Jesus Lives—and You Can Too
Easter means many things to people around the world. As with Santa Claus at Christmas, many of the symbols usually associated with Easter, such as the Easter bunny and colored eggs have a variety of legends regarding their beginnings. Unfortunately, these secular symbols for springtime often overshadow what the church celebrates: the resurrection of Christ.
The events in today’s Scripture may seem just as fanciful as stories of Easter bunnies, but it’s the truth of God’s victory over sin and death. That victory, accomplished by Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, translates into the victory every person can experience by receiving the forgiveness of sin Jesus purchased through His death on the cross. This eternal truth must stand alone, untarnished by the distractions and dilutions of secularism.

Special Focus: Jesus Lives—and You Can Too

Question 1:

When have you been surprised to run into someone unexpectedly?

THE POINT
Rest confidently in the resurrection of Christ.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
One Christmas Eve a few years ago, we enjoyed a phone call from our son who was a Journeyman missionary in Amsterdam. The next morning, after the family had opened their gifts, my wife realized one gift was missing. All I could tell her was, “It will be ready to pick up early this evening.”
Later that day, after I returned from picking up the package, I invited my wife and daughter to come downstairs. The gift was here. As my wife removed the wrapping, her anticipation changed to shock and then joyous surprise. Her ears heard, “Hi, Mom!” and her eyes saw our son sitting in front of her—instead of five thousand miles away as she had assumed. Her reality—what she “knew” to be true—had been completely obliterated. Our son wasn’t an ocean away; he was home!
Matthew closed his gospel with the account of two women who had watched Jesus suffer and die. It had been difficult to accept this harsh situation, but it was their reality. It was in that frame of mind that they went to the tomb and experienced their own joyous surprise.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 28:1-5
1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men. 5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
The Jewish law required that those who had been executed be buried immediately (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23). However, because the death of Jesus occurred on Friday afternoon, there wasn’t time for the burial process to be completed before the Sabbath began at sundown. Now the Sabbath was over, and several women arrived at the tomb of Jesus to complete the burial process (see Luke 24:1,10). Matthew chose to focus on two of these women: “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary,” whom he previously identified as “the mother of James and Joseph” (Matthew 27:56).
We all know what stress and challenges feel like. Much disruption has been occurring in our world on all levels: a global pandemic, political upheaval, violence, and so forth. The Jews living under Roman oppression in the first century weren’t strangers to similar distress. In addition to the hardships most Jews faced in the first century, these women carried the anguish of having watched their Messiah endure arrest, torture, and crucifixion. Now they were going to Jesus’ tomb with spices to anoint His corpse (see Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1).
Emotions were likely already running high when they suddenly experienced “a violent earthquake,” and encountered a brightly glowing angel sitting on the rolled-away stone that was supposed to keep the tomb tightly closed. Even the guards shook from fear.
Christians today have had over two thousand years to ponder the significance of all these events, but in that moment the women had little time to consider what or who could be causing all of this. What they saw were events that only God could accomplish. In that moment there was confusion, despair, and sorrow. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid.” The women truly had no reason to fear either the angel or the message he was about to deliver.

Question 2:

What especially captures your attention in these verses?

The women believed Jesus was dead even though He had foretold His resurrection on multiple occasions (see Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). Although they initially misunderstood, it was to them that God first revealed the truth that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead. God doesn’t simply reveal Himself and His truth to only the most learned among us. As we seek Him and embrace the truth, our faith is strengthened, and our understanding grows.
Matthew 28:6-7
6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
God doesn’t waste time. Immediately after the angel calmed the women’s fears, He gave them needed assurance, an invitation, a commission, and authority.

The assurance. “He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said.” The angel informed the women that their original reason for coming to the tomb was no longer relevant. These words also declared the fulfillment of Jesus’ own words of His coming resurrection. This statement brought the women’s focus back to the trust they had in everything Jesus said and did. This assurance would help them as they encountered other explanations that were certain to come as to why Jesus’ body wasn’t in the tomb.

The invitation. The angel’s invitation—“Come and see the place where he lay”—carries transparency. This transparent invitation is quite different from what others did in their attempt to cover up the resurrection. The religious leaders would bribe the guards and instruct them to spread a lie about what had happened (see vv. 11-15). The openness of the angel’s invitation to the women to examine the empty tomb for themselves stood in stark contrast to the chief priests’ lack of transparency.

The commission. “Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’” Jesus had previously said to His disciples, “After I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (see 26:32). The disciples would surely remember what Jesus had said, once the women shared the angel’s words with them. The women weren’t afforded the time to sit back and take it all in. The angel charged them to go quickly and report to the disciples what they had just witnessed.

The authority. In Scripture, angels were messengers from God. They didn’t say whatever they wanted; they carried news and commands from God. When the angel said, “Listen, I have told you,” it was a reminder that he was speaking with the authority of God behind him. What the women heard came with the full authority of God Himself. When God tells us to do something, the authority and responsibility to carry it out are built into that communication. Jesus’ Great Commission begins with: “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (v. 18). Even as we’ve been authorized to share the gospel, the women were authorized to go with the message from the angel.

Question 3:

How can we be sure of Jesus’ resurrection?

