May I seek You continually in Your word, and in the ordinances of
Your grace; so that I may be prepared for beholding Your face in
righteousness on the peaceful shores of the heavenly Canaan.
'Why should earthly beauties tear me
From the Fountain of all bliss,
From that Lord who waits to bear me
To a happier land than this?
Faith already seems beginning
To approach that land of rest,
Where I shall have done with sinning,
And with endless peace be blest.
Hastening to those heavenly treasures
Baser joys I leave behind;
Earth with all its boasted pleasures,
Shall not move my steadfast mind.'
The women at length reach the tomb in which the Redeemer was laid. They find
it open, the great stone rolled away, and the guard of soldiers terrified
and dispersed. They enter into it, but the body of the Lord Jesus is not
there. He has risen. Of this glorious truth they are assured by an angel,
whose dazzling appearance at first filled them with great fear. 'So they
entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white
robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised.
You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here!
He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.'
Here we have more than human testimony respecting the resurrection of
Christ. It is confirmed by the sure testimony of an angel from heaven. This
celestial messenger informs the women that Christ has risen, while, at the
same time, he invites them to survey His empty tomb. 'Come, see the place
where the Lord lay.' They find the Savior has abandoned the sepulcher. They
see His grave-clothes laid aside. He is no longer in that chamber of
darkness. He is risen. Blessed truth! Early in that eventful morning death
was despoiled of his prey. O grave, where is now your victory? You have
yielded to the triumphs of the cross. You are forever vanquished. From your
fear, we are delivered by the rising of the Star of Morning. As we now turn
our eye to the open tomb of Jesus, the angelic declaration comes to inspire
us with sweet hope, and to raise our affections to those things which are
above, where Christ now sits on the right hand of God- He is not here- for
He has risen.
Hark! the herald angels say,
Christ, the Lord, is risen today!
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Let the glorious tidings fly.
Love's redeeming work is done!
The battle's fought, the victory won!
Lo, the sun's eclipse is over;
Lo, he sets in blood no more.
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ has burst the gates of hell;
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened Paradise.
Lives again our glorious King,
"Where, O death, is now your sting?"
Once he died our souls to save.
"Where's your victory, boasting grave?"
Triumphant Redeemer, death could not hold You; the grave could not retain
You; the stone, the seal, the keepers could not confine You to the regions
of darkness. At the appointed time You arose, achieving a glorious triumph
by destroying him that had the power of death, and delivering those, who,
through fear of the last enemy, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
You have paid the price of our redemption in Your death, and are risen again
for our justification- for the purpose of pleading our cause in heaven, and
receiving the highest honor, power, and glory as the only Mediator between
God and man. Oh, risen and exalted Savior, while here in the house of our
pilgrimage may we always speak Your praise with a joyful heart, and in
yonder heavenly home of the righteous, sing in seraphic strains the triumphs
of the cross- of the wonders of redeeming love! 'I will extol You, my God, O
King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever.'
'Hosanna to our conquering King;
All hail, incarnate Love;
Ten thousand songs and glories wait
To crown Your head above.
Your victories, and Your deathless fame
Through the wide world shall run,
And everlasting ages sing
The triumphs You have won.'
Come near and look into the grave of Jesus. Behold the place where the
Redeemer of the world lay. Consider how deep was that humiliation which
brought Him to the dust of death, for the purpose of raising us to glory,
and honor, and immortality. Contemplate the vastness of that love which
constrained Him to make His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His
death. And as you think of His tomb, let all fear and sorrow be banished
from your mind, let cheerful hope return; let devout rapture be enkindled in
your soul; for He has risen, and secured our resurrection to eternal life.
He has irradiated the dismal chambers of the grave, and made them places of
repose to the bodies of the saints until the blissful morning of the
resurrection.
And now as we look steadily and earnestly into the sepulcher of the Man of
sorrows, while angels whisper in our ears the soul-entrancing words, 'He is
not here: for He has risen,' let us also surrey with joy our own empty
graves; for we, too, are risen with Jesus, and our life is hidden with
Christ in God, and we are the heirs of a glorious immortality in the skies.
