Easter Message/Devotion
For: April 22, 2018
Reading: Matthew 27:1-66, 28:1-20
The Sacrificial Lamb of God
We’ve been talking about darkness and sin a lot lately, haven’t we? We have also been talking a lot about the light that shines through that darkness for all who seek it.
Let’s begin our Easter message with one more time of darkness.
“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:45
I would like you to close your eyes for a minute or two and reflect on just what that would be like. Imagine three hours of total darkness. So dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. No ambient light anywhere! It is so dark that you can’t even walk home or do anything. Would you not be in a near state of panic? I sure would. Remember, no one had any inkling that this was going to occur.
Jesus had been telling everyone and mostly His disciples that He was indeed going to die and ascend to heaven. He also said that He would send a Helper [some versions refer to Him as the Comforter] to be with them after He is gone.
“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.” Mark 8:31
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—" John !4:16
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26
Even so, they just didn’t get it. When Christ died on the cross, there were many who began to doubt that He was Who He said He was.
So, not only was there this panic in total darkness but the confusion and doubt as to Who Jesus really was and wonder why He was dead.
The events following His death are all very significant and revealing of God’s love for us.
When the three hours of darkness fell over the land the veil [curtain] that separated the inner sanctum where the ark of the covenant was maintained and only accessible to the head priest was torn from top to bottom. The ark of the covenant was the representation of the presence of God Almighty. No one had access to God except via the chief priest. That is until that veil was torn. How was it that it was torn from top to bottom? By the hand of God Himself! It would have been impossible for anyone to see what they were doing in the dark and the height of the temple was so great that it would have been impossible for that curtain to be torn by any other source.
“Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Mark 15:38
And the significance is by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, all of mankind now had direct access to God via Christ and no longer via the priest or any other.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6
Think about that a moment. The Israelites had travelled for years in the desert following a cloud of smoke by day and a flame by night, with the Ark of the Covenant before them.
Now that the veil which represented our separation from God has been torn open, they then and we now have direct access to God and follow Him through our relationship with Jesus.
Jesus died on that cross. We can be sure of that death. It was the Roman custom to leave those crucified on the cross to remain on that cross for several days as a warning to the populace of the consequences of violating Roman law.
However, this Sanhedrin priest Joseph went to retrieve the body of Christ to prepare Him for burial in a tomb that Joseph had prepared. To get around the Roman custom of displaying the crucified body for days, Joseph went to Pilate and asked permission to bury Jesus. Pilate did grant that permission BUT not until after he was assured by the centurion (soldier guarding the body) that Jesus was indeed dead.
“Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.”
Mark 15:42-47 note: Mary the mother of “Joses” in v 47 “Jo – ses” (variation of Jesus).
Now that Jesus is entombed, the Pharisees plead with Pilate to place guards at the tomb to make sure no one removes the body or attempts to create some illusions.
“saying, ‘Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So, the last deception will be worse than the first.” Matthew 27:63-64
And so, on the third day, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the tomb of their beloved Jesus – [our beloved Jesus]. There was a trembling earthquake and the Angel of the Lord rolled the stone from the tomb’s entrance. When Mary and Mary approached, the angel in his raiment white as snow [signifying absolute purity] told them not to panic, that Jesus had arisen and ascended to heaven. He had them look in the tomb and told them to go tell the disciples this good news. On the way, they actually encountered the risen Christ. Jesus also told them to hasten to the disciples and tell them of the risen Savior.
Thus, the meaning of Easter! Easter is [in my opinion] far more monumental than Christmas and certainly equally miraculous. Yes, there is that immaculate conception, a powerful miracle. Just as miraculous is the Lord Jesus rising from the dead and ascending to heaven.
By the way, “fake news” is not a modern day or new form of misleading the public. Immediately upon finding the empty tomb, the Pharisees began spreading theories as to how the body was missing and stating the theories as fact. Sound familiar?
Among the theories: 1) His body was stolen and secreted away. With guards at the entrance and a large very heavy stone rolled in front of the entrance. Common sense says that even if the guards had been snoozing, the amount of noise, huffing, puffing and grunting to move that stone would have aroused them.
2) The swoon theory that Jesus was in a state of unconsciousness and was revived in the coolness of the tomb. Think! Jesus was anointed in funeral balm of spices and oils and then wrapped tightly in burial cloth. Yes, He is God the Son and yes, He could free Himself were He yet alive because of His omnipotence. BUT – if we admit He is God [and He is], what further need is there to question ANY facet of His rising, ascension or His account of the Easter message?
And here we have it – the very best of the “good news” of the gospel.
Finally, I don’t believe that it is a mere coincidence that Easter is celebrated in the early Spring. Spring is a time of new life. We see newborn calves, lambs, colts etc. in the pastures. New leaves and growth on our trees, shrubs and flowering plants. Easter is a time of new hope and new beginnings, as we reassure ourselves of the risen Christ. My hope and prayer for you is that you do not let this Easter go by without absorbing into your life the TRUE Easter message and availing yourself of the glory and power of the RISEN CHRIST. He is risen. Christ is risen. He is risen INDEED!
Let us pray
