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Home » The True Meaning of Easter and Seven Signs That Jesus Rose From the Dead
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The True Meaning of Easter and Seven Signs That Jesus Rose From the Dead

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Every year thousands of people travel to the Italian Alps to ascend a mountain which passes through the “stations of the cross.” Eventually they come to the foot of an outdoor crucifix, and there they meditate on their faith. One day a tourist noticed a trail leading away from the cross. Determined to find out where it would lead, he fought through all the thicket that surrounded the path; and to his surprise, he came to the next shrine—a shrine that symbolized the empty tomb. But the brush had grown up around it; it had been neglected. Almost every visitor that passed through had gone as far as the cross—but there they stopped.

 

The same is true for many in our world today. Even people who go to good churches where the Bible is taught and where they believe in Jesus have come to believe that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the key element in the story of the Gospel. Not to diminish the cross, because the cross is critically important, but if Jesus Christ simply died and was buried and did not come back from the grave, then He could not be the Savior of the world any more than you or I can. But if Jesus came back from the grave, He has made a statement worth listening to.

If Jesus came back from the grave, He has made a statement worth listening to.

I grew up in a Christian home, and I’ve been to many Easter celebrations in my lifetime. My father was a preacher, and he was a good teacher, but I did not have a full understanding of the priority of the Resurrection until I was a second-year student in seminary. I was invited to attend a dinner that was being hosted in our area for people who wanted to know more about the Gospel and about Jesus Christ. The speaker at that dinner happened to be one of my professors, a man by the name of Haddon Robinson. I went to the dinner expecting him to talk about the crucifixion and the death of Christ; but to my surprise, he made a presentation of the Gospel looking at the cross through the open tomb. He spent the entire evening giving evidence for the Risen Christ. And for the first time it dawned on me: If a person doesn’t understand the Resurrection, or doesn’t believe in the Resurrection, it’s very difficult to come to grips with the power of the Gospel.

So the issue at hand is this: How do we know the Resurrection is a credible event that actually happened? And can it be supported by evidence?

As we journey through the account of the Resurrection as found in the Gospels, we’ll identify seven crucial signs demonstrating that Jesus Christ did indeed rise from the dead.

The Signs

... What they found that day has forever changed the nature of our world.

The story begins in Matthew 27. The crucifixion of Christ has taken place. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two very wealthy men, have claimed the body of Jesus and have buried His body in a tomb in which no corpse had ever lain before. On the third day after His death, some visitors came to the tomb—and what they found that day has forever changed the nature of our world.

One - The Soldiers

Imagine that we were privileged to be the first ones to visit the tomb, and that we, along with the visitors who did go there, were able to approach the garden where Jesus had been buried.

Upon our arrival at the tomb, the first sign we would have noticed is that there were no soldiers. This is peculiar because soldiers had been stationed to guard the tomb for at least the first three days following Jesus’ crucifixion. Why? Jesus had claimed that He would come back from the dead, and the Jewish authorities wanted to make sure that if His body went missing, no one could say He had risen from the grave. In Matthew 27:62-66 we read these words:

The chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

A Roman guard unit consisted of sixteen soldiers. Usually, four of them would stand side by side in front of the object they were guarding and the other twelve would gather in a semi-circle behind them facing inward. While the four were guarding, oftentimes the other twelve were sleeping. And every four hours, the soldiers who were standing in front of that which they guarded would take their place in the circle and four fresh soldiers would stand guard.

It was a very formidable thought that sixteen Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb. But when the women arrived that morning, there were no soldiers. Something happened to explain their absence. Matthew 28:11 says, “Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.” What had happened? The tomb was empty. Jesus was gone.

When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes  to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Matthew 28:12-15)

Although the idea that the disciples stole the body of Jesus explains the missing body, the idea is illogical for at least two reasons: First, it is impossible that the soldiers would have all slept through the disciples moving the stone away from the mouth of the tomb and stealing the body of Jesus. In fact, twelve of them could have been sleeping, but four of them were supposed to be awake. And the real conundrum is this: If the soldiers were all asleep, how did they know who stole the body?