How sweet the thought! What transporting joy does it bring to the good man,
even amid his earthly toils, and conflicts, and distresses! Here is a source
of ineffable happiness.
Then, let us not confine our views to the narrow house appointed for all
living. Let us look with lively hope beyond the grave of the Christian. Let
us look upwards, where all is bright, and joyous, and happy. Yonder, on
Zion's hill, is the true, abiding home of the ransomed of the Lord. To that
happy home the soul of every believer passes as soon as he falls asleep in
Jesus. The child of God never sees death, because He, who is the
resurrection and the life, has triumphed over the king of terrors, spoiled
principalities and powers, and showed us the path to the realms of 'unending
day'. 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my words, he shall
never see death.'
'When by a good man's grave I muse alone,
Methinks an angel sits upon the stone;
Like those of old, on that thrice-hallowed night,
Who sat and watched in clothing heavenly bright;
And with a voice inspiring joy, not fear,
Says, pointing upwards- that he is not here,
That he is risen!'
Shortly after His resurrection Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene. 'Now
when Jesus was risen, early on the first day of the week, He appeared first
to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.' How full of
tenderness and compassion is our Lord and Savior! How freely does He forgive
our iniquity! Mary Magdalene, once a notorious sinner, is reclaimed by
sovereign grace- becomes a true penitent, and is honored with the first
sight of the risen Savior. To her much was forgiven- and she loved much. She
was greatly- humbled on account of her many sins, and highly exalted by the
Savior after her conversion. Here is certainly great encouragement for all
true penitents. If we sincerely confess our sins and repent of them, He who
came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, will, in the
multitude of His tender mercies, freely forgive us, reclaim us from the
error of our ways, and give us the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness.
If we cleave closely to Him, He will graciously manifest Himself to us, and
show us more and more of the beauty and excellency of His Person, the
greatness of His love, His suitableness as a Savior, and the riches of the
glory of His inheritance in the saints. How wonderful is the loving-kindness
of Him who reveals the deep and secret things- who has made known His ways
to Moses, and His acts to the children of Israel!
Soon after His appearance to Mary and her companions, the Savior makes
Himself known to Peter, whose name was particularly mentioned by the angel
when he declared the resurrection of Christ to the women, and directed them
to communicate the glad tidings to the disciples. 'But go your way, tell His
disciples and Peter.' Here is another remarkable instance of the compassion
of Jesus to His erring disciples. In denying His Lord and Master, Peter
committed a very grievous sin; but having heartily repented of it, he was
now in deep spiritual distress, and must speedily be comforted, lest he
should be swallowed up with over-much sorrow. And how great was his joy when
the news of the Savior's resurrection was received! How eagerly did he press
towards the sepulcher, that He might see Jesus! So does the sincere penitent
earnestly seek Christ in the night of spiritual desertion. In such gloomy
seasons his language is: 'I will rise now, and go about the city in the
streets, and in the broad ways I will seek Him whom my soul loves.' To such
a penitent, nothing is so welcome as a sight of the Crucified One; for He
alone can impart joy to the trembling and anxious sinner conscious of having
committed aggravated sin, and say to Him: 'Son, be of good cheer, your sins
are forgiven.' Peter most affectionately received the newly-risen Savior,
and fearlessly did he ever afterwards stand up for His cause until his own
ransomed spirit was borne on high, to wear the martyr's crown.
