An Incorruptible Inheritance

I Peter 1:3-9

You’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior.  Maybe that was recently, or maybe that was a while ago.  However, now you are going through some very difficult trials and difficulties.  Perhaps you are even being persecuted for your faith, and maybe you are wondering why all of this is happening.  Weren’t things supposed to get better once you accepted Jesus?  That is a common misconception, that once one becomes a Christian your life will be a picnic, a stroll through a garden.  The Apostle Peter addresses this confusion, along with the eternal security of our salvation and our heavenly inheritance.  Let’s take a look at this Scripture that is brimming with strong Christian hope.

The Epistle of I Peter was written by the Apostle to believers who were scattered from their homes due to persecution.  They were suffering for their faith in a world that was very hostile to those who followed Jesus.  He wanted to remind these suffering Christians that their trials were only temporary, and that they were precious in God’s sight.  He wanted to encourage them, and us today, to look to God during trying times, and to anchor our hope in the certainty of His promises, not in circumstances.

Peter reminded these believers that as Christians we have a living hope (vs. 3).  This hope isn’t wishful thinking, such as hoping it doesn’t rain on my day off work.  This is the confident, anchored expectation of our future salvation, the resurrection, and eternal life with God, based on the resurrection of Jesus.  It is knowing that God’s promises are sure.  Our hope is as alive as the risen Christ Himself, and His gift of eternal life will never come to ruin.

As believers who have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, we have an inheritance.  Some people have had an inheritance, but then something happens and it was lost, or destroyed, or in some other way ruined.  That would be so disappointing, even devastating to those people.  Our Scripture here describes the inheritance we have through Jesus as incorruptible (vs. 4).  It cannot decay.  It is also undefiled, as it can’t be ruined, and it will not fade away or be diminished.  It is reserved in heaven for us, basically kept under divine guard.  There it is safer in heaven than anything we could ever secure on earth.

But what if somehow I lose my salvation?  That has worried some Christians.  God’s Word tells us here that believers are “kept by the power of God” vs. 5.  This is one text that shows the Biblical truth of eternal security.  Our faith is the means of our salvation, but God’s power is the guarantee.  He guards us like a military garrison, and He promises that nothing can take us out of His hand (John 10:28-29).

Next Peter addresses the trials and persecutions that these believers are going through (vs. 6-7).  Despite what they are experiencing, he encourages them to rejoice in the Lord.  This is not a denial of their pain, but to have joy in spite of it because of what we know is coming in our future.  The purpose of these trials is to refine us and make us more like Jesus.  At times God allows us to face impossible circumstances in order to test and try our faith.  It is the adversity that motivates us to seek Him, and when we do, He faithfully strengthens and refreshes us.

Our trials are not random.  They will test the genuineness of our faith. Peter tells us that our faith is more precious than gold, which is refined by fire.  And just like that gold, our faith is refined by trials.  When purifying gold the refiner’s fire only destroys the impurities that mar the gold’s beauty and detract from its basic characteristics, making it worth much less.  A piece of gold that has not been refined and purified is worth much less.  Though it is still gold, it would only be made into much lesser, inexpensive jewelry.  However, the pure, refined gold is valuable, and made into beautiful pieces.  Which type of Christian do you want to be?  God values your faith more than the world values gold, so allow Him to refine you.

Peter continues by commending those Christians who have a strong faith, yet have never seen Jesus (vs. 8).  Peter and the other apostles saw Jesus and were taught by Him for over three years.  These believers who are going through trials and persecution for His Name have never seen Him in the flesh, yet they love Him, believe in and follow Him.  The same is true of every Christian today, and the end outcome of our faith is the salvation of our soul, which refers to our glorification in heaven (vs. 9).

Jesus made it clear that troubles are inevitable for God’s children.  His own life was no exception.  As His followers, we can expect difficulty.  God allows struggles for our benefit to purify and grow us for greater service, to test our endurance and devotion to Jesus, and to strengthen our trust.  We have an anchored hope in Jesus’ resurrection and our inheritance in heaven.  It is certain and eternally secure!  Remember, we are not home yet, but we’re on our way, and the finish line is guaranteed!

An Alphabet Psalm

Psalm 111

Many of us have heard alphabet songs before. Some are instructional songs for little children to help in learning the alphabet.  There are a few alphabet songs that list alphabetically the ways the singer loves his beloved.  Today’s psalm is an alphabetical, also called an acrostic, psalm. Each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  This was to help believers in praise of God for His works, His righteousness, faithfulness, and reliability.  Also to instruct us in the fear of the Lord, obedience, and in worship.