There Were No Soldiers

 

Two - The Seal

As we get closer to the tomb itself, we notice that the stone is missing, but along with the missing stone is the missing seal.

The Bible tells us that they “made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard” (Matthew 27:66). After the stone was rolled in place, a rope was stretched across the stone and affixed with wax to each side of the sepulcher, the tomb. Then the Roman guard would put his signet ring in the wax, signaling that the sepulcher was officially sealed and contained what was purported to be inside. But when the women came to the tomb on that first Sunday, the stone had been rolled away, so the seal had been broken.

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Matthew 27:65-66

Three - The Stone

But surely the most startling sign the visitors noticed when they stood outside Jesus’ tomb must have been that the stone that had covered the entrance of the tomb was missing.

When they would seal a sepulcher, a tomb, in the days of Jesus, the body of the deceased was placed inside a hewn-out stone (the sepulcher) and then a piece of granite, usually in a round form, was rolled in front of the mouth of the tomb to keep animals from desecrating the corpse and to protect the dignity of the buried person. In front of the tomb they would create a groove, an incline, and they would roll the stone up the incline and put a shim under it. After the burial, they would roll the stone in front of the grave and seal it to officially close the sepulcher.

But when the women came to the garden that day, there was no stone in front of the tomb. In fact, the Scripture is very explicit about what had happened: “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it” (Matthew 28:1-2).

And as we read the other Gospel accounts, we gain an even clearer picture of what happened that day. Mark tells us this stone was extremely large—actually, a stone which twenty men could not move. And John’s gospel tells us that when John ran to the tomb, he had to bend over to look inside.

The stone would have weighed in at one-and-a-half to two tons.

Scholars believe that the tomb in which Jesus was buried had an opening about four and a half feet to five feet high. In fact, several studies have been conducted to determine how large the stone would have been in order to cover such an opening, and the conservative estimates indicate that the stone would have weighed in at one and a half to two tons.

But when the women got there that day, the stone was not in front of the opening, and it wasn’t even in the groove that had been placed there to help move the stone. John says “the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1). And the words John uses to describe the displacement of the stone mean “to pick something up and carry it away.” So the stone hadn’t been merely rolled back up the incline where it had started; it wasn’t near the opening of the grave. Rather, the stone was over by itself, as if someone had picked it up and moved it over. And then, of course, there was an angel sitting on top of it (Matthew 28:2). Obviously, something miraculous was going on that day.

And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
Matthew 28:2

Four - The Sepulcher

Examining the tomb of Jesus, we discover the fourth sign of the Resurrection: the sepulcher itself.

When we study Luke’s account, we read that not only did the women find “the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee’ ” (Luke 24:2-6, NIV).

When they looked inside the tomb, there was no body. Past the soldiers, past the seal, past the stone, and in the security of the sepulcher—Jesus’ body was gone.

Five - The Shroud

The evidence is growing, and we still haven’t come to the most powerful evidence of all.

When Peter and John looked into the grave that day, the tomb was almost empty, but not quite. No, there wasn’t a body, but there was a shroud—the grave clothes were still there.

John 20:3-8 says:

Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple [John], and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.

In Jesus’ day, people weren’t buried in robes; they were buried in layers of fabric, similar to what we would think of as a mummy, with spices wrapped between each layer of cloth. And as Peter and John peered into the grave where Jesus’ body had lain, they saw something startling—there were the grave cloths that had encased Him, still in the shape of His body, slightly indented and caved in, like the empty chrysalis of a caterpillar’s cocoon. That was enough evidence to make a believer out of anyone. And the Scripture says that when John peered into the tomb and saw the empty grave cloths—undisturbed in their form and position—he believed.

I don’t know exactly how their conversation went, but John’s explanation to Peter must have gone something like this:

Don’t you see, Peter? No one has moved the body or even disturbed the grave cloths. They’re lying exactly as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea left them on the eve of the Sabbath. And the body is gone. It hasn’t been stolen. It’s not been moved. Clearly, His body had to have passed through the cloths, leaving them as we see them now. Jesus must be risen!

