Day 7 | Easter Sunday - The Resurrection
When is the last time you went back and really read through the details of the resurrection? Well it had been a while for me and this Easter, I really want to revel in God’s sacrifice and love for us. In the past I have typically gone straight to reading about the resurrection, but today I want to look at a few verses before the resurrection. Matthew 27:50-51 “But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.”
This was the start of the resurrection, the veil was torn. Before Jesus, people had to go to a High Priest to talk to God, but the significance of Jesus’s sacrifice starts here, that we now have a direct line to talk to God. When the centurion saw the earthquake and what had happened, they said “truly this man was the Son of God!”
I don’t know about you, but there have been many moments in the past where it’s hard for my brain to comprehend a resurrection. Reading Matthew 27:62-66 and the lengths that they went to in order to guard the tomb helps in an odd way for my logical part of my brain to believe. Sounds silly, because I know to my core that Jesus died for my sins and that He is seated next to God in Heaven; but sometimes the enemy can get me caught up in random trains of thought about the resurrection. Maybe I’m the only one, but I wanted to be real and encourage you to go read Matthew 27 and 28, because God will always meet you where you are at and bring new revelation to you when you are seeking him.
We pick up in Matthew 28 with another earthquake, “There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow.” v10 “Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” Jesus was resurrected and the guards were in shock. Everything that Jesus said would happen, happened.
You can’t learn about Jesus’s resurrection without reading the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20, “Jesus came near and said to his disciples, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of age.”
If we think about Jesus’s teachings to the disciples and what he commanded them, it all started from a place of love and grace. Studying the Gospel is the first step in understanding how to think like Jesus and how to live in a way that honors his sacrifice. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your savior, then he has sent a helper, the Holy Spirit to guide you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your next step of faith, whether that’s to further your understanding first, or to share the gospel with someone in your life.
Father God, thank you for your word, for the truth of life. I pray that anyone that has gone on this 7 day devotional journey with me that they find a new zest and joy in reading your word. I pray that this Easter we all feel the depths of your sacrifice and love for us. We love you with all our hearts and we are so grateful for your grace and forgiveness. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.
Further Reading Matthew 27 and 28