Read: Matthew 27:61-28:10
The resurrection is the climax of the Bible. It marks the redemption of the son of God, the messiah, the Christ, and in him the entire cosmos. The scope of the resurrection is often lost when we focus on an individualistic approach to salvation. When we see our own salvation as the most important thing in the world, we miss the grandeur of what is happening at the resurrection of Christ. Of course, this does not deny that he is resurrected for OUR justification, but it is to note that our justification is not the only thing that the resurrection accomplishes.
Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, the promises of God to remake the earth and to provide a dwelling place with man where the LORD’s presence would again be at peace with his creation. This was lost in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rebelled, it was regained here in Matthew 28. One of my favorite parts about this narrative is the verse in Matthew 27:65, Pilate’s order to the Roman guards to go and make the tomb as secure as they can. What a pointless mission! And yet, that is exactly what humans had been doing since Genesis 3, attempting to thwart God’s good purposes and his plan to redeem the entire cosmos. The futility of these plans comes through when we consider what happened. If death could not hold Jesus, what was a measly stone in front of the tomb going to do?!
The Resurrection of Christ is also the great interrupter. People do not come back from the dead, they stay dead. As a result, the claim of this account of resurrection demands our attention. Can this be true? Isn’t this just a nice story that is meant to give us something positive to think about? NO! The resurrection is either historically true or it is foolishness. If Jesus was not redeemed through his physical resurrection, then there is no hope for this world and man’s attempt to thwart the redemptive plans of God have succeeded. There can be no cause for hope if Jesus is dead. But if he’s alive…then the best possible outcome happened 2000+ years ago. In the real, historical redemption of Jesus is the real historical redemption of all things.
Questions
Why is it important that the resurrection is a historical fact rather than just a nice story?
What significance does Jesus appearing to the women first have?
What are some ways that the Resurrection points to the redemption of all things?
What does it mean that Jesus was resurrected for our justification?
How does placing our own salvation at the center of the resurrection give us a small view of what actually happened?
What questions do you have about the details of the resurrection?