The bible says Christ rose from the dead on the third day of his crucifixion. The angel said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at Jesus’ tomb in Matthew 28: 5-7, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay….This is my message for you.” Jesus’ message for us on Easter is that he was crucified, he died and he has risen from the dead and lives and reigns eternally. It is a message of hope that we serve a risen and living Saviour.
Jesus is among the living
Some look for Jesus at the wrong places. Luke 24: 5 records, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. This was affirmed in Luke 24: 34, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Jesus can be found in the right place among God’s faithful and righteousness, not in the tomb, a place of the dead. Mark 16: 6 writes,” Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.
In John 20: 6-18, Peter found the tomb empty save the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. The empty tomb as the emptiness of worldly life without Jesus must be left behind. Jesus rose from its emptiness and so must we by his resurrection power. We must not seek Jesus from emptiness, waste, among the unclean or lifeless environments but among the living and the hopeful.
Why was Mary anxious while weeping?
The bible records in John 20: 11, but Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. The conversation between Mary and angels is also recorded in scripture. The two angels Mary saw in the tomb said to Mary in John 20: 13,“Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Jesus also asked Mary in John 20: 15,“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Mary wept because she believed Jesus was dead; she thought Jesus’ corpse had been hidden away; and she together with the disciples yet did not understand scripture, that he must rise from the dead, John 20: 9. Our personal beliefs, notions, suppositions, emotions, perceptions or failure to understand scripture always cloud our vision from the truth and reality just as Mary faced. Thus overstressing, Mary mistook Jesus for the gardener just as we also do on countless occasions. Our passion for Christ Jesus demands faith and obedience to his word in order to reconnect with him.
In John 20: 16, Jesus said to her, Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus called Mary because her tears were genuine. Only genuine tears in seeking God will receive God’s sympathy. Mary addressed Jesus as Rabbouni (Teacher) when she realized the truth of Jesus’ word fulfilled and thereupon her anxieties ended when Jesus called her by name. Our anxieties will be over if we seek Jesus believing in his word and living by it with truthfulness in our hearts.
Overcoming our worries and anxieties
Resurrection is not by man’s power or his works but by God. Do we have to see before we believe? No! We must believe God’s word in order to see. Those who believed God’s word saw it fulfilled. The bible says in Acts 2: 24, but God raised him (Jesus) up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. Read also Acts 10: 40; 13: 30; 1 Peter 1: 21. God is able to resurrect our dead circumstances and free us from our worries if we trust and obey his word. Mary Magdalene told the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” and she told them what Jesus said. Do we obey Jesus’ instructions or say what people want to hear?
The women said to one another in Mark 16: 3,”Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? Luke 24: 2 says they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. Jesus knew their worries which were unknown to them had already been solved. Paul said in Philippians 4: 6, do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
God will always roll away every tombstone in our lives to pave the way for us if we pray with a sincere heart. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 25, 31, 34; 10: 19; Mark 13: 11; Luke 12: 11, 22 do not worry about anything. Paul said in Philippians 4: 19 my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Jesus has risen above our burdens and we must honour him with faithfulness and righteousness as our thanks.
Is the RISEN JESUS our treasure?
It is written in Luke 24: 12, but Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen clothes by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened. Luke 24: 24 says some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Peter and the rest ran to seek for Jesus because he was their priceless treasure. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 21; Luke 12: 34, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Is Jesus our most treasured among all things and in all circumstances?
Seeking for what we treasure most cannot be easily obstructed. In Matthew 27: 65-66, Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. God however rolled the tomb stone away and led the risen Jesus out in victory. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1: 25… God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. The bible writes in 2 Chronicles 13: 12, O Israelites, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors; for you cannot succeed. If we treasure Jesus, nothing can obstruct us from seeking him.
Christ Jesus has risen for us
Jesus himself said in Revelation 1: 18, I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Paul said in Romans 6: 9, we know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Hosea 13: 14 states, O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your destruction? Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 15: 55, “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
Christ Jesus rose to give peace to the world, John 20: 19. He has risen as Lord of the death and the living, Romans 14: 9. He has risen as conqueror of death, John 14: 30. Jesus has risen as our eternal high priest for our indestructible lives, Hebrews 7: 16. He has risen as our blessings in holiness, Revelation 20: 6. Jesus has risen to mock death and Satan, 1 Corinthians 15: 55. Jesus has risen to give us eternal life, 1Thessalonians 4: 17; 1 John 2: 17; Revelation 1: 18.
Jesus has risen as our Mediator and Intercessor, 1 Timothy 2: 5; Hebrew 7: 25; 8: 6; 9: 15; 12: 24. Jesus has risen as our eternal lamp, 2 Peter 1: 19; Revelation 21: 23; 22: 5. Jesus has risen as God’s truth by his word, Ephesians 1: 13; Colossians 1: 5; James 1: 18. Jesus has risen as our final judge, John 12: 48; Acts 10: 42. Jesus has risen as our redeemer, healer, provider and hope in all things, Galatians 3: 13; Titus 2: 14; Hebrews 9: 15; John 14: 13-14; 16: 23-24.
Death could not hold him captive because it is written in Hebrews 7: 7, it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. No scheme can outwit God’s resurrection power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead. Let us also rise with him in holiness. Let the risen Christ be our eternal hope in glory! Amen!
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, may your resurrection power raise our sinful souls unto righteousness and lead us to treasure you as the disciples did. Let your rising from the dead heal our worries and anxieties and grant us relief and hope in eternity. Turn our tears to joy as we seek for you and comfort us with your voice of hope and victory. Help us to seek you among the living in righteousness and not among the dead in sin. Be our blessed king of glory in this life and hereafter in your holy name, Amen!!