Our psalm begins with a proclamation of public, open praise to God.  The psalmist’s praise is both personal and wholehearted.  He shares his praise when gathering with other believers.  Praise and worship should be shared among the redeemed.  Church services really should often have a brief time where the congregants can give public testimonies of praise for how the Lord is working in their lives, answers to prayers, and what He has done recently for them.  As is indicated in our psalm, our worship should be sincere, undivided, and expressed among God’s people.  Half-hearted worship is unworthy of our God, who has done such great works for us.

Our God is not some weak, meager, and insignificant deity.  His works are great, and are meant to be studied, not just admired (vs. 2).  We do that by getting into His Word, the Bible, and not just reading a few verses here and there, but actually studying the Scriptures.  This is not optional for a genuine believer who loves Jesus.  True believers will delight in studying God’s Word and works.  Our worship will grow as our understanding grows.

As we study God’s works, both through His Word, and what we see around us, we see that they are honorable, majestic, and glorious (vs. 3).  His works reveal His eternal righteousness.  When our problems and worries start to mount up, and our faith starts to falter, we should look at God’s works - His creation, His protective care of us, and His redemption.  All of these testify that God is righteous and trustworthy.

God wants His children to remember His works (vs. 4).  We do that through Bible reading and meditation, along with certain sacraments, such as Holy Communion, “This do in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:14-20).  Forgetfulness is a spiritual danger.  God calls His people to rehearse His works continually.  This is why testimonies, Scripture memorization, and group worship matter.  One specific work of the Lord is that He provides food for His children (vs. 5), both physical and spiritual.  God never forgets His promises.  We can trust Him for our daily needs because He is faithful to eternal commitments.  The psalmist reminds us that our inheritance in Jesus is secure (vs. 6).  God’s power guarantees our future.

As we read on, we are reminded that God’s Word is both trustworthy and eternal (vs. 7-8).  His works and His Word share the same qualities - that of truth, justice, faithfulness, and permanence.  They are sure, reliable, and unchanging.  In a world of shifting morality, which we see so much of today, God’s Word remains a Christian’s unshakable foundation.

The greatest work that God has done is that of redemption (vs. 9).  That was accomplished when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die on the Cross for our sins.  The New Covenant that God made with mankind through the Blood of Jesus is eternal.  Those who have entered into that covenant by accepting Jesus as their Savior, are eternally secure.  Our redemption is the ultimate reason for praise.

God’s Name is holy and should be feared (vs. 9-10), that is, it should not be taken lightly or in vain.  Our life should reflect reverence for His Holy Name.  The “fear of the Lord” is having a godly respect for God’s power and authority.  True wisdom begins with a reverent submission to God.  Wisdom is not intellectual brilliance, but is instead having humble obedience to our Lord and Savior.  Obedience is what will naturally come from having a godly fear of the Lord.  A proper and accurate view of God produces a good life.

As the psalm closes, the author went through the whole Hebrew alphabet, with each of their twenty-two letters successively beginning each line.  Though that wouldn’t translate well, to be able to do that with any other language, it was a way to especially teach Old Testament Hebrew children the importance of praise to God, remembering His works, and having a godly fear and respect for His Holy Name.  That is something that we can learn today, as well, with or without any alphabetical help.

The Covenant of Preservation

Genesis 9:8-16

We all make promises of various sorts to other people.  Sometimes we might need or want a reminder of what we have promised, or we give the other person, the one the promise was made to, a reminder that we have given them our word.  In our Scripture today we read of a solemn promise, or covenant as the Bible calls it, that God made with mankind, along with the sign or reminder that was also given.

In the Bible, there are two types of promises that God makes - conditional and unconditional.  Conditional promises are ones that if we do something, or if we obey what God said, then He will fulfill His part of the promise.  Some examples are: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9).  And “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7).  Unconditional promises are ones where God has given His word, and we don’t have to do, or not do, anything to receive it.  The promise God made to Christians, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) is one example.  Today’s Scripture passage gives another unconditional covenantal promise.

Beginning in Genesis chapter 6 on through chapter 8 we read of God’s judgment of mankind’s sin by sending a world-wide flood that destroyed everything living, except for Noah and his family, along with a pair of each animal.  Now that the flood waters have receded, and everyone departed from the ark, God made an everlasting covenant with man, and with all the animals that had been on the ark.  This was a unilateral, unconditional promise grounded in His mercy, not in any human merit.  God did not require Noah or any of his descendants to promise anything in return.  God bound Himself.  There are no conditions, no stipulations, no “if you obey.”  This covenant rests entirely on God’s character.