The Savior next appears to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, a
village about seven miles from Jerusalem. One of the disciples, we are told,
was Cleopas, and the other is supposed by many to have been John. As they
journey on, depressed in spirit, conversing together about 'all these things
which had happened,' Jesus joins them in their walk. After listening a short
time to their remarks, He begins to talk to them of the necessity of the
sufferings, death, and resurrection of Messiah, and as the consequence and
reward of His sufferings His entrance upon His mediatorial glory. He then
explains toy them the scripture passages concerning His own divine mission
to our lost world, and shows those who the divine predictions have been
actually accomplished. What a happy effect must those words of heavenly
wisdom, which came from the lips of the newly risen Savior, have produced in
the minds of those holy men, whose theme was Jesus of Nazareth! Their hearts
their glowed with sacred love and strong desire after the things of God. It
was indeed good for them to be there.
As they approach the village of Emmaus, they are unwilling to let Jesus
leave them, though He had not yet made Himself known. They constrain Him to
abide with them, as the evening was now drawing near. He accepts their
hospitalities, eats with them, and in the breaking of bread, reveals Himself
to them. 'As they sat down to eat, he took a small loaf of bread, asked
God's blessing on it, broke it, then gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes
were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!'
Who, that is renewed by the Spirit of God, does not love to think of the
journey to Emmaus, and the heavenly conversation by the way! What a noble
example is here presented for the imitation of the way-worn pilgrim of
earth, while traveling to the mansions of rest in heaven! Let him associate
with those whose conversation is in heaven, and talk together by the way, of
all those things that concern the spiritual kingdom of our blessed Savior.
Then may we expect that Christ will draw near to us, and make a clear
discovery of the matchless excellencies and glories of His Person and work
to our disconsolate souls, irradiating them with beams of divine light,
raising our affections far above sublunary objects, and transporting us with
blessed visions of the felicities of heaven. Then will we better understand
the import of these precious promises, 'I will love him, and will manifest
myself to him.' 'Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them.' 'Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each
other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of
remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and
loved to think about him. "They will be my people," says the Lord Almighty.
"On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare
them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.'
Then will our passage through life be one continued Emmaus journey: every
day we thus walk will be a Sabbath day's journey towards the mansions of
bliss; and we shall enjoy many a sweet foretaste of heaven upon earth. A
risen Savior will then reveal Himself to our souls in His word and
ordinances; and with open face we shall behold as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, and be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord. Then will our hearts burn within us, while He opens
to our understanding the Scriptures, and while in the breaking of bread at
the sacramental table He makes himself known to us, and grants us sweet
communion with Him.
Blessed Jesus, may Your presence go with me as I journey through the
wilderness of this world. Abide in me continually by Your Spirit, and may I
experience the fulfillment of that cheering promise- 'Lo, I am with you
always.' O You whom my soul loves, let me see Your countenance, let me hear
Your voice; for Your voice is sweet, and Your countenance is lovely. Abide
with me, for the day is 'far spent.'
Abide with me from morn 'till eve,
For without You I cannot live.
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without You I dare not die.'
As the storms of life gather around me with a threatening aspect, O merciful
Redeemer, may I cleave more closely to You, enjoy sweeter communion with
You, taste more and more of Your goodness, until my soul, freed from its
earthly tabernacle, shall ascend to dwell forever in Your glorious presence,
to enjoy the smiles of Your countenance, and to feast on the hidden manna in
the celestial Paradise.
The same evening in which Christ makes Himself known to the two disciples,
He appears to the ten apostles assembled in Jerusalem, Thomas being absent.
He there gives them His peace, breathes on them the Holy Spirit, and shows
them His hands and His side, bearing the marks of the nails and the spear.
They see, they believe, they rejoice. 'Then were the disciples glad when
they saw the Lord.' A few hours before, they 'mourned and wept;' now they
are filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit. Now do they realize the
sweetness of that blessed promise, 'I will see you again, and your heart
shall rejoice, and your joy shall no man take from you.'
When Jesus is absent there is great cause for lamentation; for then all is
cheerlessness and sterility with the soul; but when His presence is enjoyed,
the very desert is made to rejoice and blossom as the rose. Oh, the joy that
the soul experiences when by faith it sees the Lord Jesus, and hears Him
whisper- 'Peace be unto you!' How are the disciples overpowered with
emotions of wonder, and admiration, and gratitude, when they gaze upon the
wounds inflicted upon Jesus- when they behold the print of the nails in His
hand, and the spear in His side! May we also be glad at the sight of Christ,
while we walk by faith, until we come to behold Him in the midst of the
heavenly throne, appearing as a Lamb that had been slain; and with sublime,
everlasting joy adore Him for giving Himself for our offences, and rising
again for our justification.