Theologian and teacher James Montgomery Boice commented on this fact:

This sign of Easter destroys the idea that the body was stolen. The linens would not have been there. This sign destroys the idea that Jesus resuscitated Himself and walked out of the grave. Leaving the grave clothes in the shape of His body in the tomb? A glance at these grave clothes proved the reality of the Resurrection.1

Following that experience, instead of being cowardly, as they were before the crucifixion, John and his fellow disciples became courageous evangelists for the Gospel. In fact, the Bible says that as a result of the Resurrection, these men of God turned their world upside down. And if you read the book of Acts, which is the history of the early church, and the sermons that were preached by the apostles at that time, you’ll notice that the Resurrection is the theme of every one of their messages. They were changed dramatically by what they saw that day when they went into the tomb.

Like the Empty Chrysalis of a Caterpillar's Cocoon

 

Six - The Scars

Now let’s examine what happened in the days that followed. The Bible tells us that after the Resurrection, there was an occasion when Jesus’ apostles were gathered in the Upper Room and Jesus appeared to them. The Bible says He did not come through the door; He just appeared. (Remember, Jesus was in His resurrection body.) But one of the disciples, Thomas, was not present. After the meeting the disciples told Thomas that they had seen the Risen Lord; but unbelieving, Thomas said, “I won’t believe it until I see it myself.”

Eight days later, the Lord returned, but this time Thomas was among the disciples:

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:26-28).

Thomas knew he had seen the Risen Lord because of the scars in Jesus’ body.

Do Not Be Unbelieving, But Believing

 

Seven - The Sightings

Even beyond the scars, there is yet more evidence for our Risen Savior. Did you know that after He was resurrected from the grave, Jesus didn’t immediately ascend to heaven? He spent several days here on this earth. And during that time, we are told that Jesus was not only seen by the apostles on the two occasions in the Upper Room, but by men and women, by adults and children, by individuals and groups, in the morning and in the evening. In every situation you can imagine, Jesus Christ was seen. In fact, if you read 1 Corinthians, Paul says that He revealed Himself on one occasion to more than five hundred people, most of whom were still alive at the time Paul wrote his letter (15:6). Certainly they could have refuted his statement had they chosen to do so. One writer has said that if all the witnesses who saw Jesus in His resurrected body were brought to court and given six minutes to speak, it would result in more than fifty hours of testimony about the Risen Christ.

The evidence for Christ’s resurrection is overwhelming! We can say with absolute certainty that Jesus Christ is alive. He overcame the grave. And He is living today at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Jesus Revealed Himself to Many People

 

Three Reasons the Resurrection is Important Today

Now that we have examined the signs of the Resurrection, we are left with but one question: Why is the Resurrection important today? What difference does it make?

Because He is risen, Christ affects every part of our life: past, present, and future.

One - Our Past

Scripture tells us that we are separated from God because He is holy and we are not—we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We cannot measure up to His standard and we cannot get to heaven in our own imperfection.

But Almighty God devised a plan of redemption—He would send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to live a perfect life, and He would ultimately go to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin.

Some wonder, How could one man do that? And the answer is: No mere man could, but this man was the Son of God. He was God in the flesh, and only through Him can we come to God fully justified. Jesus Christ Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Only by placing our trust in Him for the forgiveness of our sin can we go to heaven. And because Jesus Christ came back from the grave, demonstrating the reality of His words and the truthfulness of His statements, we know that His words are true.

Our past is cared for.

Two - Our Present

Most people are surprised that the Resurrection has anything to do with the present, but the Bible tells us that because Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, He now gives us the same power that was used to bring Him back from the dead so that we can live our lives every day in resurrection power.

Over and over again, we read that Jesus Christ has given us the power to live a special life. One especially encouraging passage, Ephesians 1:19-20, says, “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.”

