Jesus Raised from the Dead

MARK 16:2-7—The Apostle Peter, speaking on the Day of Pentecost concerning the resurrection of Jesus, said, “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:24) The Apostle Paul speaks of the “mighty power” of God “which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.” (Eph. 1:19,20) We call attention to these scriptures to emphasize the fact that Jesus did not raise himself from the dead. Jesus died for the sins of the world, and was helpless in death until his Heavenly Father, the great Creator of heaven and earth, exercised his mighty power and raised him from the dead.

The women who came to the tomb early in the morning of that memorable first day of the week could not have heard of the precaution taken by the religious rulers to seal the tomb and to set a watch to prevent any of Jesus’ friends from entering and possibly stealing the body, else they would not have inquired as to whom they could get to roll the stone away from the entrance. But this didn’t matter, for they soon discovered that it had already been rolled away.

Hurriedly entering the sepulcher, they saw a “young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were afraid.” This “young man” was an angel, materialized in flesh for the purpose of conveying an important message to these who came and found that Jesus was no longer there. While it is not important to the subject of this lesson, it is interesting to note in passing, that this angel appeared as a man, not as a woman. All the scripturally recorded appearances of angels represent them to be masculine, not feminine, as is the popular conception.

“He is risen, he is not here,” the angel said to the women. He explained further that Jesus had gone before them into Galilee, and that they would see him there. “But go your way, tell his disciples, and Peter,” the angel continued. The receiving of such heartening news must have rejoiced the hearts of these ardent servants of the Master, and their rejoicing was to have a wonderful outlet for expression, for they were commissioned to go and tell this good news to the disciples.

We think that there is a timely illustration here for all who name the name of Christ. The truth of the divine plan which centers in Christ has been given to us, and it is surely a great cause for rejoicing to realize God has made such a wonderful provision for the blessing of all the families of the earth. And with us, even as in the case of the women who went early to Jesus’ tomb that exciting first day of the week, we too are commissioned to go and tell these glad tidings to others. We are to tell the whole world, as a matter of fact, in so far as we have the opportunity to do so. There is no better way to express our own rejoicing in the truth than to sacrifice time and strength and means in an effort to share it with others.

The women were commissioned to tell the disciples, and especially Peter. This intrepid apostle had denied Christ, and this message would assure him that he had been forgiven. There was evidently another reason why Peter received special mention in this connection. He had done all he could to prevent the crucifixion of Jesus, thinking that it was a tragic mistake. His efforts along this line began when Jesus first announced to his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem where he expected to be arrested and put to death. On that occasion Peter said to his Master, “Be it far from thee Lord.” (Matt. 16:21,22) Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, or just as they were leaving the garden, Peter drew his sword and began to smite those who had come to arrest Jesus. This was a gallant, though mis-guided effort to prevent Jesus’ arrest.

When Peter said, “Be it far from thee, Lord,” Jesus explained that the way to save one’s life is to lose it. (Matt. 16:24,25) But at that time this wasn’t Peter’s way, so he tried to prevent his Master from making a mistake based upon such a philosophy. But Peter’s efforts were thwarted and now the Lord, in kindly consideration for him, and as a part of his training, saw to it that the fact of his resurrection was especially called to Peter’s attention. He wanted Peter to know that having given up his life sacrificially, he now had saved it, that his God had raised him from the dead.

JOHN 21:3, 4, 7-12—These disciples by now had been convinced that Jesus had been raised from the dead, yet there was a great deal of uncertainty as to just how they were to fit into the divine arrangements. When they first accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow him the way seemed clear. They had a visible leader to whom they looked and with whom they could be associated. They gave up their businesses and were enthusiastic about their new vocation in life.

But now everything was so different. Their first disappointment over the death of their Master had given way to great joy in the fact of his resurrection, yet they had seen him on only a few brief occasions, and as far as they could tell there was now no program for full-time service. In fact, there didn’t seem to be much of anything they could do. So they decided to go back into the fishing business.

It was fortunate for them that, in the Lord’s providence, they were not successful, and that Jesus appeared to them after their first night of failure. There have been many in this end of the age who, because the Lord didn’t have an organized work in which they could co-operate, have plunged into business so deeply that later, when they could have spent all their time in the direct service of the Lord, it was hardly possible for them to do so. This too, of course, has been in the Lord’s providence. It is well, though, as far as possible to hold ourselves in readiness to devote all the time we can to the direct service of the Lord, and not be too easily discouraged while waiting for opportunities, and so hastily decide to “go fishing.”

When Jesus first appeared on the shore that morning the disciples did not recognize him. The body in which he materialized this time was different from any they had seen before. But they did recognize him by something which occurred—an occurrence which was identical with an incident in which they had participated when Jesus first called them to follow him. At that time it was his suggestion that they cast their nets on the other side of the boat, and, on doing this, they had been quickly filled with fish. Now this miracle was being repeated, and the disciples knew that the one on the shore who directed it was none other than the Lord.

Even after they joined Jesus on the shore, they did not recognize him by his appearance. “And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord,” the account states. Had Jesus been there in his old and familiar fleshly body, there would have been no occasion for recording a thought of this nature. The unusual thing was that they all recognized it was Jesus, even though he did not look like the Jesus with whom they had been associated before the crucifixion. They knew that it was Jesus because he had performed a miracle identical with the one which they had observed at the beginning of their association with him. (Luke 5:4-9) How then could they doubt that it was their Lord!

QUESTIONS

What is one of the best ways to express our rejoicing in the truth?

What may have been the reasons that the women were specially to tell Peter that Jesus had been raised from the dead?

What caused the disciples to decide that they would go back into the fishing business?

How did the disciples recognize Jesus when he appeared to them on the shore of Galilee?

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