RESURRECTION SUNDAY
Matthew 28:5-6
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
On this Resurrection Sunday we reach the fulfillment of Holy Week. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event of our Christian faith. The very foundation in which all of Christianity hinges on is the truth of this account.
Early Sunday morning, several women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Salome, and Mary the mother of James) went to the tomb and discovered that the large stone covering the entrance had been rolled away. After seeing this the women went back and told the disciples that Jesus’ body was gone and that the angel told them Jesus has risen from the dead.
John 20:3-10
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb.
4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in.
6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there,
7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.
8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.
10 Then they went home.
Can you imagine the thoughts racing through Peter & John’s minds as they raced to the tomb? Notice on this resurrection Sunday, as we are believing for many to come Home, what happened after the disciples peered into the tomb and believed…THEY WENT HOME.
On launch Sunday at Voyage Church, we looked at the story of the wayward prodigal son in Luke 15. The boy comes to His senses after wildly living and wasting all he had and decided to come home, but didn’t expect to be welcomed back. But as He approached, the Father welcomed him back and threw a celebration for His son was once lost, but now is found.
As we look at Holy Week and connect it to coming home, we see Jesus say something on Good Friday that makes Resurrection Sunday a Victorious day, “IT IS FINISHED.”
Your sin, shame, guilt, insecurity, shortcomings, past and everything that would disqualify you and I from coming Home to God our Father, “IT IS FINISHED SO YOU CAN COME HOME.”
Just imagine Peter & John seeing the tomb empty remembering that Jesus said it would happen this way and saying to themselves, “it is finished” and then they went home. This going home isn’t an ending but rather a beginning.
Peter and John would be the Apostles who would begin the work of building the early church. You see death, hell and the grave were finished, so the work could begin BECAUSE HE LIVES. We can celebrate someone’s Homecoming to the Lord. BECAUSE HE LIVES, their past is finished and their future in Christ can begin!
Grace & Peace,
Voyage Church