So let us continue studying this truth of Jesus resurrection under our theme, Glorious facts about Jesus resurrection. Jesus is risen from the dead, as He said. We noted as the first glorious fact about this that His resurrection was something unstoppable and inevitable. As was said, and bears repetition, it is more impossible that Jesus did not rise from the dead than that He did rise from the dead. Jesus not rising from the grave is something far more impossible than that He did rise from the grave because of His Person and His promises and His perfect work as Saviour. Without a shadow of doubt, His resurrection was something unstoppable, a matter inevitable! Do you confess this foundational gospel truth as well? Should we not so praise God for this grand truth and glorious fact of Jesus resurrection?
In further urging for a true confession and reliance on Jesus Christ as crucified and now risen exalted Saviour of sinners, let us move on to the next glorious fact about Jesus resurrection from the dead and His rising from the grave as He said. Surely Matthew 28 doesnt only prove Jesus has risen from the dead but it relates the wonder and the comfort and joy of this fact as well. Here I come to my second main point about Jesus resurrection from the dead. Not only is it something unstoppable, an inevitable fact, but it is an unsurpassable event, incomparable to anything else. It is the fact of Jesus resurrection from the dead that distinguishes the Christian religion from all others and proclaims so much the worth and beauty and comfort and preciousness of the Christian gospel with the message of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The story is told of an Asian wonderfully converted to the Christian faith. When he was asked his testimony he replied, I knocked at the door of Buddha, and all that I heard was the hollow echo of the tomb. I knocked at the door of Mohammed, but at his grave, where his body lies, there was no answer. I knocked at the door of Confucius, but the dust of centuries gathered upon his tomb, and there was no answer. Then I knocked at the door of Jesus Christ and found Him to be alive. He came to the door, He invited me in, He saved me and set my heart to rejoicing, and my feet upon the road to glory. Yes, dear friends, so it is. When you read the resurrection account in all four gospels you find there the fact of Jesus resurrection from the dead giving so much hope and joy, peace and love, purpose and life!
In Matthew 28 you find the women who were told by the angel that Jesus arose, as He said, and to go tell the disciples the good news, that they leave with such overwhelming joy and run with holy excitement to tell the disciples that Jesus lives! Everything about our Saviour and Lord is most true and more than true, exceeding abundantly above all that we ever could have thought. And when Jesus graciously and happily meets the women who were going to the disciples to tell them Jesus is risen then we are told in verse 10 how worshipful towards Him the women were and how blessedly reassured they became. With Jesus resurrection from the dead, you know what you may know? Jesus is the Saviour of sinners to rely on, and He lives ever for us to depend on. And if you think about how Jesus made no less than five appearances the first Easter Sunday, and in each and every case went out of His way to make clear He arose salvation blessings to impart, graciously and abundantly so, even to people so undeserving in themselves, the glorious fact of Jesus resurrection from the dead is just so rich.
This is the gospel truth, the good news of incredible worth that the Bible proclaims and that every true Christian knows with mind and heart. And this is something that all people need to hear and believe, through Gods Word and Spirit. Jesus lives! He is risen as He saidHe is risen from the dead! And yes,
He lives triumphant from the grave, He lives eternally to save;
He lives all glorious in the sky, He lives exalted there on high.
And all who trust and follow Him may know,
He lives to bless me with His love. He lives to plead for me above:
He lives my hungry soul to feed, He lives to help in time of need.
He lives to grant me fresh supply, He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint, He lives to hear my souls complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to stop and wipe my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart; He lives all blessings to impart.
He lives, my kind, wise heavenly Friend, He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives and while He lives, Ill sing, He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King!
He lives and grants me daily breath, He lives and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare, He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to His Name; He lives, my Jesus still the same;
O the sweet joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer lives!
