Scripture: John 20:1-9, Matthew 5:13-16
Today
is the day every year when we intentionally celebrate the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. But even while we rejoice, there
are so very many more who deny that it ever happened. They don’t see the proof – the worldly
version of proof – that they need to convince them that someone can actually
come back to life from the dead. It
doesn’t make any sense to them, and for far too many, faith will never be their
reality.
Diane
and I were listening to a John McArthur Easter message the other day, and in
it, he said this – “It isn’t that we need to prove the resurrection, but
rather that we must understand what the resurrection proves to us.” Christ’s resurrection is a fact, it is a
given, and we need to come to the realization that Christ’s time here on earth
would be meaningless if He had remained in the grave, wasting away into
oblivion.
But
God can do all things, and will, when it serves His purpose. So what, you may ask, was God’s purpose in
the resurrection of Jesus? Was it to
free Him from the appearance of earthly death? Was it the only way to give Him a chance to
return to heaven? Was it to create a
mystery and test for the people of earth, to see if they could believe without
seeing? Or was there some other reason
that God had in mind?
Read
John 20:1-9
It
had been a strange week. It had started
out with cheers and accolades as Jesus and His followers had entered Jerusalem. It seemed that His ministry had finally begun
to make progress with the masses (John 12:12-19). But then, as the week progressed, His
teachings began to take on a whole new intensity. He drove the merchants out of the temple,
which did nothing to win them over to His way (Matthew 21: 12-17). His teaching in the temple was questioned
over and over again, and try as they might, the teachers of the Law could never
catch Him in one single mistake. (Matthew 21:23-27, Luke 20:20-26) His parables became even more blunt and to
the point – so much so that the Pharisees couldn’t avoid the fact that He was speaking
against them and their brand of faith. (Matthew 21:33-46) He even began to warn the people about
accepting the example and teaching of those self-proclaimed learned men of
Israel! (Luke 20:45-47)
And
then, just a few short days ago it all started to fall apart. The Master was arrested, falsely accused and
judged guilty of blasphemy, he was beaten to within an inch of His life, and
then they took that “last inch” from Him by crucifixion. The hope of freedom and salvation had been
ripped from their lives. And on that first
Easter morning, it just got worse, if that was even possible! The body of their dear LORD and Teacher was missing
from the tomb where He had been laid just two days before.
Is
it any wonder that confusion, hopelessness and heartbreak reigned supreme in
the lives of Christ’s faithful? But perhaps
the question before us should be “why would these struggles even enter
their minds and hearts”? After all,
hadn’t Jesus told them several times that He would have to suffer and leave
them, with the full intention of coming back to bring encouragement and help
for them? (John 12:20-36)
But
on this morning, fear and uncertainty were the watchwords of the day, and were
very likely the reason for the urgency that Mary felt as she ran to
spread the news to those hiding in that room, and the same reason that Peter
and John ran to see the mystery of the tomb for themselves! But slowly, the truth of that day began to
creep into the lives of the faithful. Mary
saw that the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was now empty; Peter and
John came to the realization that only the body was gone, for the linen cloths
were still there, folded up neatly where Jesus had laid; and we are told that
John soon “believed” - but we have to ask “believed what?” We read that none of them understood
the complete truth in this moment of overwhelming grief.
The
next 40 days would begin to fill in the gaps of faith as Jesus would be seen
alive to over 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). But the full impact of Jesus’ words wouldn’t
finally fill their lives and hearts until the Spirit’s presence at Pentecost
made it all clear (John 16:1-11).
But until that day, they would just have to wait and trust that
everything that their LORD had told them would come true.
And
during that time, the urgency of the Resurrection Day would turn into patient
waiting; the confusion that had gripped them so tightly would slowly yield to
memories of all that Jesus had taught them; and gradually, hope and great
expectation would replace the fear of uncertainty that had burst upon their
lives during that rollercoaster ride we know as Holy Week.
And
what was the proof that they had been waiting for?
Read Matthew 5:13-16
This teaching is found in the
opening words of Jesus Sermon on the Mount, and the New Interpreters’ Bible opens
an understanding for us in these words - “The life of discipleship is
conceived throughout as life within the community of faith, a community charged
with a mission to the world.” This
reminds us that when the faithful of Christ answer God’s call to service, they
will become like salt, and we must remember what salt is really all about! Again from the New Interpreters’ Bible - “…
salt had many connotations in Matthew’s tradition and context – including
sacrifice (Leviticus 2:13), loyalty and covenant fidelity (Numbers18:19); eating together was called “sharing salt” and expressed a binding
relationship; purification (2 Kings 2:19-22); seasoning (Job 6:6-7);
and preservatives.)
When we invite the Living Christ
to come into our lives, we become “salt of the earth” in His image and
serve in every one of the ways that we have been reminded of – sacrificially,
loyalty, in fellowship with others, bound in relationship with Jesus and all
who believe in Him, through purification and forgiveness in our lives, in
leading others to “taste and see that the LORD
is good” (Psalm 34:8), and in
the charge to preserve the true and right faith.
And we receive the Light of
Christ to show others the way to Jesus through the dark and sinful ways of this
world. Being Salt and Light for Christ
isn’t some burdensome obligation, it isn’t simply a task that we are to commit
to – it is a gift from God, that we might be servants and loved ones of the
Living LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.
But what if we deny the call
of Christ to follow and trust in all that He has done for us ? Our “light” will extinguish itself, and we
will lose our saltiness, and will be good for nothing more than coating the
muddy byways of earth.
It was in those days of discovery
and learning and seeing that the disciples, and others, began to understand that
Jesus is exactly who He had always said He was, and that while the body may be
missing from the tomb, He never left their lives, and faith would see them
through the ministries that the LORD had been preparing them for during the previous
three years He had spent with them.
Easter’s resurrection is that
important to our lives – it proves God’s love for us, it proves God’s call on
our lives, it proves that the One we serve is alive and strong and true to His
word. It proves that there is purpose in
faith, a fullness of hope in our service, and it proves that Jesus has and
always will keep us in His heart and mind – and His proof will be with us from
the moment we surrender our life to him in faith and will be throughout eternity. (John14:15-21)