'May each revolving year inflame
Our zeal, delight, and love;
'Till round the throne we chant His name
In purer strains above.
Oh! come, you servants of the Lord,
His endless praise proclaim
In gladsome notes His love record,
For, worthy is the Lamb.'
Blessed Savior, during our passage through this valley of mortality, be in
our midst to sustain and soothe us by Your gracious presence, and to gladden
our hearts by manifesting to us the many tokens of Your goodness. May we
rejoice in the belief that You are risen indeed, and have carried with You
from the tomb the marks of Your crucifixion, for our eternal wonder and
admiration. May we be continually making new discoveries of Your infinite
perfections, and wonderful works in saving souls from death, and forgiving a
multitude of sins. May we daily look into Your Word, and there read the
immensity of Your benevolence towards our guilty race. May we see that the
fountain of eternal life has been opened in Your pierced side; and that we
are invited to come and drink of the water that You give us; so that our
souls may be invigorated, our joy full, our salvation certain and complete.
Oh, may we experience Your rich grace in our hearts on earth; and beyond the
shores of time, taste Your goodness through the circling ages of eternity.
Then around Your heavenly throne we shall celebrate the triumphs of Your
death and resurrection; and with gladsome notes praise You through an
eternal Sabbath, whose brightness no shadows of night shall ever obscure.
'Through this wild wilderness I roam,
Far distant from my blissful home;
Lord, let Your presence be my stay,
And guard me in this dangerous way.
Temptations everywhere annoy,
And sins and snares my peace destroy;
My earthly joys are from me torn,
And often an absent God I mourn.'
The next Sabbath after His first appearance to the ten apostles, Christ
comes again, and stands in the midst of them, and salutes them as before, by
saying, 'Peace be unto you.' Thomas was now present. To him the story of the
Savior's resurrection had appeared unbelievable. When told by the other
disciples, that they had seen the Lord, he replied, 'Except I shall see in
His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.' No sooner had
Jesus saluted the disciples than He turned to Thomas, and addressed to him
these touching words: 'Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and
reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side; and do not be faithless,
but believing.' It is enough. His incredulity immediately vanishes. The
voice of the Savior- the expression of His countenance- the beaming of His
eye- the sight of His wounds- produce an irresistible effect upon his mind.
He seeks no additional evidence to convince him that Jesus is risen; but
forthwith makes a noble confession of the truth, and of his faith in Him, by
exclaiming, 'My Lord and my God.'
This is the language of the strongest faith. Can we, in truth and sincerity,
adopt it as ours? Or are we still 'faithless and unbelieving?' Will not the
voice of Jesus, in His Word, convince us of the truth of His resurrection,
and establish us in the most holy faith of the gospel? Hear His own
declaration uttered from the realms of immortality, 'I am the living one who
died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and
the grave.' In His infinite compassion He calls us to look upon Him, and
live. 'Behold me, behold me.' 'Behold, it is I' He shows us His hands and
His side; and tells us that He was wounded for our transgressions, and
bruised for our iniquities- that the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;
and that with His stripes we are healed. Let us rise from the slumbers of
unbelief, stretch forth the hand of faith, and exclaim with Thomas, 'MY Lord
and MY God;' and with David, 'O my soul, you have said unto the Lord, You
are my Lord;' and with Job, 'I know that my Redeemer lives;' and with Paul,
'I know whom I have believed;' and with Solomon, 'My Beloved is MINE, and I
am His.'
Adorable Savior, how patiently did You bear with the infirmities of Your
disciples! How tender was Your care for them! How great Your condescension
in thus manifesting Yourself to Thomas for the confirmation of his faith!