That means we have the same power available to us to live the Christian life that God used to bring Jesus Christ out of the grave.

We struggle when we try to live the Christian life in our own power, in our own strength. But if we will depend on the power of God for help, He will give us the strength and power. We’re sinful, but He saves us. He changes us from being cruel, mean-spirited, hateful people, and we discover a desire to be kind, and loving, and gracious. We’re lustful and immoral, and He takes those emotions and those desires and changes them by the power of God in us. We become different people.

The Bible says, “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). How does that happen? It happens because Almighty God comes to live within us and fills us with the power of the Resurrection.

Three - Our Future

Thirdly, not only does Christ’s resurrection affect our past and present, it’s the guarantee of our future.

Because Jesus rose from the grave, He became for believers the guarantee that, one day, if we should die before He comes back to this earth at the Rapture, we too shall come back from the grave.

The Bible says that Christ is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). And in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 we read:

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

That’s the guarantee we have as believers, and it’s all hinged on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Christ hadn’t come out of the grave, we would have no hope at all. We would die in despair; and many people die in despair today because they refuse the truth of the Risen Savior. But when we place our trust in the Lord Jesus and ask Him to forgive us of our sins, to save us and to come and live within our lives, we receive the gift of eternal life and the guarantee of heaven (Romans 6:23).

As Christians, we no longer have to fear death, because we have an incredible hope—the hope that one day we will be with God forever. And it’s not a “hope so” hope; it’s a “know so” hope.

“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God,who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Conclusion

The Resurrection is not just something we celebrate once a year at Easter with our families. The Resurrection is the most important doctrine of the Bible, because if Jesus didn’t do what He said He would do, which was to come back from the grave after three days, we can’t believe anything that He said.

But Jesus did what He promised He would do.

We have a unique Savior—unique in the fact that He came from God in His origin, unique in the fact that He was born of a virgin, unique because He lived a life without sin, and unique because He came out of the grave victorious over death. And the same uniqueness that is in Jesus Christ is available to all of us to help us live a life that honors Him. With Almighty God in our heart through Jesus Christ, we have victory: over our past, in the here and now, and for eternity.

Would you like to know how to start a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

 

1 James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, vol. 5(Grand Rapids, Zondervan Press, 1979), 273.

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Creation Care

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28

Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. Many countries’ coastlines are littered with plastic and debris, and there is an “island” of plastic more than the twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean where currents have accumulated the debris. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed.

Such images are in stark contrast to the pristine beauty and glory of Eden as presented in Genesis. Though mankind was given the mandate to “have dominion over” (that is, to care for) all of creation, we have not done a good job. When God’s mandates go unfulfilled on earth, God’s glory is diminished. And that mandate extends to our personal life as well. Paul writes that we belong to God and we are to glorify Him with our care and use of our body.

When you see opportunities to care for creation—nature or your own body—do so as a way of glorifying the Creator.

The creation is both a monument of God’s power, and a looking-glass in which we may see his wisdom.
Thomas Watson

Steadfast

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul’s letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. The church in Corinth was an undisciplined church, and he was letting them know that even though the culture around them was in flux, their faith in Jesus Christ needed to remain focused and sure. It is true for us today also. How can we remain steadfast in our faith and avoid the pressures of this ever-changing world? By devoting time each day to the study of God’s Word.

As we read the Bible and immerse ourselves in God’s truth and character, our lives are changed—we become more like Him. God’s Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. As our lives center on God, giving priority to hearing His voice and reading His Word, we become bolder in sharing our faith.

Joshua had the confidence and courage to lead God’s people into the Promised Land because He believed in God’s promise and presence. We serve the same God who said: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

You can place your steadfast trust in Him.

When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful.
Dwight L. Moody

Ready and Willing

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

A leper approached Jesus and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus touched the man, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed”—and he was healed (Mark 1:40-42).

