OUR RISEN, REDEEMING AND RETURNING LORD
"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, ’Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Matthew 28:1-6
OUR RISEN LORD!
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is absolutely critical to the validity of Christianity. That glorious event validates every belief we hold. Paul said: "And if Christ be not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!" I Corinthians 15:17.
The resurrection of our Lord is one of the most validated facts of history. Consider the testimony of Luke:
“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, having been seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Acts 1:1-3.
Consider the testimony of the Apostle Paul:
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep." I Corinthians 15:3-6.
OUR REDEEMING LORD!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:3-7.
“Knowing you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." I Peter 1:18-19.
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28.
"…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:14.
OUR RETURNING LORD!
As the resurrection of our Lord validates every cherished belief we hold including redemption through His blood, it also validates the promise of His glorious return. He is coming again to receive us unto Himself! In these last days we eagerly look for “that blessed hope.”
Consider the testimony of our Lord Himself before His death:
"In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3.
Consider the testimony of the angels following our Lord’s ascension:
"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel and said: ’Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Acts 1:10-11.
Consider the testimony of Jesus in the closing verses of Revelation:
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Revelation 22:12.