What was this covenant promise?  We read it in verse 11.  God promised that He would never again destroy the whole earth, nor all living creatures (all flesh) with a flood.  This does not mean that there will be no local floods, as we see that in various places quite frequently.  And unfortunately there is sometimes loss of life then, as well.  However God promised that He would not destroy the whole earth, destroying all life, with another flood.  God ensured the world would remain intact until His redemptive plan is fulfilled.

Next, the Lord God gave man a sign that He would keep this covenant with them, and that is the sign of the rainbow (vs. 12-16).  People today have taken the rainbow and made it mean other things, but God gave the rainbow to be a sign in the sky that He would never flood the whole earth again.  The Hebrew word used is “qeset”, which is a bow used by archers for hunting or for war.  God hangs up His bow in the sky.  His weapon of judgment is set aside, with the bow pointing upwards towards heaven, not earth.  It is a symbol of peace.

The rainbow is not just a reminder for mankind.  God said that He will look upon it and remember His covenant.  That is not because if He doesn’t see it He will forget.  It means that the rainbow in the sky after a rain storm is a public, visible testimony of His faithfulness.  The rainbow is an eternal sign of God’s faithfulness.  It shows Him as a God who keeps His promises. Even after judgment, the Lord God binds Himself to mercy.

The rainbow also shows us that God is sovereign over all of creation.  He is the one who controls the weather, along with the changing seasons, and the stability of the whole earth.  When we see a rainbow, it is a testament to God’s ongoing governance of all of creation.

In closing, we read in the Bible of how God sent the Flood because of mankind’s wickedness.  The Flood was judgment for sin.  This unconditional promise, this covenant that God made with man, shows that we have a merciful and compassionate God, and His rainbow is a symbol of His mercy.  Since God keeps His covenant with the whole earth, He will keep His promises to His children.  Every rainbow is a sermon in the sky, reminding us that God is patient, faithful, and merciful.

Obey God Rather Than Man

Acts 5:17-32

If you have two conflicting orders or commands given to you, which one will you follow?  Generally one would follow the orders from the person higher in command.  If your job supervisor says one thing, but the owner of the company says another, you’d likely obey the owner of the company.  In the military one would obey the more senior officer’s command.  This holds true in our spiritual lives, as well.  If man tells us one thing, but God says something else, we would be wise to follow what God says!  This is a situation that some of the apostles had as we read our Scripture for today.

The events in our Scripture and that of Acts chapter 5, happened within several months to maybe a year or so after the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the believers.  It was likely not more time than that.  In Acts 4 Peter and John had healed the crippled man in Jesus’ Name, and then both were arrested.  They were released and continued their ministry of preaching salvation and healing.  All of the apostles were performing many signs and wonders, and multitudes of men and women were being saved.  The religious leaders in Jerusalem were not liking this, as they felt that this threatened their authority and power over the population.

As our Scripture passage opens, the apostles had continued with preaching and healing, greatly upsetting the high priest and the Sadducees, so they decided to arrest them again (vs. 17-18).  Their motives were both theological and personal, as they were jealous of the apostles' popularity, proud, and feared of losing influence.  The Sadducees also did not like what the apostles were preaching, because they denied the resurrection, something that was paramount in the apostles’ messages.  This brought about their arrest and being treated like common criminals.  Sometimes Satan uses established religious systems to oppose the Gospel.  However, as we will see, God overrules human schemes.

God did not allow them to stay in jail for long.  That night He sent an angel to open the locked prison doors, and the angel brought them out, telling them to go back to the Temple and continue to preach God’s message, “the words of this life” (vs. 19-20).  The apostles were not freed for their own comfort, to go take a mini-vacation to relax and de-stress.  They were freed in order to go back to the mission the Lord had given them, that of preaching His Word.  They didn’t tell the angel no, as that had gotten them in trouble before, and that they were told by the authorities not to.  Their obedience to God’s Word was immediate, unquestioning, and bold (vs. 21).

This immediately attracted the attention of the religious leaders, who sent officers to apprehend them at the Temple (vs. 22-26).  The captains feared the people, which shows us that the apostles had more moral authority than the Sanhedrin.  The divine demonstration of their release from prison shows that God’s work cannot be contained, and that human authority is limited.  The Gospel will advance despite the opposition man seeks to bring against it.

