Heb 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
In our verse, we are clearly told that faith is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY to please God and have a close walk of communion with Him. In this verse, the Lord tells us we must possess faith in two basic areas… the PRESENT and the FUTURE:
Faith in the PRESENT involves a continual recognition of the Lord’s intervention in our lives.
It is saying, “I believe that He exists and He is actively intervening in my life. He is with me, caring for me, blessing me, leading me and enabling me to fulfill His desires in me.” In other words, it is believing that “He is”
Just as Abel presented his sacrifice to the Lord, mingled with faith; so, too, our lives should be a lived as a sacrifice of faith presented to Him every day (vs 4).
Faith in the FUTURE involves exercising faith in the promises for our future that the Lord has given to us.
It is saying that “I believe the sufferings of this world are only temporary, I am going to a far better place to be with the Lord. I believe any sacrifice I make is insignificant because, someday, I will be rewarded for my faithfulness”… this is believing that “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
We are reminded of this type of faith in the life of Enoch, who faithfully served the Lord and was rewarded by being translated, opening to him an eternity in the Lord’s presence (vs 5).
Let’s all strive to live our lives as a living sacrifice, motivated by these two types of faith in our hearts.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:55-58(55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The resurrection of Christ, along with the future resurrection and glorification of the believer’s body is absolute, irrefutable evidence that our Lord Jesus Christ has overcome sin and it’s product, death.
Based upon the counsels of God, worked through the work of Christ, sin and death were totally defeated and it’s affects entirely reversed through the gracious intervention of God in the life of those who are brought to salvation.
After all that our Lord has done for us, we are to serve Him with all our being in three ways:
Stedfast – to be settled, certain, assured
Unmoveable – to be immoveable, to be firmly fixed
Always Abounding – to increase and overflow
Know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord – Be certain your painful labors are of great value due the Lord (His empowering and intervention ) in your work.
On this Easter weekend, what better way is there to honor our Lord for all He has done for us? As Paul said…
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:53-54(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Our resurrection body will differ from our earthly body in two ways:
Our earthly body is capable of aging, becoming sick, physically deteriorating and, eventually, decaying in the grave. This is all a part of being “corruptible”. But our resurrection body will never feel any effects of sin, aging or death. In other words it is “incorruptible”.
Our earthly body is able to be separated from our spirit, this takes place at physical death. The ability to experience physical death is called being mortal. Once received, our resurrection body will never be separated from our spirit. It will never experience death. This is taught by the phrase to “put on immortality”.
When our physical, fleshly bodies take upon themselves immortality and incorruption, we can clearly see that death is now defeated. Its grasp on us has come to an end. Sin, sickness, loss of strength, death and eventual decay will no longer take place in our lives.
How can this be? It is only because our Lord Jesus Christ has gotten the victory over sin (and sin’s results: spiritual and physical death) that all these will come to an end. He is the ultimate victor over sin and its many gruesome effects in our lives….
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Our attention is now turned to the event that will bring about the receipt of our glorified bodies… the resurrection (which takes place at the return of Christ to the earth at His second coming).
Several truths about the second coming are presented to us:
The 2nd coming and resurrection of the dead will take place suddenly “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”
The bodies of the dead will be called forth from the graves much like the trumpets being blown in the Old Testament times calling soldiers, or townspeople, to gather. It is possible this is literal trumpets being blown by the angels accompanying Christ at His coming. “At the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound”.
All bodies will be resurrected from the graves and given the ability to exist eternally. (For the saved, their bodies are glorified. For the lost their bodies are enabled to exist eternally in the Lake of Fire.) “The dead shall be raised incorruptible”
The bodies of the saved will receive additional changes to them: All the effects of sin will be eradicated from the believer’s body, etc. “and we shall be changed”
For the believer, what a wonderful blessing awaits at the 2nd coming of Christ! Let us all be faithful in service waiting for that wonderful day!
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:51(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…
Our attention is now turned to the event that will bring about the glorification of the believer’s body… the resurrection (which takes place at the second coming of Christ).
Paul begins by saying that these things are a “mystery”. The Greek word for “mystery” means “to shut the mouth”. In other words, it cannot be fully explained, and when we learn of it, we are shocked and speechless.