Oh, risen One, may I also accept You as my Lord and Savior. Lord, I believe;
help my unbelief.' Though I do not at present see You with the bodily eye,
yet may I discern You by the eye of faith, and rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory, being thoroughly convinced of the truth of Your
resurrection, and fully persuaded of having a personal and saving interest
in Your infinite merits. May I be among those of whom You have said,
'Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.' May my
affections for You be daily increasing in strength and fervency, as I press
towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,
until in mansions of light beyond the skies I see You as You are, cast my
crown before You, and with the fervor of a seraph adore You through a vast
eternity.'
To Jesus, the crown of my hope,
My soul is in haste to be gone,
Oh, bear me, you cherubim, up,
And waft me away to His throne!
My Savior, whom absent I love,
Whom not having seen I adore;
Whose name is exalted above
All glory, dominion, and power.'
After His resurrection Jesus appeared again to His disciples at the Sea of
Tiberias, in Galilee, where He ate with them, and said to Peter three times,
'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' It was probably about the same time
that He appeared to 'five hundred brethren at once,' on a mountain in
Galilee, where He had promised His disciples, before His death, to show
Himself to them after His resurrection. 'But after I have risen, I will go
before You into Galilee.' The angel alluded to this appearance of Christ,
when he said to the women, 'Go quickly, and tell His disciples, that He is
risen from the dead, and behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there you
shall see Him.' How delightful to think of this meeting of the Savior with
the five hundred brethren, in connection with that blessed reunion of the
redeemed on the shores of the Galilee above- the place to which Jesus has
gone before us- the place which He is now preparing for us, where we shall
see Him face to face, be ever with Him, and behold His glory! 'O Galilee
above, you land of perfect union with Him, who is the object of our love,
how does the thought of you exalt and cheer our spirits during our
pilgrimage through this valley of tears! O Galilee beyond the clouds, how
blest is he, whom Jesus has preceded, in order to prepare a place for him on
your ever verdant valleys and sunny hills!'
The last appearance of the Savior, after His resurrection, was to all the
apostles, when He led them to Bethany, and ascended to heaven in their
presence. Paul thus speaks of the order of His appearance to the disciples:
'He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, he was
seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom
are still alive, though some have died by now. Then he was seen by James and
later by all the apostles. Last of all, I saw him, too, long after the
others, as though I had been born at the wrong time.' And Luke tells us that
to the apostles 'He showed Himself alive after His passion, by many
infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God.'
The disciples had perfect evidence of the resurrection of Christ during
those forty days He remained on earth. He was not only seen by them, but He
conversed with them on spiritual and divine things. He walked with them, and
ate and drank with them on different occasions; hence it was impossible they
should be deceived with respect to His resurrection. And as this doctrine
was to be the foundation on which Christianity should rest, the Savior
appeared to them again and again, until all doubts were removed from their
minds- until they could go forth, and boldly proclaim to the world the
glorious truth, that 'This same Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are
witnesses.' 'But God raised him to life three days later. Then God allowed
him to appear, not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen
beforehand to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him
after he rose from the dead.' The apostles were chosen witnesses of the
resurrection of Christ; and their strong united testimony cannot be
overthrown. May we then receive it as sure and incontrovertible; and say
with Paul, 'But now has Christ risen from the dead, and has become the
first-fruits of those who slept.' Resting in this belief, let us muse still
further on some of the great and soul-supporting truths connected with His
resurrection.
THE SAVIOR ROSE FROM THE DEAD IN GREAT MAJESTY. Look again at the solemn and
mysterious scene. Bright messengers come from heaven, to witness the
splendors of His resurrection, and to announce the glad tidings to the
weeping disciples. When the Lord of glory rises, the great stone is rolled
away from the sepulcher by angelic hands; the earth quakes; rocks are rent
asunder; the soldiers, filled with terror, tremble and flee, and fall to the
ground like dead men; and many holy people, who were sleeping in their
tombs, awoke, to grace the triumph of the Conqueror of death.
