With a Mighty Triumph O’er His Foes

Background Scripture: Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20
Lesson Scripture: Mark 16:1–8; Matthew 28:2–4

Introduction

The Gospels are filled with emotion as they chronicle Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” speaks of despair. “Truly, this man was the Son of God” suggests admiration. Joseph craved the body of Jesus out of respect. The women’s question on resurrection morning, “Who shall roll us away the stone?” indicates concern. These women saw a young man in the tomb and were afraid. An angel announced Jesus’s resurrection, bringing great joy. Mary Magdalene said to Jesus, “Rabboni,” and worshipped Him.

After the drama of the crucifixion, Jesus’s resurrection so thrilled the believers that afterwards it was customary for them to greet each other on Easter with the words, “Alleluia, He is risen!” which became a tradition in the early church.

Some of these emotions are captured by the inspiring hymn “Christ Arose.” 1 The softness and sadness of the verses is a contrast to the thrill of the chorus. Let the triumphant strains of this song inspire us.

Key Verse

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Cor. 15:20).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

It had been a tumultuous week for Jesus’s disciples. They had witnessed His triumphant entry into Jerusalem with crowds shouting praises to the Messiah. Later Jesus had eaten the Passover with them. There, to their dismay, He had revealed that one of them would betray Him.

They had gone with Him to the garden of Gethsemane, where Judas and the mob had arrested Him. A few brave followers had witnessed the unjust trial before Pilate. Their Master had been led to Calvary, where He was crucified. On the cross He cried, “It is finished,” and died. There was an earthquake and dreadful darkness. By evening, Jesus was buried in a sealed tomb. The disciples looked upon this as tragic and final. They were in shock and filled with sorrow. How could this have happened to their Lord?

On Sunday morning, the three women, bewildered and heart-broken, went to the tomb, thinking only of fulfilling their respectful duty to the dead with the spices they had purchased to anoint Jesus’s body. As they walked, they realized that they could not possibly roll the stone away, reasoning that it would then be impossible to complete their mission. They may not have known that soldiers were guarding the tomb.

As they approached, they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, and the soldiers had fled. The women went into the tomb and found an angel sitting there. He told them that Christ had risen and that the tomb was empty. Many events in Jesus’s earthly life had been witnessed by His followers, but God chose that our Savior’s resurrection happened without any earthly witnesses.

With wonder and great joy, the three women left the tomb. It appears they could hardly believe what they had seen and heard. As they shared the news, the others also had difficulty believing what had happened. It seems that only when Jesus joined the disciples in the locked room did they comprehend the reality of His triumph over death. Indeed, this was the Son of God Himself who had come to earth to redeem mankind. Their understanding and joy came slowly, as the dawning of a new day.

Practical Truths for Today

Two thousand years later, we still are triumphant. But how do we know it is true? Let the Bible speak for itself.

The resurrection is one event of history that is well affirmed. Jesus presented Himself as alive after His death, and witnesses were not few but many. See 1 Corinthians 15:1–8. Jesus’s enemies said that His followers had stolen the body. If His enemies had removed the body, they would have produced it when Peter proclaimed it a miracle at Pentecost. When the disciples saw Him, He showed them His wounds and ate food. The disciples, who had been completely hopeless, became alive with triumphant faith. The establishment and growth of Christianity in the world can be explained by no other way than an actual resurrection.

Christ’s resurrection is the most important event in the history of mankind because it validated His death on the cross. If Christ had not risen, Satan would have been the victor in the battle between good and evil. Anyone can die, even a cruel death by crucifixion. But only Christ can die and rise again of His own power. No other belief claims a triumph over the greatest enemy of all—death. The Son of God descended into the darkness of death and conquered it for us.

As we reflect on the incredible change from hopelessness to overwhelming joy that the disciples experienced, we find a parallel in our conversion and consecration experiences. When the burden of sin oppresses us, the evil one brings dark thoughts of hopelessness so that we see no way out of our troubles. We feel paralyzed, even trapped. We finally reach out timidly, tentatively. And yet the Word instructs us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16). As we claim the promise, our Savior brings light and direction. We can hardly grasp it. Can it be? Is it really that simple? “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Sometimes, like the disciples, we are “slow of heart to believe” (Luke 24:25). Others observing us may grasp the fact of our conversion before we do. As peace and forgiveness settles on us, we “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). Thankfulness for our Redeemer floods our hearts, and the future is bright. We can be “more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

“God’s plan of salvation is not a ‘barely make it’ plan. Rather, it is a plan of overwhelming victory. A victory so decisive and complete that only eternity will be able to reveal the full glory of the victory. Satan will not win one victory without the consent and cooperation of man” 2

The presence of the Savior in our lives is aptly described in this song:3

Here Comes My Savior

The road is rough, dark is the night,

The waves are crashing, there is no light.

My vision’s gone, who’ll hold my hand?

Who’ll guide me to the better land?

The leaves have fallen, the daylight’s gone,

The flow’rs aren’t blooming, ev’rything is wrong.

My soul is heavy, there is no song.

Who’ll take me back where I belong?

The sun is rising, I catch a glimpse,

I hear some music in the distance.

The burden’s lifting, the clouds depart.

Everything feels right within my heart.

Here comes my Savior, He’ll carry me through.

He’ll light my pathway, make ev’rything new.

He is my Savior; He is my friend.

I’ll hold His hand to the end.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1–3). At this Easter season, may Jesus’s triumph over death be alive in our hearts and give each of us courage in our Christian life.

Questions

1. When we change from being dead in sin to a new life in Christ, what are the evident differences in the new life from the old?
2. In our thanks and praise to God, should we place more emphasis on the shed blood and death of Christ than His resurrection and triumph over death or vice versa?
3. We are of those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). How is our belief in the resurrection tested?
4. What triumphs have you experienced in your Christian life?
5. 1 Robert Lowry (1826–1899), “Christ Arose”
6. 2 Wilbur Koehn, 102 Devotional Sermonettes, p. 119
7. 3 Teresa Decker, “Here Comes My Savior,” used by permission.
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).