When Christ comes back, the bodies of the vast majority of believers will be dead in the graves, however, some will still be alive on earth. In this verse, Paul describes the believer’s body that has entered the grave as being at rest or “asleep”.
The reason why Paul describes the Christian’s body after death as “sleeping” is because:
Like sleep, death does not harm the body of a Christian, it actually aids the body (the body is changed at the resurrection). Vs 51
Like sleep, the bodies of Christians will arise again. Vs 52
Like sleep, no labor, nor work, is done by the physical body at death. It lies in the grave awaiting for the coming resurrection. (Eccl 9:10)
Please note: The Bible NOWHERE speaks of “soul sleep”. Whenever the Bible speaks of death as “sleeping” it is referring to the condition of the body in the grave, not the soul of the one who has passed away.)
What a wonderful blessing it is to know that, when we die, our spirit will go home to be with the Lord in heaven, while our bodies will sleep in the grave to be awakened at His 2nd coming!
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:48-50 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Paul now addresses one of the reasons why we need our resurrected body…
Our bodies are reflections of the bodies of those from which we proceed:
Our human bodies of dust reflect the body of the one through which has been passed our physical life (the first Adam).
Likewise, our resurrection glorified body will take upon itself the image of the body of the One through which we receive our spiritual life (the second Adam – Christ).
What a blessing it is to know that, if we possess spiritual life through Christ, we will receive new bodies at our resurrection. Our temporal, fallen bodies which have been touched by sin, sickness and eventual death will be replaced with glorified bodies made in the image of Christ’s post resurrection body. This is an absolute necessity for the believer because without remade bodies we could not enter into the presence of a Holy God and live eternally with Him.
Let’s make a concerted effort to serve Him today our of appreciation for the new bodies we are promised to receive at our resurrection.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:45-47 (45) And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (46) Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
The first Adam, the first created human being, was a creation of God that possessed both human, physical life and an immortal soul. As such, this Adam possessed the ability to change, to commit sin, and to fall from his blessed position of communion with God.
The last Adam is referring to Christ. Why is Christ called the “last Adam”?
Just as Adam was unique, being the first human ever created… so too, Christ. He is truly the “God-Man”. He is God Himself come to earth as a man.
Also, what Adam lost in the fall, Christ came to regain for mankind. Through the death of Christ, we can regain communion with God, spiritual life, and a perfect environment in which to live.
Here we are told that:
Christ (the last Adam) was made a “quickening spirit”. Adam could only possess life. Christ can give life.
Adam was set apart from animals by his “soul”. Christ was set apart from man being the spirit of the living God.
Adam’s body was formed from the earth, and as such, finds his origins in the earth. Christ, as God, finds His origins in heaven.
What a wonderful, special Lord we serve!
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:42-44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
The bodies we receive at the resurrection will be different from our present bodies in several ways:
Our present bodies are capable of death and decay (corruption); not so our resurrected bodies (incorruption).
Our present bodies are touched by sin and fallen by nature (dishonor); not so our resurrected bodies which are resurrected in a pure, sinless condition (glory).
Our present bodies are brought into the world with death as it’s certain end (weak); not so our resurrected bodies which are created for eternal existence (power)
Our present bodies are natural, fleshly, material in composition (natural); not so our resurrected bodies which are spiritual in composition (spiritual).
These verses bring to my mind… 1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
What wonderful, indescribable, bodies await those of us who have trusted in Christ as our Savior!
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:40-41 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. (41) There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
Paul continues describing our resurrection body using common comparisons from nature. In this case, he is using two different examples of the heavenly and earthly bodies…
In his first example, Paul reminds us that the spiritual bodies of the angels “bodies celestial” differ from the fleshly bodies of humans “bodies terrestrial”. This comparison helps us to understand that the glory of our resurrection bodies will be far greater than the glory associated with our human, sinful bodies that are broken and tarnished by sin. Like sinless angels bodies, our resurrected bodies will be bodies of perfection not touched by sin, death nor the ravages of sickness and aging.
In his second example, Paul shows us the basic principle of differing levels of glorification. This is illustrated by the differing levels of light given off by the sun, stars and the reflected light of the moon. All three heavenly bodies shine forth light in the midst of a blackened outer space. From the sun pours forth the greatest amount of light, while stars give forth a lesser amount. The moon, although it does not give off light of itself still reflects light into our world. In each case we have a differing amount of “glory” given off and yet none of them fail to be glorifying to God. So too, the bodies of angels, glorified bodies of humans and fleshly bodies of humans.