The Savior now comes from the tomb, crowned with honor, and majesty, and
glory. The sun, emerging from an eclipse and shining again in his splendor,
is but a faint emblem of the Sun of Righteousness rising from the gloomy
chambers of the grave, and shining with the most glorious luster. How unlike
the 'Sufferer of Calvary' does He now appear, walking forth from the
rock-bound sepulcher, attended by angels in shining garments! No dark clouds
now gather over Him: no furious tempest breaks upon Him: no cry of desertion
comes from His lips: His Father is reconciled, and His foes vanquished. He
has laid aside all the sorrows and infirmities of human nature, and appears
as the Prince of Life, in all the inaccessible splendors of the Godhead.
Yes, blessed Jesus, when You left the tomb, Your last conflict was over,
Your last cup of sorrow emptied, Your last pain suffered. Now do You rise in
Your excellent majesty, and show to the world that You have gained the
victory over death and hell, that absolute dominion is Yours, that You are
the Head over all things for the church. When we think of the great majesty
and glory with which You arose from Your lowest state of humiliation in the
dust of death, we may truly say with Your servant of old, 'Yours, O Lord, is
the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the
majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Yours; Yours is
the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as Head above all.
THE SAVIOR WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY THE POWER AND GLORY OF GOD. This act
is particularly ascribed to the Father, though the other persons of the
blessed Trinity were concerned in it. The sacred writers dwell with much
emphasis on this point. 'Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of
death: because it was not possible that He should be held by it.' 'Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.' 'And God has both
raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power.' 'And now,
may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip
you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the
power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great
Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To
him be glory forever and ever. Amen.'
Thus by the power of the Father was the Son of God raised from the sleep of
death to a life of immortal glory, honor, power, and felicity. When Christ
had satisfied all the claims that divine justice had against Him as our
Surety, it was not possible that the chains of death should hold Him; and in
token of His acceptance of the atoning work of the Mediator, God the Father
raised Him from the dominion of the grave, and exalted Him to His own right
hand in the heavenly places.
What cause of rejoicing has he whose hope is placed on the redeeming work of
the Savior! Jesus is risen. And now are we begotten again unto a living hope
by His resurrection from the dead, to all inheritance incorruptible; and
undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for us, who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in
the last time. Now we may boldly exclaim with Paul, 'Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies: who is He that
condemns? It is Christ that died, yes, rather that has risen again.' Here is
the grand source of the Christian's joy; and here let us rest our faith and
build our hopes for eternity. Let us firmly rely on the divine testimony
respecting the resurrection of Christ, and derive encouragement and supreme
delight in God from the cheering declaration.
Christ was raised from the dead, that our 'faith and hope' might be in God;
and if we flee for refuge to this 'hope set before us,' our joy and
consolation will be great. We will look forward with ardent hope to the
realization of all those 'exceeding great and precious promises' contained
in the word of God; and we will descend into the valley of the shadow of
death in the hope of a blessed resurrection by the power and Spirit of God.
How consoling to the departing believer is the thought that God will also
raise him up from the darkness of the grave, as He did the Lord Jesus, our
Forerunner, our Elder Brother, our unchanging Friend! 'Knowing that He who
raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall present
us with you.'
THE SAVIOR, BY HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, WAS DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF
GOD WITH POWER. Here He appears in His proper majesty- in the glories of His
is divinity: 'this act of God raising Him, not only showing Him to be, but
in some sort constituting Him the Son of God' While on earth, His glory was,
in a great measure, 'veiled' from mortal view, that man might converse with
Him, and that He might perform, in an humble manner, His mediatorial work.
