Because he lives

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

BECAUSE HE LIVES

Matt 28:1-10

28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.   3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." 

NIV

He has risen, he has risen indeed! The grave could never hold God, which would just be totally out of context of any concept of God.  Although all other religions of the world do not have a living triune God, or acknowledge the living triune God who created all that was created, we do. Yes, Jesus was a man, or the Son of God who came to earth in the form of a man, but he was also fully divine, fully God. This may be considered a mystery by some, but it is a fact we accept by faith. We do not have to be proved of this fact, we merely accept it totally on faith. We are not convinced that it was the Father who resurrected Jesus, or it was Jesus who resurrected himself.

John 2:19

19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days ." 

NIV

We have no actual scripture which indicates it was the Father who raised Jesus from the dead, however we do have the words of Christ which tells us that he would raise his life again in three days. This may not be the focus of this portion of scripture, but it is very interesting to see the power of Christ. Although the body that he dwelled in was in the grave because of its death, Christ was not dead, God cannot die. Some Christians have taken some verses to determine while his body was in the grave he descended into hell to preach to the dead. Although Peter does tells us that Jesus was made alive by the Spirit although his body was still dead, he went to the spirits in prison. He was talking about those who died as a result of the flood in the time of Noah.

1 Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand — with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

NIV

It was the water that killed those souls, but it is the water which gives us life. This is the point Peter was making about the flood, water of death and baptism, water of life. This does not say he went into hell, or hades, or purgatory or what other name we use to describe this temporary place of those who died without accepting Jesus. What Peter says is that Jesus went only to those who died in the flood, those who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah. It is a little confusing why we think he went to hell and preached to all the dead. Nevertheless he was not dead at the time his body lay in the tomb. This is proof he was not fully man or that we too are more than a body, which is the truth of it. Although because of some reason, we too must lay down this life, this body, put it to rest, give it over to the grave, we will not be dead but be made alive by the Spirit and go to be with our Lord. Those who do not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not go to be with the Lord but go to some other place called hell or hades. This is seen in the passage about the death of the rich man and of the beggar Lazarus. So we do have several places the living aspect of our being goes after the death of the body. This is the truth of Jesus. It was his spirit or living essence that returned to his body after the given time of called three days. Is this the same type of resurrection we are to expect? Will our living essence, our spirit return to the dead body in the grave? Some who have been dead for years, for centuries or those who have been cremated are not simply a dead body only three days in the grave. There has either been a great deal of decomposition as proved by opening old graves, or no body whatsoever as with cremation. How then can we return to this form? How can we raise up from the grave? Yet that is what we will do. Those who are alive will not precede those who have died in Christ.

1 Thess 4:13-18

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

NIV

All this is wrapped up in the fact Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his people.  He is alive, he lives, and Christ Jesus lives today. This was not just an ordinary resurrection. The earth shook, an extra ordinary angel came and rolled back the stone. It is not that Jesus needed the stone rolled back to exit the tomb, but so that Mary could see with her own eyes Jesus was not there. It was so Peter and John could go into the tomb and see the burial cloth empty. Jesus could have walked through the stone as he appear in a locked room to his disciples. The stone was rolled away to show the power of God at work for the people. There is also another interesting concept. The two guards were so filled with fear they dropped as if dead. God brings hope and joy to those who believe in him, but fear and trembling to those who do not believe.  When the day of our resurrection occurs there will be a great deal of fear and trembling by those who rejected him as Lord and Savior. Jesus told the woman to go tell his disciples to go to Galilee, that there is where they will see him. He tells us that he has gone to prepare a place for us that where he is we will be also.

John 14:1-4

14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going." 

NIV

We should live so encouraged, without fear and trembling, but with joy and peace in our hearts because he lives, so will we.