We need to remember, just as our resurrected bodies will glorify Him someday, we should be striving to glorify and honor God in our fleshly bodies by living our lives for Him.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
1Cor 15:39 - All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
Paul continues describing our resurrection body by using common comparisons from nature…
The differing types of flesh that exist instruct us on the nature of our resurrection bodies. There are differing types of flesh that exists in the world today. We all recognize that that are 4 basic types of flesh: human, animal, fish and fowl. What does this teach us about the nature of our resurrection body? The key phrase in this section of teaching is “not the same”.
Our resurrection body will be quite unique:
First of all the COMPOSITION of our resurrection body will be “not the same” as our human fleshly body. It will be changed. It will be “glorified”. It will not be touched by sin, sickness, or death. Just like the composition of a bird’s flesh is not the same as the flesh of humans, animals or fish…. So too, the composition of our bodies will be different.
Secondly, the APPEARANCE of our resurrection bodies will be “not the same” as the appearance of any other believer’s glorified body. (vs 38). Although we will all be glorified, each of our bodies will carry in them differing characteristics. Just as in our fleshly bodies. Although we are made of the same human flesh we possess differing characteristics. Skin color, height, weight, hair color, the lists goes on and on. In some way, the appearance of our glorified bodies will be different one to another. This is supported from the example Paul gives us… although animal flesh is the same, every animal appears different from one another. One dog differs in appearance to another, although both have the flesh of dogs on their bones.
It is a hard thing to try to understand what our resurrection bodies will be like. Why? Because they are “not the same” as anything we are familiar with here on earth.
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
(35) But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? (36) Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: (37) And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: (38) But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
Verse 35 - Paul begins a lengthy section (vs 35-50), to answer the questions… “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” In this section, the answers are given to us using the example of seed sown in the ground.
Verses 36-37 - When seed is sown in the ground the outer shell decays, during this process you have the new sprout growing up through the earth and presenting itself in a new, entirely different form. So, too our bodies. They will decay in the grave, only to rise again in a new form…. a changed body.
Verses 38 - Who is in charge of the form a plant takes on during its growth? It is the Lord only. A grain of wheat, when sprouted, will always look like a wheat plant. When corn is planted it will always sprout as a corn plant. A farmer cannot change the type of sprout each seed gives forth… it is ENTIRELY in the hands of the Sovereign Lord. Also, no two sprouts of wheat, or corn, are completely identical; each seed gives forth an unique sprout. So, too our Lord gives each of us unique bodies at the resurrection.
What are the first principles we learn about our resurrection body?
It will come from the fleshly body that has suffered decay.
It will not be identical in composition or appearance to our fleshly bodies… it will be a changed body. (For the saved it will be a glorified body, for the lost it will be a body capable of existing in a state of eternal punishment.)
It’s appearance and constitution will be controlled by the Lord.
It’s appearance will be distinctive, differing from all other resurrection bodies.
What a wonderful body awaits us thanks to our Sovereign Lord who is victor over sin AND DEATH!
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
One of the greatest promises that we, as believers in Christ, have given to us is the promise of the future resurrection and glorification of our bodies. Just think about it, receiving glorified bodies that are no longer affected by sin nor sin’s affects (sickness, pain, temptation, weakness, death etc etc)!
But did you know that the resurrection and glorification of the believer’s body is preceded by another type of resurrection that every believer experiences? Let’s take a few minutes to look at the “first” resurrection of believers.
THE SCRIPTURES:
John 5:24-29 (KJV)
24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26) For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27) And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
THE STUDY:
Here in our text, we find Christ describing the physical resurrection of the believer’s body being described. This resurrection will take place at the 2nd coming of Christ. Please notice, not only is the resurrection of the physical body being described, but the Lord is also describing a spiritual resurrection that takes place at the time of the believer’s conversion.
John 5:24-29 (KJV)…
24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
The first resurrection of the believer is a resurrection of His soul. This resurrection gives to the one who is dead in trespasses and sins spiritual life. Note that Christ tells us that this resurrection takes place as the result of our hearing His word and then placing our trust in the Lord. This is the essence of the salvation experience for fallen man. By hearing the gospel message which tells us about Christ and His work, and then placing our faith in the God who gave us the gospel message we will receive everlasting life. This is the first resurrection. This resurrection is also explained by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1-7….