That event is a beautiful example of the willingness of God. In fact, there are no instances of Jesus being asked to help or heal and Him answering, “I am not willing.” There is a place where the Bible says God is “not willing,” and that is 2 Peter 3:9. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Said another way, God is willing for any who want to be saved to come to Him (John 6:37; 7:37). The question is never whether God is willing but whether man is willing.

Have you responded to God’s willing invitation to come to Him?

God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.
J. C. Ryle

Treasure!

I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.
Psalm 119:162

Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. One was an old copy of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The volunteer decided the dilapidated volume wasn’t worth saving and was about to throw it away when she thumbed through it and found a hidden chamber. Someone had used a knife to cut a hole in the middle of the book. Inside was $4,000!

That’s nothing compared to the treasure you’ll find when opening the covers of the Bible. Perhaps it would help to think of it in those terms. Use your imagination to see every word of Scripture turning to gold as you read it. Think of every promise as a precious stone. See the words about Jesus in the Gospels as sparkling like diamonds. Visualize your daily Bible study time like a miser running his hands through a chest of gold.

The treasury of Scripture will enrich your mind, refocus your goals, replace your doubts, and redirect your path—but only if you read it and heed it. Start today!

To get the best use out of [the Bible] for daily life,...Give it the best and freshest, not the most tired and dull, hour of the day.
M. S. Kimber in The Sunday School World, 1893

Hello Heaven!

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside.
2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV

Peter wrote his final letter shortly before his execution. He wasn’t discouraged; he was looking forward to the future. He spoke of “looking forward to these things.” and “[looking] for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13-14).

Life is full of hardships and heaviness. We have the promises of God to help us in difficult days, and we have the Holy Spirit within us. We have a purpose for being here—to refresh the memory of others regarding the things of the Lord. But we’ll soon put aside the tent of our earthly body, and what a relief! Goodbye hardship and heaviness. Goodbye trials and troubles. Hello Jesus! Hello heaven! Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem!

During difficult times, the hope of eternity gives us strength. If you’re prone to worry yourself to sleep each night, turn your thoughts upward and close your eyes thinking of heaven and its eternal throne.

A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there.
Harriet Buell, in her hymn “A Child of the King”

Overcoming Temptation

Temptation. Whether we realize it or not, it is part of our past, and it will be part of our future. The moment we resolve to stand strong and walk away is when temptation grows most intense. That is why Scripture is of paramount importance. God's Word contains the answer to resisting temptation before it's too late. Consider these verses:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, brings forth death (James 1:13–15).

Some people wonder about the value of the Old Testament in a Christian's life. The apostle Paul addressed that question in 1 Corinthians 10:11—"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition." To what things was Paul referring? He listed them in verses 7–10. They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty.

Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is.

With that background, Paul exhorted believers not to make the same choices the Israelites made—not to provoke God's discipline by willfully sinning. None of us is above God's discipline if we engage in sin. We must look for and take "the way of escape" God provides in every situation where temptation is found (verse 13). To think our temptation is unique is to believe a lie. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man" (verse 13). There are no "new" temptations in life.

The apostle James argued that if temptation becomes serious, it is because we have allowed it to do so. Our own "desires" entice us away from God and desire "gives birth to sin" (James 1:13–15). God doesn't tempt us, but He may allow temptation to enter our lives in order to give us opportunities to make obedient and mature choices.

Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and He took the same means of escape that is available to us—obedience to God's Word (Matthew 4:1–11; Hebrews 5:8). Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is. There is always a righteous choice to be made if we are willing to seek it.

Victory in Him

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57

To first-century leaders in the Roman world, the imagery was familiar: A victorious Roman general returning from battle leading his soldiers and their captives into the city. Citizens lined the streets applauding while the aroma of celebratory incense filled the air. Paul uses that image to say that Christ leads His followers in a victory procession through every difficulty in life (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

The Christian’s victory is through Christ. The victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and sin was won by the Cross and the empty tomb. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We have victory now and for eternity only because of the victory Christ won for us. Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us as we keep our faith in Him.

If you need a victory in your life, begin every day by renewing your faith in Christ in whom all our victories are to be realized.