The apostles were brought before the high priest and Sanhedrin again, where they were sternly questioned about why they were continuing to preach in the Name of Jesus (vs. 27-28).  They were accused of filling Jerusalem with this new doctrine, and bringing the Blood of Jesus upon them.  However, they were guilty of the death of Jesus, along with all of mankind’s sins, and it was true that the Gospel was spreading uncontrollably.  When God’s Church is Spirit-filled and obedient to His Word, the world cannot ignore it.

Then Peter and the other believers spoke up, telling the high priest and Sanhedrin that they were going to obey God rather than men (vs. 29).  They were not trying to be ornery or rebellious.  They were submitting to the highest authority - that of God Himself.  Peter proceeded to preach to them a short, concise Gospel message (vs. 30-32).  He preached that God raised Jesus from the dead, the same Jesus that they had executed, and that He was now exalted as Prince and Savior.  He preached that repentance and forgiveness are offered through Him, with the Holy Spirit bearing witness.

This Scripture passage teaches us that the priority of our obedience must be to God.  When human commands contradict what the Bible says, we as believers must obey God.  This is not optional.  This is a Biblical mandate.  We also see that God is sovereign over persecution.  Though He doesn’t always deliver His children from suffering at the hands of His enemies, God is in control.  Sometimes He will miraculously open prison doors.  No earthly authority can ever silence the Gospel.

We can expect opposition when we stand for God’s truth.  Faithfulness to the Bible will provoke hostility from both religious and secular systems alike.  However, as Christians, we must obey God even when it might cost us something, including our safety.  Believers must prioritize Scripture over cultural pressure, legal threats, or personal comfort.  We are not called to silence, compromise, or selective preaching.  The angel’s command is still our commission - boldly proclaim “all the words of this life.”

Living the Risen Life

Colossians 3:1-4

Most of us have attended the funeral of a friend or loved one.  Often the coffin is present, sometimes opened with a view of the deceased, or other times it is closed.  Either way, the person in that coffin no longer cares about what is going on in the world, or even right there in the room.  They cannot hear what anyone says to them.  They are not worried about their bank account, getting ahead in their job, what their neighbor is doing, or the latest gossip.  They are dead to this world.  Their only concern now is where their eternal destination is.  In our Scripture today the Apostle Paul speaks of believers being dead to one thing, and alive to another.  Let’s see what he is talking about, and what we can learn.

As we jump into our Scripture passage, the first word in the English translation might be confusing (vs 1).  The word “if” here really has the meaning of “since” or “because”.  Paul isn’t wondering or questioning whether those in the Colossian church were spiritually risen and united with Jesus.  Paul is speaking to genuinely saved people, and as such he is referring to the believer's union with Christ in His resurrection (Romans 6:4-5).   His resurrection is not just something that happened in the past.  It affects every Christian today.

Because we share in Jesus’ resurrection life, our desires must be reoriented.  Our pursuits should no longer be earthly or fleshly.  Instead, they should be heavenly, eternal, and Christ-centered.  What are the things that we are seeking after in this life?  Do they align with Jesus’ priorities, or with those of the world?  We need to keep on seeking and pursuing those things that are aligned with God’s purposes.

Paul proceeds to tell us where to put our mind and thoughts (vs. 2).  We are to pursue a godly transformation of our mind, setting our thoughts on things above, where Jesus is seated.  This is not a call to ignore our earthly responsibilities.  We still need to provide for our families, we can still enjoy good and wholesome activities and fun times.  However, our hearts should be anchored in heaven.  Our mental habits, values, and emotional attachments should be shaped by Jesus’ kingdom, by being saturated with Scripture, and an eternal perspective, not by earthly systems, pleasures, or anxieties.

Next we are told that if we are saved, we are not only dead to our old life, but also alive in our new life with Jesus (vs. 3).  We are dead to the old life we had, to our old identity, and old bondage (Romans 6:6-7).  Being “hidden with Christ” refers to our security in Jesus (John 10:28-29), to our identity in Him (Galatians 2:20), and our separation from the world (I John 3:1).  Our life is anchored in Jesus - safe, unshakeable, and eternal.

Paul concludes this passage with God’s promise that the Lord will return, and when He does, we will also appear with Him in glory (vs. 4).  Jesus is our life, and our future glorification with Him will one day be revealed.  Our future is not uncertain.  It is guaranteed, tied to the Lord’s return, and it will be glorious.  In knowledge of that, we should live our life today in light of the coming glory.  We should let the certainty of His return shape our priorities, our purity of life, and our perseverance in serving Him.

