He is Risen

While religious wolves and false prophets become dust in their graves, the Lord Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God. He rose in spectacular fashion. God finished what he started, even at a great cost, the death of his only son. Thank you, Father, for sending your son. And thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice. Let us remember the resurrection every day.

The Empty Tomb

Recall, after Jesus’s death, some women went to the tomb to care for his body.

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Luke 24:1-7

The women were mourning Jesus’s death, only to find an empty tomb! How much more could they take? They were “much perplexed thereabout,” so God sent two angels to jog their memory about what Jesus said. Likewise, sometimes we forget that we serve a living God. We find ourselves perplexed, thinking, “How much more can we take? Please, no more bad news, no more heartache!”

We must remember what Jesus said.

Remember This

The world tries to crucify Jesus again and again—in our hearts. Trying to make a mockery out of the Lord, they defame him in the media and rewrite the scriptures. Bottom line: the enemy wants to distort our memory of Jesus. The mob yelled, “Crucify him!” over 2000 years ago, and unbelievers still holler, casting doubt on Christ’s divinity. They try to convince us that the resurrection is a ridiculous fantasy. However, God is not mocked, so we can never acquiesce to the mob’s cries. Jesus rose on the third day, whether they believe it or not.

Jesus Christ’s disciples, let’s come out of hiding. Unbelievers hope that they can intimidate and drown us out. If we do not speak up, some people will never hear the truth, which could set them free. We must be like the women at the empty tomb, who “remembered” Jesus’s words and hastened to the disciples to share the good news.

And they remembered his words,
And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

Luke 24:8-9

The god of this world blinds people, so we must declare the truth. Understandably, it is challenging to speak up because we may face persecution. For example, consider Peter’s actions after Jesus was arrested. Under pressure, he denied Jesus three times and then “remembered” that the Lord said he would do exactly that. Peter was so ashamed; he wept bitterly. Though he refused to defend Jesus, the Lord forgave him, and Peter became a great apostle. Like Peter, if we have let Jesus down before, we can proclaim the gospel now.

Remember This

There is power in Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Sometimes, we get “perplexed thereabout” with the cares of this world, with pain, with news, and with business. However, the enemy knows that once we remember Christ’s resurrection, we cannot be stopped. Yes, we may go through trials, but we will come through victoriously—in this life or in the hereafter!

And This

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death . . .

Philippians 3:10

And This

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Romans 8:11

And This

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

1 Corinthians 15:14

This is a friendly reminder: Jesus rose from the dead, so we have hope that cannot be shattered, joy that cannot be explained, and peace that cannot be taken. Tell the loud, noisy mob of unbelievers that we were born again through resurrection power.

Why are you looking for the living among the dead?

Is your soul downcast? Jesus rose from the dead, so surely he can uplift your soul. Have you lost hope? Jesus rose from the dead, so surely he can make you whole. Are you lost in a whirlwind of sin? Surely he can forgive you. Are you suffering alone? Surely he is your friend. Do you doubt his return?

Surely, what he said will come to pass.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Let us run and proclaim the good news. Jesus said he would rise in three days, and he did. He said he would return, and he will. Remember that.