Award ceremonies after a great contest such as the playoffs in a season of sports or a graduation from school or a retirement from a successful career – all these bring everyone involved at that final event to an awareness of what the victors have won. They stand on stages or other places of prominence where everyone becomes emotional. They cheer, sing songs, applaud – and some cry for shear joy. Awards are raised high. Olympic officials raise three flags of the bronze, silver and gold winners and the national anthem of the gold medalist is played.
Our hearts tell us something else is happening at these events: The ones who receive the awards are not the only ones who win. Their fans, teammates, family, friends and (in the case of the Olympics) whole countries – also win. Notice how the media tries to find parents and hometown supporters so as to get the full impact of everyone who shares in on the victory. Somehow, everyone watching on can feel that he or she shares in the victory.
Shortly before Evel Knievel died last year, he told Robert Schuler that he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior AND believed in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9). Schuler and his church applauded and rejoiced with the angels above for another soul who was won for Jesus Christ. That means that no matter how reckless or ungodly Knievel had been, he now shares in Christ’s resurrection that Peter witnessed to the newly birthed church on Pentecost: “God raised Jesus Christ up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24). One of the most dare devil characters of recent time died with his “life hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-4). Therefore, since he had been raised with Christ, God allowed him to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (3:14).
The resurrection story makes two great affirmations. One affirmation is that Christ has won the victory from death, which no one else could possibly win. But the second is a promise throughout the gospel narratives - that even 11th hour decision-makers like the thief on the cross and Evel Knievel are winners, too. Even though each of us is a sinner who deserves eternal damnation – you and I can also share in Christ’s victory on Easter day. Our Lord’s victory is his vindication, but it’s also our vindication, too. Through Him our relationship with God is made right.
Easter is VERY different because Jesus’ resurrection is totally different from any of the other people raised from the dead in the Bible: Elijah brought the widow's son back (1 Kings 17:17-22), Elishah raised the Schunammite's son and an unnamed man (2 Kings 4:32-53 & 13:20), Jesus called forth Jairus' daughter, another widow's son and Lazarus (Matthew 9:23-25, Luke 7:11-15 & John 11:43), Peter raised his own mother-in-law and Dorcas (Acts 9:36-40) and Paul did the same with Eutychus (Acts 20:9). At the time of Jesus’ resurrection, "many bodies of the saints... came out of the graves... went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Matthew 27:52).
The difference is that Jesus’ resurrection is a true victory over death itself – not for just a little while – only to die again. His eternal life is tied to His sinless-ness. The great apologist R.C. Sproul puts it this way: “For God to allow Jesus to be forever bound by death would have been for God to violate His own righteous character. It would have been an injustice, an act that is supremely impossible for God to commit. The surprise is not that Jesus rose, but that He stayed in the tomb as long as He did. Perhaps it was God’s condescension to human weakness of unbelief that inclined Him to keep Christ captive, to ensure that there would be no doubt He was dead and the Resurrection would not be mistaken for a resuscitation.” Amen – this is not some kind of super-CPR act on the part of God.
As many as 500 eyewitnesses of the risen Christ certified the integrity of their faith with their own blood as non-Christian Jews and Roman officials began to torture and kill them and many other believers as divisive rebels against the established religious and political order for 300 years. The ancient church was willing to die for their hope of shared Resurrection with Christ, because they believed “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
In 1633 Pastor George Herbert composed this beautiful “Easter” poem: “RIse heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise . . . Without delayes, Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise . . . With him mayst rise: That, as his death calcined thee to dust, His life may make thee gold, and much more, just. Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part . . . With all thy art. The crosse taught all wood to resound his name, . . .Who bore the same. His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key Is best to celebrate this most high day. Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song … Pleasant and long: Or, since all musick is but three parts vied … And multiplied, O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part, And make up our defects with his sweet art.”
“I got me flowers to straw thy way; I got me boughs off many a tree: But thou wast up by break of day, And brought’st thy sweets along with thee. The Sunne arising in the East, Though he give light, & th’ East perfume;
If they should offer to contest With thy arising, they presume. Can there be any day but this, Though many sunnes to shine endeavour? We count three hundred, but we misse: There is but one, and that one ever.”
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You and Your risen Son and for our being raised in His name & life, Amen.
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