Here, He appeared in weakness, as a Man of sorrows, as One continually
acquainted with grief. It is true, that even while He tabernacled in the
flesh, a 'ray of His divinity' occasionally shone forth in a most
illustrious manner, for the confirmation of the faith of his servants and
the relief of the afflicted. So numerous and astonishing were the miracles
he performed, that it was asked by many of the people, 'When the Messiah
comes, will He do more miracles than these which this man has done?' But
amid all those scenes of miracles and might, He still appeared in the form
of a servant, to obey, suffer, and accomplish all that the Father required
of Him, in consequence of His assuming our sins, bearing our griefs, and
carrying our sorrow- He was crucified through weakness but raised in power.
What greater demonstration of His divinity can we ask than the fact, that He
rose from the dead by His own power? When He left the tomb He verified His
own divine prediction, that He had power to lay down His life, and to take
it again; while at the same time He manifested to the world, that He is the
Son of God; yes, that He is God over all, blessed forever.
What unsearchable riches of grace and glory are contained in the animating
doctrine of the Savior's resurrection! When holy Paul viewed the subject in
its vastness- when he saw how intimately it is connected with our
regeneration, justification, sanctification, and resurrection to eternal
life- he seems to overlook everything else, and longs for a more intimate
acquaintance with those sublime and heavenly truths on which are founded the
Christian's hope of endless felicity. 'As a result, I can really know Christ
and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn
what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I
can experience the resurrection from the dead!' Like the great apostle may
we, also, earnestly desire to know more and more about Christ, in the power
and glory of His resurrection, as well as in the fellowship of His
sufferings.
IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE SAVIOR WE HAVE A CERTAIN PLEDGE AND PATTERN OF
OUR OWN RESURRECTION TO GLORY AND IMMORTALITY. 'For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead.' Although it is appointed
unto men once to die, yet blessed be God, we will not always sleep in the
grave. The night of death will pass rapidly away, and the morning soon come,
when our own graves shall open amid a dissolving world- when we shall come
forth, delivered from the garments of corruption- when we shall forever lay
aside the garb of the grave, as Jesus did on the joyful morning of His
resurrection.
'With joy like Christ's, shall every saint
His empty tomb surrey;
Then rise, with His ascending Lord,
To realms of endless day.'
As our glorious head and Representative, Christ, in His resurrection, has
triumphed over death, and, at the same time, given us a living hope of
following Him from the dismal mansions of the tomb, to a land where the
shadow of death never comes- where all is blooming and joyous in the
everlasting splendor of the Sun of Righteousness. How blessed the assurance
that Jesus has risen, and 'has become the first-fruits of those who sleep'-
that He is 'the First-Born from the dead!'
It affords us the highest pleasure to contemplate His resurrection as the
procuring cause and pledge of our own. And how soul-comforting is the truth,
that we shall rise from the sleep of death in the likeness of our risen and
glorified Savior, who 'shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able
even to subdue all things unto Himself!' 'Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and 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.'
Blessed fruit of the Redeemer's resurrection! Well may we exclaim with the
Psalmist: 'I will behold Your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,
when I awake with Your likeness.' Our resurrection to eternal life and glory
was rendered certain when Jesus, by His own divine power, burst the massive
bars of the tomb, and ascended to His Father and our Father, to His God and
our God. And by virtue of our 'union to Him', we shall finally awake from
our sleep in the dust of death, and come from our graves in His likeness, to
sing on the peaceful shore above, the song of Moses and the Lamb.
As Christ was raised from the dead by the power of the Father, so is the
believer quickened into new life by the same divine power and glory. 'We
were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we
too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his
death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.' Our
resurrection to spiritual life is an act of Almighty power. In this work the
same power is required that is necessary to create a world. It is the voice
of God alone that can call the sinner from the deep, sepulchral stillness of
this natural state, and awaken in him a new and holy life. 'But God is so
rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead
because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised
us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the
heavenly realms-all because we are one with Christ Jesus.'
Blessed and delightful truth! We are quickened together with Christ; we are
raised up together; we are made to sit together on a heavenly throne. What
heart call desire more than the blessings here set forth? Who can enjoy
more? Oh, the riches of divine mercy! To God, Who is rich in mercy, we owe
our resurrection with Christ to a life of immortal beauty, and vigor, and
glory.