Eph 2:1-7 And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;… Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
To be spiritually dead implies that we are unable to do anything to merit or gain salvation of our own ability.
It is much like a person who has died of asphyxiation. They can have an oxygen mask hanging next to them, but if they are dead, they can do nothing to bring the mask to their face and receive the life-giving oxygen. For someone who has died of asphyxiation what must take place? Another person must take the mask, place it on their face and then proceed to give them CPR if that person has any chance of having life restored to his dead body. In other words, they cannot save themselves but are totally reliant upon the intervention of another for any hope of life.
It is much like that with our salvation. We were dead in trespasses and sins, undeserving of salvation and unable to do anything to save ourselves. Yet, our Lord, by His grace, saw fit to intervene in our lives bringing us to Himself and saving us from our sinful state. He raised us from the tomb of our sinful, spiritually dead condition and resurrected us to a new life in Him.
What a wonderful gift of grace! To graciously give those who are dead in sins, spiritual life! How wonderful it is to know that we have been spiritually resurrected.
25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
The Lord now helps us to understand that the resurrection for the believer has a present age and future age aspect to it…
In this present age (“the hour now is” ) the spiritually dead individual will hear the voice of the Son of God (His call to salvation) and shall live (receive spiritual life). (Eph 5:14, Ro 6:4, Col 2:13, Rev 20:3-6)
At the very end of this age (“the hour is coming”) the dead body of the saint that is in the grave will hear the voice of the Son of God (at His second coming). At that time, the body will be resurrected from the grave, glorified, and meet the spirit of the believer which has been abiding with Christ in heaven. (1 Cor 15:42-54, 1 Thess 4:14-17, Phil 3:21)
26) For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
God the Father, being God, needed no one to give Him life. He possesses life in, and of, Himself. The Son, being God, also needed no one to give Him life. This is one of many proofs that we have of the deity of Christ. Not only does He possess life in Himself, but He is the One who is the source of all life. He is the Creator of all and it is through Him that we receive both our physical and spiritual life. (John 14:6, John 1:1-4, John 17:1-3)
27) And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Not only is Christ the Giver of Life for all mankind, He is also the Supreme Judge over all. Christ will exercise His authority to give life to the resurrection body and judge mankind at the same moment in future history.
The resurrection of the bodies, and the judgment of the lost, are linked together in many passages of the Scriptures (Matt 16:27, Matt 25:31-46, 2Thes 1:7-10, 2 Tim 4:1) This principle of the unity of the future resurrection and judgment is addressed by Christ in the last two verses of our text…
28) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,29)And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
We should not be amazed at the coming future resurrection of our bodies. After all, which is more miraculous, giving physical life to a dead corpse or giving spiritual life to the spiritually dead who are undeserving of spiritual life?
We are told here by Christ that one of the results of the resurrection of the bodies of all mankind will be their judgment. Whether lost or saved both must give an account of what they have done with their life on earth. For the saved, our judgment will involve the receipt (or loss) of rewards based upon faithfulness in opportunities that arose for service (Luke 19:16-26, 1Cor 2:12-15, 2 Tim 4:7-8). For the lost their judgment will be based upon their dead spiritual condition and their lack of faith in Christ (Matt 25:30, Matt 7:21-23, Rom 2:13-16) .
Rom 2:5-10 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (8) But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (9) Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; (10) But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
For those who have trusted in Christ.
As Christians we should ALWAYS be thankful for the first resurrection that has taken place in our lives. By His grace, we have been resurrected from spiritual death to spiritual life. This first resurrection is one of the proofs we have that our physical bodies will be resurrected from the grave to spend eternity with Him. Out of a heart of appreciation, let’s be sure we are living a new life in Christ… old things are passed away… behold all things are new.
For those who have never trusted in Christ.
Without the first resurrection taking place in your life, there will be no second resurrection leading to an eternity with the Lord. Examine your life in the light of the Scriptures. Recognize you have sinned against Almighty God. Turn your back on your sin, and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in Him and His work on the cross to pay the penalty for the sin that you have committed. Trust in Him, submit to His Lordship and you will be saved.