This gospel truth of Jesus resurrection along with His death on behalf of sinners is what Gods people may know. Jesus died and rose as the triumphant Saviour for sinners like you and me and blessed are all who trust and obey Him. Our Scripture passage also shows how miserable and hopeless are all those who will not believe and trust in Him. Are you one who does not believe in Jesus, not wholly entrust yourself to Him? The Bible speaks of the wrath of the Lamb which all the unsaved will forever experience not seeking refuge in this life under the blood of the Lamb. The author of Hebrews writes, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation as made known to us in and with Jesus Christ, the God-sent, God-approved, crucified and risen Saviour of sinners? There is no hope for anyone apart from Jesus the Saviour. There is no other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. If you are still not converted to God, I urge you in Jesus Name, do not continue a single day longer in your sins and unrepentant and unbelief in Jesus, but turn this day to Him and trust and obey Him, and you will not be put to shame. Listen here to Pauls words in Romans 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, [yes, as the one and only almighty Saviour of sinners, also for you], thou shalt be saved.
Jesus crucifixion means nothing apart from His resurrection and His resurrection from the dead means nothing apart from His crucifixion. But put the two truths together along with everything else the Bible tells of Jesus and you have a gospel message for hopeless, guilty, lost, poor, sinful, helpless sinners that is so tremendous, so rich, so free, so liberating, so flawless and glorious that words cannot tell! Look unto Him and be ye saved all the earth! This is the gospel message we may proclaim considering Jesus endless worth as Saviour of sinners, as risen Saviour of sinners. Wasnt this also the fruit of Jesus resurrection that His followers became so Spirit-filled and zealous to tell all the world of this gospel truth? Jesus lives. He is risen as He saidHe is risen from the dead.
Saying this also brings me very briefly yet to our third main point speaking of the glorious facts of Jesus resurrection. Not only was Jesus resurrection an unstoppable event, something so inevitable; and not only was and is His resurrection an unsurpassable event, something so incomparable, but certainly it was and is an unfathomable event, something so incredible, thinking of all the riches thereof. You can say, and Matthew 28 would also have us realize, Jesus resurrection is something so inestimable in worth. Think here only of the last verses of Matthew 28. There we hear Jesus tell of how all power and authority is given to Him in heaven and on earth, and we hear Him commission His disciples and the Christian Church to go throughout all the world telling the gospel and spreading the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ and the call to repent and believe on Him. We hear that rich promise of Jesus to His people, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Doesnt that speak all of an almighty, blessed, compassionate, devoted, energetic, forgiving, helpful, incredible, jubilant, kingly, loving, merciful Saviour? Go to this Jesus, apply to Him, time and again, in and with all your sin and misery and need and you will not be disappointed. Isnt that how Jesus also showed and proved Himself as risen Saviour? What a Saviour of sinners He showed Himself to be and proclaims Himself to be as resurrected Saviour. Didnt Jesus also promise to give His Holy Spirit to work further as the Great Comforter here on earth to be the Divine Agent of the Father and Himself, working in peoples hearts through the Word, even as He, as ascended Saviour, would gather and guide and guard His people from His throne in glory?
If you think too of how the resurrected Saviour rules supreme over all till all His enemies are put down and all His elect people gathered in, even as many as will repent and believe on Him, and if you think about the eternal home Jesus is preparing as resurrected Saviour for His own and how through His prayers He is able to save completely all that come unto God by Him, the crucified and risen Saviour, the worth of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead is all so inexpressibly tremendous and incalculably invaluable! Without Jesus resurrection from the dead, our faith would be vain and the Christian religion along with all the religions of mans making would just be empty and vain and leave us in utter hopelessness on account of our sins and sinfulness before the holy and righteous God. But this is the gospel. Jesus did arise from the dead as He said. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah, what a Saviour!
The glorious facts of Jesus resurrection, an event unstoppable, unsurpassable, and unfathomable indeed! Jesus is risen as He said.
He is risen from the dead! O Lord, help us never to forget this and ever to glory in this and help us to pass on this good news these glad tidings of great joy, this gospel message that Jesus lives. And may many more yet come to Him in true faith before Christ comes again and every eye shall see Him. Amen.