The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world.
Francis Schaeffer

Faithful Fathers: Abraham

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
James 2:23

We can imagine a child writing an appreciative and sentimental memoir about her “perfect father,” understanding that “perfect” was not intended to be taken literally. But how about a book titled The Righteous Father? The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham.

Righteous doesn’t mean sinless, of course. We know that Abraham wasn’t perfect. But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. First, he believed the promises of God about the future God had planned for him (Hebrews 11:8-12). And when he believed God, “[God] accounted it to [Abraham] for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. Second, as a result of Abraham’s trust in God, he became a “friend of God” (Isaiah 41:8). Could any father set a more worthy example to his children or grandchildren than that of being friends with God? Living in right standing with God? That means communing with Him, walking with Him, living for Him, and above all, trusting Him and His promises.

Follow Abraham’s example as a faithful father by deepening your friendship with God.

Friendship is the marriage of affections.
Thomas Watson

Modern Idolatry

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:1 tells us to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is.” In verse 5 we’re told to put to death the passions that come from below—"fornication, uncleanness, passion, and evil desire.” Then the Lord added the sin of greed or covetousness to the list, calling it idolatry.

That verse changes our view of idolatry. It’s not just bowing down to a small carved statue or a pagan worshiper offering incense at a shrine to Buddha. It’s the act of becoming too attached to the material things of the world—falling more in love with the things on earth than on things in heaven.

This has nothing to do with how much money you do or don’t have—a poverty-stricken person can covet just as much as a billionaire. It has everything to do with what’s at the center of our affections. Is it Christ? Is it things above? Or is it things below?

Make sure Christ is at the center of your life and that your love for Him eclipses everything else!

You don’t have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them…. Whatever you love more than God is your idol.
D. L. Moody

New Beginnings: Ezekiel

In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Ezekiel 1:1, NIV

We often need fresh starts after enduring bitter disappointments. As a young man, Ezekiel had dedicated himself to be a priest. He was from a priestly family, and he undoubtedly looked forward to serving God in Jerusalem’s temple. Priests began their temple duty at the age of thirty. But when he was about twenty-five, Ezekiel was seized and taken to Babylon, and he never saw the temple again. When his thirtieth birthday came, he must have struggled with questions of “why” and “if only.”

That’s just when God appeared to him as he was among the exiles by the Kebar River. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of God—the throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet.

Oh, to see the glory of the Lord while in the midst of the disappointments in life. When we think life has collapsed around us, the God of glory appears above us. God always has a plan, and our false starts become His fresh starts.

Ezekiel is the prophet of the glory of the Lord…. Ezekiel looked beyond the sufferings of Christ to the glory that should follow.
J. Vernon McGee

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

God of Second Chances

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
Jonah 3:1-2

It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for “the word of the Lord” to come to God’s prophets again and again. It happened to Samuel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, and others. And it also happened to Jonah: The word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time (Jonah 1:1) and then the second time (Jonah 3:1). With the other prophets, the “second time” meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. But with Jonah, the “second time” was because Jonah had failed to speak God’s word the first time. Jonah was a disobedient prophet.

God commissioned Jonah to go east to Assyria, to the capital of Nineveh and deliver a message of judgment. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. You know the story—Jonah ended up in the sea where he was swallowed by a great fish. Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. God gave him a second chance.

Don’t let your past keep you from trusting God for a second (or third, or fourth) chance. The God of grace loves to forgive.

Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan

All You Need Is Love: Forgiveness

When Jesus saw [the friends’] faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
Mark 2:5

The hardest part of forgiving another person is acting like the offense never occurred. But that is what forgiving someone means—restoring relationships to the status they enjoyed before the offense took place. It’s one thing to say, “I forgive you,” but it’s another to act like all the effects of an offense are completely erased. After all, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, love is known by its actions more than its words.

