Unexpected, But Undeniable
From Easter
by Pastor Nave on March 27, 2016
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words (Luke 24:1–8, KJV).
Today is a day to celebrate a time when God did something unexpected. Today, we celebrate something that cannot be denied. Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
During Jesus’ lifetime, the Romans were known the make a spectacle of everyone who believed in Him. The Jewish leaders feared the disciples would steal His body. And, the disciples were even preparing for a funeral on resurrection day. When Jesus rose from the dead, no one expected it! No one listened to what Jesus had said (John 10:17–18). Why were people looking for the living among the dead?
Paul was a man who was steeped in Jewish religion—he sought out believers and accused them of heresy. He was responsible for the beatings and deaths of many who followed after Jesus. We must ask ourselves today how a man who persecuted believers of Jesus Christ became a man who promoted the belief of Jesus Christ. Paul was changed, and it was because he had an experience with the resurrection power of Jesus (Acts 22:8). We cannot have an experience with the resurrection power of Jesus and stay the same—we shall be changed!
There is a spiritual darkness over the world today. People are seeking after earthly pleasures and denying godliness (II Timothy 3:2–4). Our culture drives a continuing sense of hopeless—motivating people to strive after a lifestyle they cannot sustain.
The world is trying to force believers into relegating our spiritual walk to a “lifeless” experience. The world wants us to stay dead to sin. But, the resurrection is all about taking what’s dead and bringing it back to life. Jesus rose to put life back into the hearts of men and women on this earth!
God is searching the hearts of His people today to find those who believe in the power of His resurrection. When He finds someone who believes, He will change them forever! He will take what’s dead and bring it back to life (John 10:10).
There is a power in the resurrection we won’t find anything else. It has the power to give hope to every situation (Philippians 3:10). The same Spirit that dwelled in Christ dwells in us. That Spirit will resurrect us and change us (Romans 8:11)! If we seek after Jesus, today could be our own resurrection day!
Jesus didn’t die on the cross just to put a bandage on the broken pieces of our life. He died and rose so He could heal our life and put things back together. He rose so His miracle could be a part of our life every day. The resurrection does more than treat mere symptoms of the diseases in our life. The resurrection conquers the disease!
What Jesus did through the resurrection was undeniable. The Romans, Jews, and the disciples didn’t expect to find an empty tomb. But, Jesus did the unexpected. Jesus showed Himself alive through many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3) and many were eyewitnesses of His majesty (II Peter 1:16). Jesus wants each of us to be an eyewitness of His resurrection power and to see the unexpected in our life today.