Have YOU been awakened from your spiritual slumbers by the power of the
Father? Have you been raised up with Christ? Is the life of God kindled in
your soul? If so, then will you walk in newness of life, and be conformed to
the image of our risen Redeemer. Then will you contemplate Him with
increasing delight in 'the power of His resurrection,' and walk more closely
in the likeness of that resurrection.
Ever blessed God, our Heavenly Father, breathe on us Your quickening power,
and awaken in us a new life. Oh, may the same power that called the Savior
from the tomb, be exerted in bringing us from spiritual darkness into the
marvelous light of the new creation in Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit be
in us as a well of water springing up into everlasting life. May the graces
of the Spirit be continually in lively exercise in our souls, renewing our
comforts, cheering our footsteps in the path to glory, sweetening our
communion with Heaven, and making us fruitful in every good work. 'Awake, O
north wind; and come, O south wind; blow upon my garden, that the spices
thereof may flow out. Let my Beloved come into His garden, and eat His
pleasant fruits.'
Our Heavenly Father, we beseech You to shine upon our pathway, and lead us
to the realms of everlasting day; and on those happy shores, beyond the dark
waters of the Jordan of death, may we ever sing of that power and grace
which quickened and raised us to eternal life, in the presence of Him in the
likeness of whose resurrection we have been planted together. 'Save me from
my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me. Teach me to do your will, for you
are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. For
the glory of your name, O Lord, save me. In your righteousness, bring me out
of this distress. In your unfailing love, cut off all my enemies and destroy
all my foes, for I am your servant.'
Let us rejoice that Jesus has risen from the dead. The day in which He rose
was one of great gladness to the universe. There was joy in the regions of
glory, and there was joy on earth. With what inexpressible joy did the
angels descend from heaven to roll away the stone from the sepulcher, and to
hail their rising Lord! How they must have rejoiced to see Jesus lay aside
the garments of mortality, and forsake the dark tomb! 'Praise the Lord, you
angels of his, you mighty creatures who carry out his plans, listening for
each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve
him and do his will!'
Around His sacred tomb
A willing watch you keep;
Until the blessed moment came
To rouse Him from His sleep.
Then rolled the stone,
And all adored
Your rising Lord
With joy unknown.'
We are told, that the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord after His
resurrection. Like them may we too rejoice, when, by faith, we see Him
rising from the tomb and ascending to heaven, to prepare for us mansions of
bliss in His Father's house. Let us rejoice with the whole family of the
redeemed in songs of triumph and praise for the victories He has achieved
over death and the powers of darkness. And especially as each Sabbath
morning pours its welcome light around our habitation, let us commemorate
with rapture our Savior's resurrection; and through that day of sweet peace
and sacred rest, often think of His rising again to enter into His glory, to
bestow upon us His richest blessings, and to guide our feet into the way of
heavenly peace. 'This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be
glad in it. Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us
success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from
the house of the Lord.' 'You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was
crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead!'
'Yes, the Redeemer arose,
The Savior left the dead;
And over our hellish foes
High raised His conquering head;
In wild dismay
The guards around
Fell to the ground,
And sunk away.
Lo, the angelic bands
In full assembly meet,
To wait His high commands,
And worship at His feet;
Joyful they come,
And wing their way
From realms of day
To such a tomb.
Then back to heaven they fly,
And the glad tidings bear;
Hark! as they soar on high,
What music fills the air.
Their anthems say,
"Jesus who bled
Has left the dead;
He rose today."
You mortals, catch the sound,
Redeemed by Him from hell;
And send the echo round
The globe on which you dwell
Transported cry,
"Jesus who bled Has left the dead;
No more to die."
All hail, triumphant Lord;
Who saves us with Your blood!
Wide be Your name adored,
Oh, rising, reigning Lord.
With You we rise,
With You we reign,
And empires gain,
Beyond the skies'