If you have any questions concerning the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area. They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.
Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer any question you may have.
Also, if you look at my blog page “How To Have A Relationship With God”. On this page, you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
The resurrection of Christ and the witnesses to that resurrection hold a key place within the Word of God. Both of these subjects are a part of the gospel message, the good news of Jesus and what He has done for His people…
1Cor 15:1-8 (KJV) –
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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 of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”
In this study we will be looking at the details of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the witnesses to that resurrection.
THE SCRIPTURE:
Matt 28:1-8 (KJV)
In the end of the sabbath, … And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Mark 16:1-8 (KJV)
And when the sabbath was past… And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any [man]; for they were afraid.
Luke 24:1-12 (KJV)
Now upon the first [day] of the week,… Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
John 20:1-10 (KJV)
The first [day] of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early,… Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
THE STUDY:
The resurrection account in chronological order…
The Stone Rolled From The Door By An Angel of the Lord
Matt 28: 2-4 - And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead [men].
Mary Magdalene and “the other” Mary and Salome come to the sepulchre, look in and find it empty
Matt 28:1- In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre
Mark 16:1-3 - And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first [day] of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
Luke 24:1-3 - 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.
John 20:1- The first [day] of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
At seeing the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene runs to tell other disciples leaving the other Mary and Salome behind.
John 20:2- Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
The Angel of the Lord appears to the remaining women, after they enter the tomb, and give them instructions.
Matt 28:4-6- And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Mark 16:4-7- And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Luke 24:4-8 - 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. And they remembered his words,
Peter and John leave Mary Magdalene and leave for the tomb.
John 20:3- Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple,
Before Peter and John’s arrival, the women (the other Mary and Salome) obey the angel and find the Peter and John and the other disciples telling them what had taken place.
Matt 28:8- And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Mark 16:8- And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any [man]; for they were afraid.
Luke 24:9-11- And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary [the mother] of James, and other [women that were] with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
Peter and John arrive at the tomb
Luke 24:12- Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
John 20:6-9- So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, [and looking in], saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Peter and John leave the tomb
John 20:10 - Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
What a confusing, joyful, and terrifying morning this must have been for the followers of Christ… so many questions and so few answers. There are a few very significant verses that help us to understand in the state of mind of the followers of Christ following all the excitement of this blessed Sunday morning…
Matt 28:8, Mark 16:8 – The Women: “fear”, “afraid”
Matt 28:8 – The Women: “great joy”
Mark 16:8 – The Women: “trembled”
Mark 16:8 – The Women: “amazed”
Luke 24:12 – Peter: “wondering”
John 20:8 – John: “believed”
Please take special note of John’s reaction… in the midst of such an exciting, extraordinary joyous and fearful event… the Bible simply says that John “and he saw, and believed”. What faith! Oh that we all could be as the Apostle John!
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
For those who are saved …
As we look at this account of that wondrous Sunday morning let us all, on a dialy basis, be thankful for the resurrection of our Lord. It is by this resurrection we can rest assured that His Word is true, His Work of redemption is complete, and that He is truly the Son of God, King of King and Lord of Lords!
For those who have yet to be saved...
This account as written in God’s Word is the only trustworthy and reliable account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This resurrection is absolute proof that Jesus was who He claimed to be, The Savior of the World who has brought salvation to His people….
Matt 1:21 (KJV) - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Such a miraculous event is bound to work up doubts in any of our minds. As we have seen, even His followers, in the early hours of that Sunday morning had many doubts about what had actually taken place. But thanks be to our Lord for He had allowed MANY witnesses to see Him following His resurrection. Many witnesses saw Him to prove beyond doubt that He had arisen and His work of redemption on the cross has been brought to completion…
1Cor 15:4-8 (KJV) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Turn from your sin to the Lord Jesus Christ. Come before Him realizing that He alone can save you from your sins. Believe that He died upon the cross bearing your sin. And then rest in the knowledge that He arose from the dead, to prove all of this is true.
If you have any further questions about the salvation that our Lord so graciously gives, please feel free to read my blog page… “How to have a relationship with God”. Otherwise, you can contact a Biblke based church, they will be glad to answer any of your questions about salvation that you may have. Or, you are welcome to contact me via a blog comment or email, it will be my privilege to answer any questions you may have about salvation and the work of Christ.
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
