The Day Jesus Died

On the day that Jesus died, no one really believed there was going to be a resurrection on Sunday. The Law and Prophets had talked about it. Jesus had talked about it. The Romans were not concerned about it. They posted a guard because they thought Jesus’s followers would steal His body. Mary, Martha, and those who followed Jesus to Bethany had been present at a resurrection when Lazarus came walking out of the tomb bound by the ceremonial wrappings of those who were dead. But they were doubtful of another. The Temple Priests, Pharisees, and Scribes went home to prepare for the Sabbath as they had done all their lives. The Law had won.They were still in control of everything religious, and they would continue to take advantage of Israel and profits would continue to accrue. Pilate went home to his wife, the only one who had given him wise counsel that day. He would show her his clean hands. When Jesus was placed in the tomb  secured by Joseph, the downcast Disciples went to hide from the persecution they expected to follow His death. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee went home to prepare spices and perfumes for anointing His body, then rested on Saturday according to the Sabbath commandment. They would go to perform the anointing on Sunday.

The city of Jerusalem, disturbed by the  raging storm, the darkness that covered the Earth, the earthquake that shook Jerusalem to its foundation, and the cruelty of crucifixion many of them had watched, would be quiet that night, and people would fall asleep knowing that Jesus of Nazareth was dead, buried, and their dream of freedom from the crushing tyranny of Rome had ended.

Some two thousand years later many Believers who have come to faith in Christ Jesus do not really believe that there is a resurrection, here, now, available, from the power of sin – to the power of righteousness.

Paul said in Philippians 3:10, “My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection…”

In Romans 6:12-13 He said “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.”

If we, unlike those who streamed from Golgotha on that late afternoon 2000  years ago, believe there is a resurrection for us, here, and now, we can say with Paul in Romans 6:4, “like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Listen, Believers, His resurrection is our resurrection to power, joy, peace, hope, righteousness in daily life, and victory like we have never known before.