Happily Ever After, The Story of Easter (Part 2)
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The Story of Easter
(Part 2)
I Corinthians 15:19-26 (text = 15:22)
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
Chapter III -- The Arising Sun of Righteousness
[Story of the empty tomb]
"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings;" (Malachi 4:2)
Though this verse of Scripture is not necessarily a strict
reference to the resurrection of Christ, it is a very good
illustration of it. It did indeed seem that the "Sun" had set
upon the disciples' world, leaving in His absence the
darkness of hopelessness and despair. Their Savior,
the Messiah, had breathed His last breath.
They did not understand the full redemption plan. Nor
did they anticipate or understand that the Sun of
righteousness must "go down" before He could arise
in full brightness and glory in order to display all of
God's redeeming power to mankind.
Without His resurrection the whole endeavor would have
been in vain. It is Christ's victory over the grave,
coupled with His atoning death, that guarantees all the
spiritual and eternal blessings God has promised to
those who believe on Christ.
"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it
up." (John 2:19) These were the words of Christ
concerning His human body. Notice that He said He
would raise up the temple, or His body. When we read
that an angel rolled the stone away, we should
understand that this was done to reveal that Jesus was
no longer in the tomb. When Peter and John beheld the
grave clothes, they saw that Jesus had pretty much left
them as they were, but He was gone.
Chapter IV -- The Ascension of our Intercessor [Story of the Great
Commission, the promised Comforter and Christ's Session at the Father's
side]
When Jesus ascended He did not leave us on our own.
He gave us a job to do, the power and purity of the Holy
Spirit to enable us, and He Himself continuously
intercedes on our behalf.
The Great Commission
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
(Mark 16:15)
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost:
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen."
(Matthew 28:18-20)
The Promised Comforter
"It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not
away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7)
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon
you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be
endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto
me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
His Unceasing Session
"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received
up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19)
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34)
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercession for them."
(Hebrews 7:25)
Chapter V -- The Arrival of the King
[Story of the waiting Bride and the Return of the Bridegroom]
"For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's
will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the
last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that
every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him,
may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the
last day." John 6:38-40 (Everlasting Life! Happily ever
after!)
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:2-3
Did Jesus go away? Yes, He did. Then it follows that
He will keep His promise to come again. He went as
did a bridegroom in the East to prepare a place for His
bride-to-be. When the bridegroom was finished
preparing a home and furnishings for his bride, he would
then return for the marriage and feast. When Jesus
returns there will be a great feast known as the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb.
The Bible speaks of Christ as the "firstfruits of the
resurrection". The reason for this is that no one else had
ever been raised from the dead in this manner. Yes,
others had been raised from the dead, but they were still
mortal and could die again. They were returned to the
same quality of physical life as they had experienced
before they died. Jesus arose from the grave to die no
more with a glorified, spiritual body, though still
"flesh and bones".
When we shall see Him as He is, we shall be like Him!
Just like Jesus left His grave clothes behind, so shall we
leave the clothing of mortality behind and be changed
in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be
clothed in His immortality and glory, when He shall
come again to claim His own!
Then shall we dwell with Him in eternal goodness and
happiness without even a hint of corruption. Then shall
we indeed enjoy the end of the story of God's
redemption plan with the purest, truest "happily ever
after".
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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