LUKE 24:1-12 THEY REMEMBERED Perhaps we have gotten so used to the word "resurrection" that we forget what it really means and how the "firstfruits of resurrection" took place. Even though we read the words easily, "Now is Christ risen," the actual event of His resurrection needs to be reviewed often so we will be reminded of the uniqueness of Christianity among all the false teachings of the world that are limited by human experience and imagination. The women who arrived at the gravesite of Jesus at first light with the spices they had prepared, certainly loved the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though they had sorrow and their love for Christ had not diminished, and their faith in Him had not failed - yet their hope was gone and, like Martha, they were resigned to waiting for "the resurrection at the last day." They were not expecting the Son of Man to be the Victor over death then. The fact that He who died on the cross as the Conqueror of sin, death and hell had not really entered their minds.
During the time Christ was here on earth, angels who had not sinned, must have watched with amazement and awe as the Sovereign of the universe lived among a lesser form of created beings as the perfect Son of Man. They had on occasions come to earth to participate in various ways to His life and service here. The announcements of the births of John and Jesus was given to one of them to make. The Lord Jesus Christ was ministered to by them in times of His extreme stress. They had listened to His words in Galilee when He told His disciples of His death, burial and resurrection. Now they came to minister to His people. We don't know much about their visible and invisible characteristics, nor do we need to. It is enough to know they were witnesses to the resurrection of Christ, the persecution of God's people, the furtherance of the Gospel and are occasional visitors at the homes of those who show hospitality. We know when they speak, they are easily understood, and have a clear understanding of what the scriptures teach about the future.
"Two men in shining garments" (most likely angels), reviewed the teaching of the Lord to those women who entered the tomb with full hands and no place to put what they had prepared. "Remember" is a word of quiet rebuke to those who love the Lord but haven't actually processed His word clearly because they sift them through the limits of their own experiences. This is a very common problem among people of faith even now. We expect God to work in a certain way, and in spite of our faith in Him, limit His powerful and victorious working to what we have seen and experienced ourselves. The blazing light of God's grace and power is not limited to our expectations. He who was raised from the dead by the Spirit, the Father and His own power, can do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think."
Illumination of the minds and spirits of those seeking, loving women changed everything they had been thinking about. When we don't "remember His words" confusion takes over. When we do remember His words, foggy thinking becomes clear. Misunderstanding is clarified. The dark things become light. What we never even dreamed could take place becomes reality. What we may have thought was figurative turns out to be real and tangible. How much have we heard that we really never understood? To what degree have we limited God's working in our life because of our own unbelief? The real significance of God's truth often never comes to us until we are in extreme situations. When truth dawns on our soul, our spirit is so enlightened that we think we are living in a totally new dimension, and in a sense we are. There is no question: Christ is alive! "He is not here. He is risen as He said!"
There are many different responses to the actual, physical resurrection of Christ. To most it is impossible because they have not seen Him for themselves. They cannot and will not believe the testimony of others. They do not accept the fact that "without faith, it is impossible to please God." Such people may "confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus," but if they don't "believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead," they are not saved and never can be until they repent and believe the Gospel. Others believe there was a spiritual resurrection as opposed to a literal, physical resurrection of Christ in His body. He dealt with this idea the second Lord's day after His resurrection when He told Thomas to put his finger into the hands the nails pierced, and put his hand into His side where the spear pierced it. He had told the other disciples earlier that a spirit "has not flesh and bones as ye see Me have." He also ate some fish and honey to testify as to His physical resurrection.
No matter what people may say about the resurrection of Christ, whether they be doubters, skeptics, or openly rejecters of the fact. It has been well attested to by hundreds who saw Him, heard Him speak, ate with Him and traveled with Him over a period of forty days - the time of testing. Mary Magdalene, Peter, John
- all were at the sepulcher and saw visible evidence of the resurrection of Christ. There is a dimension of which we have had no experience yet in which the physical part of our humanity and the spiritual work together to accomplish a specific purpose. The Lord Jesus in His resurrection was not limited by physical obstacles even though He was in a physical body. He could leave the grave clothes empty without having to unwind them. He could enter a room without having to use the door. He could be speaking one moment and in the next be gone without the normal process of making an exit. Christianity has as a central fact the resurrection of Christ. On this fact lies the faith of billions of people who over the last centuries have lived holy lives and died violent deaths with quiet confidence and peace in spite of the pain and humiliation. Those who died in testimony to Christ at the hands of their tormenters did not die for a lie. With sure faith in One who literally died for our sins and rose again for our justification, we live our lives and die in sure hope of our own literal, physical resurrection when we see our Savior face to face.
Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we know the kingdom of God is real and lasting. Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we know death is not the end of our existence. It has been conquered and those who are in Christ now, will be in Christ forever. Because Christ has been raised from the dead there is supreme authority given to the Gospel we preach. It is not a religion of mans' making but has divine authority only God can give to a message. Because Christ has been raised from the dead those who die in the Lord can pass on into eternity in confidence beyond death into the presence of the Lord. We are assured of the future of blessing and the peace yet to come on earth that was prophesied at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our lives have meaning and a positive purpose now and in the future because of His resurrection. All true Christians believe in the resurrection of Christ and that unifies and inspires us in spite of a variety of practices and life-styles that are affected by different languages, cultures and places we live.
The resurrection of Christ has produced thoughts that have been made into spiritual hymns and songs. Whenever God's people meet in remembrance of Christ and show His death, we are reminded that this is "until He come." In the journeys of God's people from one part of the world to another, even though we can't communicate in words, we can rejoice together with uplifted eyes and hearts as we unite in our Risen Lord. The women remembered His words and so do we. Our Lord Jesus Christ is alive and well, and we shall see Him - in His physical, resurrected body. One after another the proofs do appear Not just evidence that the Lord Jesus was here But that after His death and victory over sin was won He rose from the dead; the Son of Man is God the Son.
Soldiers lay prostrate like dead men on the ground In predawn darkness brilliant light shone around On the rolled away stone and in the dark tomb Light revealed life, that lifts the shadows of gloom.
Early morning visitors their scented parcels are bringing When they entered the tomb, they couldn't believe what they were seeing No body was there, to anoint it was the reason they came Angels said, "Ye seek Jesus," they too reverence His name.
The news was too important, they had to go quickly and tell Others who waited in fear lest vengeance on them also fell Peter and John also saw for themselves Christ was risen Though they wondered in themselves how this could happen.
Not everything we believe can we fully understand But by faith we can see beyond the experiences of man We believe and can fully trust in the testimony of those Who were there when it happened that morning Christ arose. When we believe in our heart God raised the Lord from the dead It changes a meaningless life into a purposeful one instead There is no question that when the Lord Jesus died for our sins He rose from among the dead ones, and He is coming again.
"I thank Thee Father, for giving us faith to believe what so many do not. There is no question in my mind that the resurrection of Christ is true and because He lives, I
shall too. What a glorious hope is ours who know we shall see Him and be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."