God’s Word teaches us that Christians have died with Jesus, that we rose with Him, and we will appear with Him when He returns.  This is the foundation of Christian living.  This world is temporary, and Christ’s kingdom is eternal.  Knowing that should guide our manner of life, and be a motivation for holiness and endurance.

If we’ve committed ourselves to Jesus, then we have died and been raised with Him.  He is our life, not our own desires.  In difficult times we need to change our focus to something other than what we see, and move to a place of praise to Jesus.  We praise Him based, not on what we see, but out of a relationship with God that goes beyond what we see.  When we are living a risen life with Jesus, we can now see things from His perspective.  We can trust God in any and every situation.  He will see us through all difficult times.

When God Comes Near

Psalm 114

Songs are often written about and for holidays and other special days and occasions.  We have hundreds of Christmas carols, both religious and secular ones.  Our churches sing special hymns for Easter.  There are birthday songs and anniversary songs.  Today’s psalm is also a song written to commemorate a special day and event for the Jewish people, that of the Exodus and Passover.  Let’s look at what message God’s Word has for us in this Scripture.

Traditionally, today’s psalm is part of a group of psalms, the Hallel or praise psalms, ones that the Jewish people sing during the Passover.  The psalm celebrates the Exodus, which is the foundational act of redemption in the Old Testament.  It also presents a picture of God’s saving power for His people in every generation.  This psalm is historical, as it is rooted in actual, literal events that happened to the Jewish people when God delivered them out of slavery in Egypt.  It is doctrinal, as it reveals God’s character, along with being prophetic, as it foreshadows Christ’s redemption.  Lastly, it is a practical psalm, as it calls believers to have trust in, along with reverence, for God.

As we look at Psalm 114, we see in the first four verses how God redeems His people.   The exodus from Egypt was a very decisive, identity-forming moment in the history of God’s people (vs. 1).  They were delivered from a literal place of bondage.  In various places in the Bible the word “Egypt” not only refers to the country in northeast Africa, but also is often a picture of the world system and sin’s dominion.  Just as God brought the people of Israel out of their physical bondage and then into the Promised Land, redemption begins with a separation - God brings us out of sin’s dominion and into the kingdom of His Son.

God intended His people to be His dwelling place and His kingdom (vs. 2).  They were to be His sanctuary, where His holy presence would be among them.  They would also be God’s dominion, where His rule would be over them.  This anticipated first the Tabernacle where God’s presence would be, then later the Temple, and ultimately the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers (I Corinthians 6:19).

The unknown author of our psalm continues with a poetic description of the parting of the Red Sea (vs. 3).  The sea “fled” because God was present there.  The events of the Exodus are not explained by natural phenomena, but by the Lord’s supernatural intervention.  Though a body of water does not naturally part in two, God decides what nature will do.  Then we read verse 4, which refers to Mt. Sinai trembling when God descended there in fire when He delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses (Exodus 19).  Creation is reacting to its Creator.  God’s presence, when He appears among His people, is not mild or passive.  It is earth-shaking!

The last four verses of our psalm describe creation trembling before the Lord God.  The psalmist asks a rhetorical question when he speaks to the sea (vs. 5-6).  He mocks these forces of nature, those of the sea and mountains, not to belittle them, but as a way to magnify God.  The only answer that one could give would be that God Himself was moving among His people.

Verse 7 is the theological center of the psalm.  Though the events of the Exodus happened to the people of Israel, it is not just about them.  It is about God revealing Himself to those who put their faith and trust in Him.  The proper response to God’s presence is reverence, awe, and submission.  The psalmist closes in verse 8 with a reminder of how God provided water from a rock for the people on more than one occasion (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).  He can supply what His people need, bringing life out of barrenness.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that the rock is a type of Christ (I Corinthians 10:4).

In closing we see that the sea, the Jordan River, the mountains all obey God.  This affirms that He is the Creator and that He is sovereign.  We also see that God dwells among His people in Christ, dwelling in believers through the Holy Spirit, and will physically in eternity (Revelation 21:3).  The events of Exodus are a picture of salvation and deliverance from sin.

Too often today modern Christianity loses a sense of awe and reverence of our holy God.  Psalm 114 calls us back to a deeper reverence and worship.  Our psalm reminds us that God is still able to deliver His people.  If He can part seas and shake mountains, He can handle the burdens we carry.  He still turns “rock into water” - He still works miracles in barren hearts and situations.

