Fellow-Redeemed, celebrants at Jesus’ empty tomb,
There are times when things go differently than we thought they would. It comes so suddenly, so unexpectedly, so much from bad to good we are only able to exclaim, “What just happened here?”
At my daughter Emily’s wedding reception the person in charge took me aside and said she needed to talk with me. I expected some additional charges they forgot. She told me they had overcharged us and here was some money back. I thought to myself, “What just happened here?”
Or, think of the man who calls his girlfriend and says he needs to talk to her. Uh oh, he must want to break up. Things haven’t been going so well lately. She meets him expecting the worst. Instead, he tells her again how much he loves her and proposes. She can only think “What just happened here.”In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye things don’t have to go from bad to worse. They can go from what we do not want to what we are eagerly looking forward to.
Paul wroteto the Corinthians believers about the change that will take place when Jesus Christ returns at the trumpet sound. That change took place earlier when Jesus’lifeless body took a new breath in the tomb and he rose from the dead to appear to his disciples.
Jesus’ resurrection is the cause of the change that will take place in us. When we see Jesus’ empty tomb this Easter morning, we cry out in wonder, What Just Happened Here? Death has been swallowed up in victory; God gives us that victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It did not look good. Jesus’ enemies had crucified him. His Father had forsaken him on the cross on account of our sins. Jesus gave up his spirit into death and was buried. Jesus’ disciples took his body down from the cross Friday night, and the women came Sunday morning to finish their sad task of preparing Jesus’ body all in the expectation of Jesus’ final entombment.
Instead what did they discover? Jesus Christ has vanquished death and the grave. They discovered Paul writes, “Then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?” What just happened here? Jesus’ resurrection from death fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah and Hosea.
It happened this way. Jesus removed the sting of death which is sin by perfectly obeying the commandments. He overcame the power of sin which is the law by his obedience and by his death as the wages for our sin. Jesus’ perishable body had become imperishable, i.e. not subject to decay. His mortal body had put on immortality, i.e. no longer subject to death.
Jesus’ tomb is empty. He folded and set aside his grave clothes because they were no longer necessary. In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye and unseen by any human eyes, Jesus came back to life. He descended into hell to declare his victory to Satan and all the souls who had not believed in him. He came out of Joseph’s new tomb. An angel rolled away the stone to show the world, and other angels told the women, Jesus’ disciples and us the answer our question, What just happened here?
“He is not here; he has risen. Remember how he told you when he was first with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”Death has been swallowed up in victory.
God gives us that victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Some of the Corinthians were concerned about how the dead are raised and what will happen to those who are still alive when Jesus returns. We like them are to look daily to the skies in eager expectation of Jesus’ return.
When that day comes, we who are in our graves or found still alive in the world will experience what Jesus experienced. Our perishable bodies whether already dust in the grave or growing more limited with age will suddenly be imperishable. Our mortal bodies whether we have suffered that mortality or aretrying to keep it at bay suddenly will be clothed with immortality. Our graves will be swallowed up in Christ’s victory or we will avoid the grave all together.
In many ways we already experience those “What just happened here” moments in our lives as Christians. I sinned so much today against God I no longer deserve to be called his child. I go to him in repentance and faith. What just happened here? Instead of rejecting me and punishing me once again my Father forgives me and promises me heaven for Jesus’ sake. Or, I have just suffered a large loss or am enduring great pain and or bearing some cross’s heavy weight. And instead of those things crushing me, or striking me down, or destroying me, what just happened here? On account of the victory God gives me through Christ Jesus it all works for my good. Losing my life for Christ both in rejecting the ways of my sinful flesh or literally being killed for my faith, turns out to be the way I save my life for an eternity with my risen Savior in heaven. What just happened here? God has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As suddenly, as unexpectedly, going from bad to good in an instant, in the twinkling of any eye as is Jesus’ resurrection from death and the grave so we have that sure hope. We will experience the same. What a thing it will be to die in the flesh and instantly awake at the right hand of God next to Jesus. Now that will be the time we exclaim, “What just happened here?” Amen. <SDG>