THE SUN was just beginning to rise. They had prepared sweet spices and were bringing them to anoint the body of One whom they loved. He had been scourged and crucified. A Roman soldier had speared His side; it was a death wound inflicted on a body already dead. Two men had taken the body down and wrapped it in fine linen cloth, laying it in a new tomb. A stone was rolled over the opening and sealed.

The women proceeded with their spices to the tomb, but upon arriving they were totally amazed to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty! Entering the tomb, they saw two angels in shining garments (Luke 24v4). Fear gripped them and an angel said; “Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you.’ And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre” Mark 16v6 – 8). When John arrived at the sepulchre, he carefully noticed the linen clothes undisturbed, lying in their original convolutions where they had been wrapped around the body! Christ had emerged from those wound clothes, never disturbing them. Upon examining this, John immediately believed that the Lord had risen in resurrection power.

For forty days the Lord manifested Himself to His own. The apostle Paul relates 26 years later: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; …He was buried …He rose again the third day according to the scriptures…He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; … After that He was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also “(1Corinthians 15v3 – 8).

OVER 500 WITNESSES!

If only two or three had said they witnessed His resurrection, you might say that perhaps they were delirious. But when over 500 sane and intelligent folk were witnesses, no one can intelligently dispute the fact that the Lord Jesus rose in mighty power from the dead! While some religions can point to the burial place of their leader, the Christian can point to the empty grave and is able to sing:

Low in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Saviour,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord.
Up from the grave He arose
With a might triumph o’er His foes;

He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign;
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

God decreed, “That Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead” (Acts 26v23). Never before in the history of mankind had any person ever been raised in the power of an indissoluble life! God says that it was “the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1v19 – 21). God states, “when He (the Lord Jesus) had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1v3)

Christ’s resurrection is a proof that His work of purging sins was completed on the cross. If He had not successfully “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews9v26), then God would not have raised Him from the dead. Thank God, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit” (1Peter3v18). “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 4v25; 5v1).

Thus we have the fact that “Christ died for our sins – He, “by Himself purged our sins” – He “suffered for sins” – He “was delivered for our offences.” However, we thank God that He was raised! His resurrection proves Him to be the true God, the only Saviour of mankind. Friend, your only hope of having your sins purged, and of being justified in the sight of God, is through faith in Christ! There is simply no other way! 

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him form the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans10v9).

Copied with permission: ROBERT E SURGENOR. Evangelist