Tag: Christ’s Resurrection

What Does This Bible Verse Mean?

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Who Came from the Graves? (Matthew 27:52-53) - YouTube

Erlene mentioned this yesterday, Matthew 27: 52-53.

And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Whoa! Did that say what I think it said? Uh… yeah. It did.

Erlene sees that as a sign of Christ’s being “the first fruits” of the resurrection of the dead, in which all of us who believe in Him will share.

Who were these resurrected saints? How many people saw them? Where did they go after they entered the holy city? Plenty of food for thought here!

And yet these two verses don’t seem to get much attention. I’m sure I’ve never heard a sermon about them–just as I’m sure that this is the first time I’ve really noticed them. And now I doubt I’ll ever forget them.

Jesus died on the cross. There can be no doubt of that. But He did say to one of the thieves who was crucified with Him, “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Which must mean that the moment He died in the flesh, His spirit went to paradise. His body would be resurrected on the third day.

People in those days did believe in ghosts, and were exceedingly troubled if they thought they saw one. Jesus had to reassure His disciples that He was not a ghost: He sat down and ate with them to prove it. So I don’t think Matthew was talking about ghosts. These saints must have been resurrected, as He was. And they must have soon ascended into Heaven. Very soon–or it would have been a sensation in the city, and Matthew would have told us so.

Think, think, think! It surely must be important or it wouldn’t be there.

Bonus Hymn, ‘Time With You’

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‘Luke 24–Christ Is Risen’ (Christian Blogger)

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Is this what Peter saw?

When they heard the women say Jesus’ tomb was empty, Peter and “another disciple” ran on ahead to see for themselves. For the rest of the story, see Luke, Chapter 24. Here it’s been set up for us on the Unashamed of Jesus blog:

Luke 24- Christ Is Risen

Jesus had told them He would rise; but when they actually saw the empty tomb, did they believe? Luke describes them as “perplexed.” Well, who wouldn’t be?

They didn’t know they were living out the very first Easter morning. Nothing like it had ever happened in the world before. And they all understood that, by and by; but not right away. Not right away. Even for them it took some time.

‘Mary Magdalene on Easter Morning’ (2015)

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Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene on Easter Morning - Noli me tangere Painting by Peter Paul Rubens

No! No nooze today. Let it be drowned out by the Good News–the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine what Mary Magdalene experienced, that very first Easter morning?

Mary Magdalene, on Easter Morning

She knew He was dead; she’d seen Him die. She was at the tomb to minister to the body. The ministry, the message, the miracles–it was all over. No more.

Then they found the stone rolled away, and the tomb empty. At that moment the world changed. It would never be the same again. Sin and Death are dethroned. Christ shall reign forever.

And then she saw Him, and He spoke to her…

 

An Encouraging Word

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2,552 Empty Tomb Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime

In this Easter essay by Mark Rushdoony, “The Hope of the Believer,” we find encouragement that comes from God’s word. We need all the encouragement we can get, as we witness “the self-destructive paths our culture is currently pursuing.” Thankfully, he Lord never runs out of it.

https://chalcedon.edu/blog/the-hope-of-the-believer

We need to study Christ’s Resurrection not as just a historical event that’s over and done with, Mark writes, but as having urgent relevance to our lives now and in the future; because “our Lord is now at work, as He has been, and that ‘the gates of hell’ will not prevail against Him or His Kingdom.”

We really do need to keep that in mind.

‘Mary Magdalene, on Easter Morning’ (2015)

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Who Was Mary Magdalene: Wife, Prostitute or None of the Above? - HISTORY

I like to post this every Easter.

Mary Magdalene, on Easter Morning

Imagine deepest sorrow turned to highest joy–can you? Imagine the worst wrong you ever saw, suddenly put right. Can you? Have you ever seen something that really was too good to be true, impossibly good–and yet there it was, before your eyes?

The Bible tells us Mary followed Jesus, as a disciple, after he cast seven devils out of her: so she already knew a thing or two about horror, pain, and misery.

Now she is about to learn about joy.

‘The Lesson of the Empty Tomb’

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Empty Tomb Of Jesus Pictures | Jesus tomb, Empty tomb

Scanning the nooze this afternoon, trying to decide what stories I ought to mention on this blog, actually began to nauseate me. Is there any price the Democrats won’t make our country pay, if it gets them back into power? (Hint: I don’t think so. Do you?)

This new piece by Mark Rushdoony on the Chalcedon blog provided me with a valuable course correction.

https://chalcedon.edu/blog/the-lesson-of-the-empty-tomb

One quote pretty much says it all: “It is easy to be concerned about the events that swirl around us rather than the larger picture that we serve a victorious lord.”

That’s the point of Easter. That’s the lesson of the empty tomb. Jesus Christ is risen. Jesus Christ is Lord. And nothing sinful men can do can prevent His victory.

We have the honor to serve Him until He establishes His throne upon the earth.

‘An Easter Message’ (2014)

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I probably should have posted this yesterday, but there’s only so many posts you can make on one day, even if it’s Easter Sunday.

An Easter Message

Besides–how long would it have taken, back then, for word to get out that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead? How long before all Jerusalem had heard it? How long before it was heard in Rome?

We need to hear it. Every day. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

‘The Resurrection and the New Creation’

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Stump the Rector – Saints, Resurrection and a New Heaven and Earth ...

Many of us can’t go, physically, to church on this Easter Sunday 2020. But we still could use a sermon. Let this teaching by Mark Rushdoony, from 2004, serve in that office.

https://chalcedon.edu/magazine/the-resurrection-and-the-new-creation

It’s a fairly long sermon, so you don’t need a fairly long introduction from me. The point is made simply: “Christ’s resurrection insures our own (1 Corinthians 15: 12-27).” God has promised to make all things new–including us. But neither sin nor death will be found in the new heaven and new earth that He creates.

We won’t be floating around on the clouds, strumming harps. We will walk upon a new earth in our perfected, resurrected bodies, and Christ shall have dominion over all.

For the LORD hath spoken it!

Seminary Prez: Christ’s Resurrection Not ‘Necessary’

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Do they really make you trample on the Bible before they let you be a teacher or administrator at a seminary? Or does it only seem that way?

The president of Union Theological Seminary–that’s one of the biggies–says you don’t have to believe Christ rose from the dead, to be a Christian. Erick Erickson quotes her: “For Christians for whom the physical resurrection becomes a sort of obsession, that seems to me to be a pretty wobbly faith. What if tomorrow someone found the body of Jesus in the tomb?” [They won’t.] “Would that mean that Christianity was a lie?” (https://townhall.com/columnists/erickerickson/2019/04/26/flatearth-christianity-n2545394).

Let’s see if St. Paul can field that question.

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15: 12-17)

If Christ is not raised then, yes–the whole New Testament is a lie. And if there’s no New Testament, there’s no Christianity.

Unless this seminary half-wit thinks there’s such a thing as a Christless Christianity, in which salvation comes not from Jesus Christ, but from Science, the state, left-wing politics, and NPR, etc. And Jesus was just a nice guy who got crucified because he was a union man. Or something.

How do sins get forgiven? By voting for Democrats? Who forgives them? Hillary Clinton? And who gets to say what’s a sin and what’s not? The Bible, or some left-wing fat-head in a seminary?

This is why the flatline Protestant churches are dying the death. I can’t find it in my heart to waste tears on them. Those who know their Savior, who know His voice and follow Him, don’t need those churches. Nor those seminaries.