The Defining Moments of Christ's PassionSample

Behold, He is Risen!

Jesus’ resurrection was not merely a philosophical renaissance of His ideas and teachings — He was literally raised from the dead! The power of God exploded inside that tomb, reconnected Jesus’ spirit with His dead body, flooded His corpse with life, and He arose from the dead! So much power was released behind the sealed entrance of His tomb that the earth itself reverberated and shuddered from the explosion. An angel rolled the stone from the entrance, and Jesus physically walked through the door of that tomb alive! This is no legend or fairy tale — this is the foundation of our faith!

Matthew 28:2 says, “And, behold, there was a great earthquake.…” This earthquake simultaneously occurred at the moment of Jesus’ resurrection sometime after the Saturday sunset and before the women arrived at the garden. The immense size, power, and brilliance of the angel that removed the stone explains why the Roman guards fled the scene. The soldiers were so terrified at the appearance of the angel that they fell to the ground, violently trembling and so paralyzed with fear that they were unable to move.

Luke 24:5-8 tells us that after the two angels proclaimed the joyful news of Jesus’ resurrection, they instructed the women to go and tell the disciples. Luke 24:11 says, “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” The words “idle tales” come from the Greek word leros, which means nonsense, idle talk, babble, ordelirium. The women’s presentation of the Gospel probably wasn’t extremely clear in the moment, but it stirred enough interest in Peter and John to make them get up and find out about Jesus for themselves!

We know from John 20:11 that Mary Magdalene followed Peter and John back to the tomb, for she was present at the site and remained there after Peter and John returned to the disciples.

I find it interesting that when Peter and John raced to the tomb to see whatever it was that the women were telling them about, none of the other disciples joined them! Instead, the rest of the disciples probably stayed behind to discuss what they had heard and debate about what exactly it meant.

But because Peter and John ran to the garden, they experienced something the other disciples missed by staying home. It is simply a fact that if you want to experience Jesus Christ and His power, you must get up from where you are and start moving in His direction!

John only glanced into the interior of the tomb, but Peter “...went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie” (see John 20:6). When Peter entered that tomb, he surveyed it like a professional surveyor. He looked, paying special attention to the linen clothes and the way they were left. John 20:7 tells us that Peter saw “…the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”

Later that evening, Jesus would appear to all the disciples and breathe the Spirit of God into them, giving them a new birth. But at this moment, because the Holy Spirit was not yet resident in them as their Teacher, there was a lot they still couldn’t understand. Even though Jesus had already told them He would die and be raised from the dead, they were simply not yet able to comprehend it. That’s why John 20:9 says, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.”

When we’ve had a supernatural encounter with the Lord, it isn’t always easy to put that experience into words. This is a frustration that everyone who knows the Lord has felt at one time or another. However, we can’t let that keep us from spreading the good news of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives!

As we reflect on the profound sacrifice of Jesus, let’s make a conscious decision to recognize all that God has done and will continue to do in your life. Remember to thank Him and be determined to never forget His faithfulness to perfect everything that concerns you as you put your trust in Him.

Think About It:

The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ, who was dead, is now alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18). The One who conquered death, hell, and the grave is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding right now for you and for all that concerns you. Think about that!