Jesus Fulfills Promise

𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐀𝐜 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟒𝐚, 𝟑𝟕-𝟒𝟑

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟏𝟖: 𝟏-𝟐, 𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟐-𝟐𝟑 “𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞; 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝.”

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐: 𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟓:𝟔𝐛-𝟖

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟐𝟎: 𝟏-𝟗

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝.” (𝐯.𝟖) 

       The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ without any doubt is the greatest story the world has ever come to know. And for those who have faith even the size of a mustard seed, believing may not prove difficult but for those who will hear of the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can fully comprehend and grasp this amazing story.

         When Mary Magdalene, Peter and John saw that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb it only meant one thing – that he did what he said he would do and that he will rise from the dead on the third day.

        And if Jesus rose from the dead on that first Easter morning, walked the earth for the next 40 days and ascended into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection – it means that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and is very much alive today.

         There are three characters in this story and we actually have a piece of each of these three personages. As it was the belief of the Jews that the spirit of the dead hovered around the tomb for at least three days and would only depart when the body had become unrecognizable due to decay, it became customary for the Jews to visit the tomb of a loved one for three days.

         But because it was Sabbath the next day after Jesus died and was buried the disciples of Jesus could not come to the tomb and this was the reason why Mary Magdalene went right when the Sabbath ended when the night ended at the break of dawn.

         Mary ran back to tell the other disciples when she found the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Peter and John tried to outrun each other into the tomb (𝐯.𝟒) but John looked inside and only saw the burial cloth lying at the tomb.

        Peter rushed in and saw the napkin that covered the face of Jesus to be neatly folded and placed separately from the burial cloth. Both Mary and Peter, however, remained bewildered by what they were seeing and couldn’t make anything out of what was before them.

         But what was clearly evident in this scenario was the bond of love that all three, Mary, Peter and John, had for Jesus. It was Mary who loved Jesus so much that she anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive perfume (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟐:𝟑) who was the first to come to the tomb. Regardless of the three times he denied Jesus (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟖:𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟓-𝟐𝟕),

         Peter out of love was the first to go inside the tomb. And John the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus finally went in and “𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝.” (𝐯.𝟖). It was not what John may have read in the Scriptures that convinced him that Jesus would resurrect but what he saw in his own eyes.

         Today we as Christians believe not only in the Resurrection of Jesus as an historical event in the history of the Church but that Jesus had truly risen from the dead and who is alive today, now and forever. Such belief is necessary because this is the key to our Christian faith – to believe in the fulfillment of His promise.

          To help us understand and believe, let me just run through at least four major pieces of evidence that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead: (1) Jesus died and this could not be denied (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟗:𝟑𝟑). (2) There was no way anyone could have gone past the guards at the entrance to the tomb. And Jesus could not have rolled the stone from the inside. The linen used to wrap his body appeared as if Jesus passed through them (𝐯𝐯.𝟓-𝟗).

          (3) Jesus had appeared to many witnesses after his death. Mary Magdalene saw him (𝐯𝐯.𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟖). He appeared before his disciples (𝐯𝐯.𝟏𝟗-𝟐𝟎). Jesus appeared to Thomas (𝐌𝐤 𝟏𝟔:𝟏𝟒). He appeared to seven disciples in the Sea of Galilee (𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟏: 𝟏-𝟐𝟓). (4) The countless number of people who have encountered him who have been transformed from their unbelief, skepticism, doubt, indifference to Christianity. What could have changed them including atheists? They met the living Jesus.

          Jesus is alive now as he was on that first Easter morning and he still invites people today 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑯𝒊𝒎 (𝑱𝒏 17:33), 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒎 (𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 22:37), 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒎 (𝑱𝒏 12:26) 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑯𝒊𝒎 (𝑱𝒏 16:22) in eternity. Many of us who were brought into the Church and the Community especially those who have been baptized in the Spirit have been transformed because we have encountered Jesus the living God.

         And Jesus revealed Himself to us out of his great love for those whom God has created in “𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬” (𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟏:𝟐𝟔). In the same way, it is out of love flowing from our hearts that we allow the Holy Spirit to keep touching us with His life and power.

         This is the great law of life in that there can never be a union among us unless there is a bond of love and sympathy that exists in us. A music concert conductor for example cannot interpret the composition of a composer unless he is filled with love for the music he is to conduct.

         Love is the greatest purveyor of truth because we can easily grasp the truth when there is love even if our finite minds grope and struggle with the truth. There was once a story about the great French artist Paul Gustave Dore’ (Jan. 6, 1832 - Jan. 23, 1883) when a young artist brought a picture of Jesus to him for his review and evaluation. It took Dore’ some time and when he finally spoke, he said: “You don’t love him, or you would paint him better.”

         This is the same with us. Like the young artist, we will only come to know Him, love Him, serve Him and be happy with Him if we will step out of our unbelief and believe and have faith in Him who said he will rise from the dead and he did.

         For us to truly believe we must roll out the stone in our lives. Over the years since childhood, we have picked up some or even many negative vibes that have clouded the original image of God in us such that we have become a person that God would not even recognize.

         We have clothed ourselves with arrogance and pride, filled our lives with lies, indulged in self-exaltation and thinking highly of ourselves. But one thing is certain.

        If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would not have heard of him and we would not have had the chance to be transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created. But we need to roll out the stone – the negative influences that have stained our souls – so we can share in the glory of Easter and be resurrected to a new life.

         A promise fulfilled and no other god or prophet has risen from the dead except Jesus the one true God. Surely this man was the Son of God! (𝐌𝐤 𝟏𝟓:𝟑𝟗). Today, we continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who gives us the eyes of faith and the joy to personally know Jesus our Savior and King!    (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 5, 2026)