The Resurrection

John 20:1-18

Today is Easter Sunday, the day of celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead, the most glorious day in all of human history.  Naturally all four Gospel accounts record this event, each with their own unique perspectives and details.  Today we will look at the Resurrection from the Apostle John’s perspective, and see what the Lord would teach us.

It was now the third day since the crucifixion of Jesus.  Since the body of Jesus was removed from the cross late in the afternoon on Friday, with sunset, and thus the Sabbath, quickly approaching, the women did not have time to appropriately wash and anoint His body for burial.  Nothing could be done on Saturday, the Sabbath, so early Sunday morning was the first chance the women had to perform this needed final loving gesture for the Savior.  There were several women who went to the tomb, but John focused only on one of them, Mary Magdalene (vs. 1).

When she arrived at the tomb Mary saw that the large stone had been removed from the entry.  Typically the stones that would be placed in front of a tomb were 5-6 feet in diameter, and a foot thick.  They would weigh 3,000 - 4,000 pounds.  This would require several strong men to roll away the stone, nothing a woman could do.  Additionally, generally a groove was dug in front of the tomb entrance where the stone was placed, making it all the more difficult to move.  Mary Magdalene was alarmed and ran back to tell the disciples.  She knew it wasn’t one of them who did this, as they were too afraid, and she was likely with them the whole weekend.  The guards wouldn’t have done that, so who?  She likely assumed a grave robber as she told Peter.

Peter and John quickly got up and raced to the tomb, and saw the linen cloths lying there undisturbed (vs. 3-10).  The one headcloth was folded and placed separately.  This was not the work of thieves.  It is the quiet, orderly evidence of a risen Lord who left the wrappings behind because He would never need them again.  Jesus’ resurrection body is real, physical, and glorified, not resuscitated, not stolen, nor symbolic.  John saw this and believed (vs 8).  He believed before he actually saw the risen Savior.  His faith was based on evidence and Scripture (vs. 9).

After Peter and John left, Mary Magdalene remained behind.  She was still crying because she still thought someone had taken the body (vs. 11-13).  Mary looked into the tomb, and there she saw two angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of where Jesus had lain while dead.  This is a picture of the two cherubim whose wings were spread over the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  On the Day of Atonement the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of sacrifice there as atonement for the sins of the people.  The empty tomb became a picture of atonement completed.  The resurrection is God’s declaration that the sacrifice of Jesus was accepted (Romans 4:25).

Mary turned back out of the tomb, and she saw Jesus standing there, though she didn’t recognize Him (vs. 14-17).  She assumed He was a gardener, since Jesus’ tomb was in the garden of the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea.  This is an ironic but beautiful detail, since Jesus Christ is the Restorer of Eden.  He asked her why she was crying, and she responded that if He was the one who moved Jesus’ body, to tell her so she could care for it.  Then Jesus spoke her name, “Mary!”  That one word changed everything.  She immediately recognized that it was Jesus who stood before her.  With His one simple word, death becomes life, and crucifixion becomes resurrection for Mary Magdalene.  The world is transformed with the utterance of her name, and our name today.  God knows each one of our names (Isaiah 43:1).  Jesus knows His own personally, individually, and intimately.

Mary Magdalene wanted to run over to Jesus and cling to Him, but He told her no (vs. 17).  Jesus wasn’t forbidding all touch, as He had invited Thomas to touch the nail prints (John 20:27).  He was redirecting Mary’s understanding.  He didn’t want her to cling to Him as if He was staying on earth.  The ascension was coming and a new relationship was beginning.  Jesus would be present with His people through the Holy Spirit.  The Savior’s resurrection is the first stage of His exaltation.  His ascension will complete His return to the Father.  Believers now relate to Him by faith, not physical proximity.

Mary Magdalene became the first herald of the resurrection as she told the disciples that she had actually seen the risen Savior (vs. 18).  In the first century women were not considered reliable legal witnesses.  Yet God chose a woman to be the first witness of the resurrection.  If the Gospel writers were inventing a story, they would not have chosen Mary as the first witness.

As we celebrate the Resurrection, let us consider what the Bible teaches us.  The bodily resurrection of Jesus is central to the Gospel (I Corinthians 15:3-4).  It is not symbolic or spiritualized.  It is literal and physical.  Only God can conquer death.  The resurrection vindicates every claim Jesus made.  The empty tomb is God’s “Amen” to “It is finished.”