“they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.” -Psalm 22:31
Now that Jesus has died and risen from the dead and (40 days later) ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19), what does all of this mean for us now?
1. It means that we have victory over death because Jesus has defeated it once and for all!
a. “...our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10)
b. “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8)
2. He calls all believers to live out the Great Commission.
a. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)
3. It guarantees eternity with Him if we accept the gift of grace!
a. “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
b. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16)
4. We are invited into relationship with Him!
a. “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Matthew 27:51a)
b. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7)
c. “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:15-16)
The veil being torn (Matthew 27:51) was such a beautiful event that occurred when Jesus breathed His last. In order to enter God’s presence we must be clean and holy. Before Jesus died, only the high priests could enter the throne room behind the veil. They presented sacrifices so they could become pure in order to enter the Holy of Holies one time each year (Hebrews 9:7) Jesus had to shed His innocent blood in order for us to enter this Holy of Holies. We can enter into His presence anytime, if we choose to do so. I challenge you to open up your Bible this week and read through Hebrews 9. Let the words sink in. Then continue to read through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). He desires to be in relationship with us. He loved us first! All of us! No matter what!
The Easter story means many things for us. But never forget that His love is never-ending, never-changing, never-stopping, never-fading!
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
In Him,
Katie Karlson