By Pastor Chad Meeks
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. ‘Why are you looking for the living among the dead?’ asked the men. ‘He is not here, but he has risen! Remember he spoke…saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day.’”
Luke 24:1-7
Have you ever thought about the death and resurrection of Jesus from the perspective of an angel? Their cosmic vantage point gave them an understanding of Easter weekend that mere mortals did not have. Jesus’ followers were heartbroken and confused. The heavenly angels knew this was all part of the plan. The disciples were scared and in hiding. The angels understood everything was under control. The disciples thought that was the end of the Jesus movement. The angels knew God was just getting started. A heavenly rather than an earthly perspective made all the difference.
Those of us living 2,000 years after Jesus’ resurrection have a different view of redemptive history than His first century disciples. We see and know the bigger picture, but we still struggle to apply that grand view to our ordinary lives. Ask yourself this question: How does the resurrection apply to my day-to-day life? Jesus’ death and resurrection was the atoning work for our sins, so that we might be forgiven and fellowship with God. Specifically, though, what does that mean for us today?
If the death and resurrection of Jesus was an orchestrated and planned event, that means God was completely providential over every lash of the whip, every hit of the fist, every mock of the mouth, and every nail of the cross. If God has dominion over the worst act of human history, He is also sovereign over the particulars of your life. How does the resurrection affect your practical life? We see that no act of creation is outside the purview and governance of God.
Thus, the resurrection of Christ not only gives us hope of salvation. It gives us hope and comfort in our immediate and daily lives. The resurrection means God cannot lose. The resurrection means I am okay if I am with Him. The resurrection means God is working His plan to perfection in creation and in my life. The resurrection means God upends suffering for His glory and our good. The resurrection means my life has meaning and a purpose.
On this Easter Sunday, pray that God will give you a heavenly perspective on life. Pray that God will show you how the resurrection applies to every area of life. Pray that the atonement will become a daily reality.