Jesus faced this dilemma when He healed a paralytic man. When He told the man that his sins were forgiven (and by extension, he was healed), He was criticized. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sins—something only God can do. So, Jesus proved He had the authority to say, “I forgive you,” by doing something harder. He healed the man’s paralysis. After all, as Jesus explained, actions speak louder than words (Mark 2:8-11).

We cannot go through life without being hurt by others, so we should learn to forgive. Even more, we should practice demonstrating our forgiveness by our acts of lovingkindness. Look for opportunities to do both.

Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan

A Whole Person

In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.
Titus 2:7

In mathematics two of the basic kinds of numbers are integers and fractions: 2, 100, and 56 are integers, while ½, ¼, and 2.5 are fractions. Integers, from a Latin root meaning “whole” or “entire.” The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances.

When the apostle Paul wrote to his young pastoral protégé, Timothy, he told him to show “integrity” in doctrine, to be incorruptible in belief and in actions. Paul wanted Timothy to hold fast to the truth of God, not allowing himself to be divided. A person of integrity obeys the whole counsel of God every day, in every circumstance. Daniel’s three friends in Babylon demonstrated integrity when they were threatened with being burned alive (Daniel 3:16-18). They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. That is integrity.

Are you a whole person or a fractioned person today? If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word.

Integrity of heart is indispensable.
John Calvin

New Earth

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Revelation 21:1

A great misconception carried by many Christians has to do with the location of heaven. The word heaven itself implies that our eternal destiny is somewhere “up there” in the heavens. But the Bible says our eternal destiny is earthly, not heavenly. As Peter wrote, we look for a “new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

In his vision of the future, the apostle John saw that “new heaven and a new earth,” our new domain being pictured as the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:1-2). Somehow, at the end of the age, when Christ has returned to reign and inaugurate the eternal state, this earth will be renovated and a new earth will be the result—a new earth full of righteousness in which pain and sorrow will be absent. The beautiful imagery of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 lets us know that the new earth will be a place that reflects the glory of God throughout.

Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). The New Jerusalem, on the new earth, is that place.

Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death.
William Gurnall

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

The Need for Prayer

Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Officially, church historians recognize seven ecumenical church councils held between A.D. 325 and A.D. 787. The first, the First Council of Nicaea, met to agree on the nature of Jesus of Nazareth as both Son of God and Son of Man, as both fully divine and fully human.

The humanity of Christ, while at the same time divine, is hard to understand. But thankfully, Scripture gives us illustrations: Like us, Jesus suffered, experienced hunger, required sleep, ate food, and had limits on His knowledge (Mark 13:32). One of the most striking and helpful illustrations of Jesus’ humanity was His prayer life. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. Yet He did, following the example of godly men like Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 2:16-18). Jesus repeatedly said that He only did what the Father showed Him to do (John 5:19), and prayer was His means.

If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go to His Father in prayer for strengthening and guidance, how much more do we (Psalm 32:6)?

Prayer and a holy life are one.
E. M. Bounds

What Is Humility?

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5, NIV

What is humility? Is it the opposite of pride? If pride expands one’s importance, does humility deflate one’s importance? That’s the view given by most English dictionaries—a deemphasis on one’s own importance. But what is the biblical view of humility

If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? Or do you graciously say, “Thank you,” in a spirit of genuine appreciation and humility? In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves “soberly”—that is, realistically or accurately. Paul’s topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. We should neither overestimate the gift of God’s grace or underestimate it. Rather, we should think of it soberly and realistically—humbly—and minister accordingly. To think less of God’s gift would be to devalue it; to think realistically about it allows one to serve humbly.

How do you view yourself? With pride? With false humility? Or soberly and realistically according to the grace of God in your life?

A really humble man…will not be thinking about humility, he will not be thinking about himself at all.
C. S. Lewis

The Power of Confession

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
Psalm 32:4

California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the state—shorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.

Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32—a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his “bones grew old” and he groaned “all the day long” (verse 3). It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him (verse 5). And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made (verses 9-10).

Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from God’s sight; but when we seek God’s forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restored—that is the power of confession.

The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.
Richard Sibbes