Engage
JUST AS HE SAID
In your journal, list words or phrases that might have described your reaction if you had been with the women at the empty tomb or with them when they met the resurrected Jesus.
Underline the words and phrases which also describe your current reaction to the resurrection.
How might you more fully embrace the glory of the resurrection today? Journal your thoughts.
Matthew 28:8-10
8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Despite their “fear,” the women obeyed and experienced “great joy.” The wise men also “were overwhelmed with joy” after they saw the star that guided them to where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were (see Matthew 2:10). Their joy came from knowing they were on the right course, even before they laid eyes on the King of kings. The two women were also on the right course when they obeyed God’s messenger.
Had the women taken the angel’s instructions lightly or hesitated, they may have missed Jesus, who met them on the way. Like the angel, He reassured the women, telling them, “Do not be afraid.” Then He repeated the angel’s commission to go and tell His disciples to go to Galilee.
The women went from totally believing their Messiah was dead to joyfully worshiping a very alive Jesus all in the same morning! The radical changes in their lives on that resurrection morning are clear evidence that the presence of Jesus is transformational. This all took place as part of their journey of obedience to carry out what the angel told them to do.

Question 4:

What opportunities do you have this week to share about Jesus?

These women may or may not have had other responsibilities that day. Whatever else they had to do, they managed to make time to go to the tomb and anoint Jesus’ body. The rest of their plans for that day were most likely set aside to quickly carry out the task of taking the news of Jesus’ resurrection to His disciples and reminding them to meet Him in Galilee.
Did the disciples need this reminder? Probably. Roman crucifixions ended with the victim most decidedly dead, so what would be the point now of going to Galilee? This reminder would also give the disciples much needed hope: “They will see me there.” Their hope of seeing Jesus was fulfilled, and it was followed with the sure hope that they, too, can live. For the disciples, that was an unshakeable hope that drove them forward as they shared the resurrection with others.
Just as these women were tasked with telling the disciples of the risen Christ, we can express the evidence of the risen Savior living in us. The message of the resurrection should be our life message: Jesus lives—and you can too!

Question 5:

What opportunities does our group have to share about Jesus?

LIVE IT OUT
Jesus overcame death and gives eternal life to us. As a result, we can confidently tell others of the impact His resurrection has on our own lives. How can you show your confidence in the resurrection of Christ this week?

Say yes to Jesus. What might look different about your life if you believed with your whole heart and soul that Christ defeated death so that we could live with Him forever? Are you ready to trust Him? Talk with a Christian friend or leader for help.

Spread the Word. Write down your favorite verses about Christ’s resurrection on notecards and leave them in random places (at work, around your neighborhood, in waiting areas) for other people to find and read.

Share your confidence. Jesus’ resurrection is too wonderful to keep to ourselves. Pick one thing you learned about Jesus’ resurrection this week and share this good news with another person.
Matthew closed his gospel with the account of two women who had watched Jesus suffer and die. Just as these women were tasked with telling the disciples of the risen Christ, we can express the evidence of the risen Savior and Lord living in us.

JESUS CAME TO GIVE US LIFE
By Daniel Darling

He stood over the earthen casket, the stench rising as the top was lifted. Bending over, feelings of anger and rage rose up within His soul. Jesus looked in on the very still, very gray, very much dead body. He knew it was His friend, Lazarus, in that grave, but the decaying corpse didn’t much look like His friend, the one who had stood by Him when others left.

The sisters were weeping. They clung to the Jewish idea of resurrection at the end of the age, and they knew their friend was more than a part-time carpenter and itinerant rabbi. Jesus fulfilled all of the qualifications for that Son of God predicted by the ancient prophets. And yet, in their greatest hour of need, when that healing power was most needed, Jesus was miles away and didn’t exactly rush over.

Jesus gave them words that echo forward to us over two thousand years later: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (John 11:25). Jesus then commanded Lazarus with all of the authority of heaven, as the one who alone breathes life into death, and brought His friend back from the grave. This was a sign of His own coming resurrection and a promise that those who believe in Him will also one day rise again, body and soul.

Around Easter, we rightly focus on Jesus’ salvation of our souls. But Jesus also came to rescue our bodies. He didn’t arrive on earth as a disembodied spirit but as a fully human being, as if to say that human bodies aren’t temporal or unimportant, but beautiful. God, after all, designed and created human bodies and Jesus is rescuing them from sin.

This means that Easter isn’t just some escapist, wishful thinking. Easter tells us that the sickness that cripples and distorts, the violence that robs and steals, the pain that so ravages people will one day give way to full and final healing for those who believe. There is hope for those who suffer, for those who experience more fully the corruption of the fall. God has visited us in our pain and Jesus has defeated the ugly death that haunts the human experience.

Jesus was angry at death—this, the work of the enemy—and so should we be. Death steals, but Jesus came to give life. So this Easter, let’s live in the reality of a fallen and painful world, but take hope that one day this same Jesus will call us forth from our graves into what He has made new.

Easter tells us that the sickness that cripples and distorts, the violence that robs and steals, the pain that so ravages people will one day give way to full and final healing for those who believe.

About the Author: Daniel Darling is an author and teaching pastor in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.

This article was first published in HomeLife magazine. Used by permission. [Lifeway Adults (2021). (p. 75). Bible Studies for Life: Young Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]