THE FIRST RESURECTION MORNING
THE FIRST RESURECTION MORNING
“The Beautiful Body of Christ”
John 20; Matthew 28; Luke 24
Sunday, April 5, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
On the evening Jesus was crucified, Joseph and Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes. They took the body of Jesus, and hastily wrapped it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews to bury. Jesus was laid in Joseph’s tomb. The Word of God said that in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden. In the garden was a new sepulcher hewn out of a rock (Mk. 15:46), wherein was never a man yet lain. They laid Jesus there because of the Jew’s Sabbath as it was late in the evening.
That Sabbath day was also a “High Sabbath Day”. Not only was it the Passover Sabbath, but it was the day before the Festival of First Fruits. The Jewish Sabbath is on a Saturday, thus the Festival of First Fruits would be on Sunday.
Lev. 23: 9-12: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you come into the land which I gave to you, and reap the harvest thereof, then shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. You shall offer that day when you wave the sheaf a He Lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering to the Lord.”
Jesus Christ is the sheaf of the first fruits and the Lamb. This sheaf is a forerunner sheaf for the Pentecost harvest. The first fruits also speaks of the resurrection life and power of the new creation walking in newness of life following their Heavenly Head passing from death into life. Jesus is the New Priesthood and became the sheaf.
The Lamb (His death) and the Sheaf (His Resurrection); and the Drink Offering – the fourth part of a hin of wine typifies the Lord’s Supper in which we as believers continually remember Jesus’ death and resurrection.
A vast number of people went out in the evening to some field near the city where priests appointed by the Sanhedrin gathered a sheaf of new corn. This sheaf was taken the next morning and waved before the altar. An ox with gilded horns and an olive wreath on his head walked in front of the priestly band.
Israel could not partake of the fruit of Canaan until after the Sheaf had been waved. We cannot partake of the blessings of God apart from the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension.
The name of Jesus must have been on a thousand lips that Sabbath in Jerusalem. He was well known. With compassion, he had healed the sick, the broken hearted, set at liberty the captives and those bound by their prisons of sin. He had preached good tiding to the meek and healed their infirmities.
Could those who loved him fail to be indignant? He was seized by soldiers at night; there was a 3-fold mock trial of betrayal. He fainted under the beam of the Cross. Then He was nailed to it in anguish. They heard the rocks being rent. They saw the darkening of the sun. These things were not done in a corner.
Jesus arrested!
Jesus Found Innocent!
Jesus crucified Anyway!
The earth shook and the sun was darkened!
Then before dawn of the third day, “Behold there was another great earthquake” (Mt. 28:2)! The Roman soldiers who were stationed to guard the tomb shook and became like dead men. The stone at the mouth of the tomb snapped the seals. An Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, came and rolled back the stone from the door. He seats Himself upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow.
As daybreak is beginning to dawn upon the first day of the week, three figures are seen approaching the garden. Because of the haste by which Jesus’ body was anointed, his body had not been properly prepared for burial. They were carrying sweet spices, ointments and rolls of linen cloth. These are the women of Galilee who stood at the foot of the cross. They are now the first to His tomb.
The names of these women are Salome, the mother of the Apostle John; Mary, wife of Cleophas (His mother’s sister) and Mary Magdalene (Jn. 19:25; Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:1); and perhaps Joanna (Lk. 24:10).
To their astonishment, they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. They entered in and to their perplexity, the body of Jesus was not there. The gospel of John tells us that Mary Magdalene rushed back to the City to find Peter and John. In her fear she assumes his body has been stolen. “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
In Luke, we see the other women enter in and behold two men stood by them in the tomb in shining garments. The women were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth. The angel spoke to them saying, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen; remember how He spoke to you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
The angel further bids them to go as fast as they can and tell the joyful news to the disciples (Mt. 28:7) that Jesus is risen from the dead and behold, He goes before you into Galilee. There you shall see Him, lo I have told you. They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy.
However, Peter and John had already taken off to know for themselves what had taken place. John runs ahead of Peter. Yes, the tomb is empty. Logic speaks--- robbers must have entered the tomb and stolen Him away.
The grave cloths were folded carefully. The linen napkin which had bound his head was folded. The word of God tells us that “John saw and believed” (Jn. 20:8). The word says the two disciples went away to their own homes. What a walk and talk those two had! Or perhaps, there was no talking.
Jesus sends the message through the women to all his disciples, but there is one he singles out among them. Of all the scattered sheep of the fold, “”and Peter”. The eleven apostles are beginning to slowly come back together. In their shock and unbelief, they are not comprehending nor do they believe what the women have told them.
Jesus Rises from the Grave!
Angels announce He is Risen!
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene!
Oh Happy Day for a world surrounded by darkness! The brighter than the brightest earthly sun has come forth from His chamber of death, rejoicing more than ever “as a giant to run his course”. He has turned the shadow of death into Resurrection Morning. “The darkness is past and the true light now shines” (1 Jn. 2:8). It is the golden radiance of the first Resurrection sunrise service.
Mary Magdalene has now returned to the tomb after the others have left. It was surely a brave thing for her to do to go back to the garden because by now the Roman soldiers have gone back to the chief priests telling them all things that were done.
The elders took counsel and bribed the soldiers to say His disciples came by night and stole Him away.
Mary had not yet heard the news from the other women that Jesus was alive. She stood outside the tomb weeping. The angels, who had not been seen by Peter and John, now appear to Mary. There are two of them in white sitting one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.
They speak to her, “Why are you crying”. She replies in the same words she spoke to Peter and John. “They have taken my Master out of His grave. O tell me where the have laid him.” (Jn. 20)
At that moment, Mary is aware of a third person. She turns around and sees a solitary figure standing nearby. She does not recognize Jesus. Mark describes Jesus’ as “appearing in another form”. (Mk. 16:12).
We know from Luke 24:39, that Jesus rose from the grave in His flesh. “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see Me have.”
Yet, his body was really different because Mary Magdalene did not recognize him. She mistook him for the gardener.
His resurrected body was a real body, real enough to walk on the road to Emmaus, to be mistaken for a gardener, or to swallow fish at breakfast.
Jesus too asks Mary the cause of her tears. Her reply, “If you have taken him away, tell me where you have laid him, that I may take him away.” (Jn. 20)
One word spoken by the supposed gardener reveals the well known voice and presence.
“Never did trumpet royal declare
Such tale of victory to a breathless crowd,
As the deep sweetness of one word could bear --- “MARY”
In ecstasy of Joy, she exclaims, “Rabboni”!
This was the most honorable of titles – My great One! My greatest! My best! My fondest Master!
It was the voice of her Beloved Lord and Savior. The same voice that cast out the seven devils that had long ruled her body. Mark. 16:9: “When Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.”
How kind the manner in which He reveals Himself to her. Not in dazzling, terrifying glory, as the death conqueror, but as “that same Jesus” (Acts 2:36)—the Brother-man, the old friend of the Galilean shores.
She rushes forward to embrace Him. However, with calm, divine majesty, Jesus tells her not to touch Him. The bible does not tell us why she could not touch him, yet later he invites Thomas to touch him.
The body she gazed upon was the glorified body of His victory over death.
This week I attended a passion play at the school of my grandchildren. I sat through two presentations since my children are in different school grades. The Holy Spirit fell powerfully in the room for both sessions. The children knew it and I knew it. One of the songs they sang was, “The Beautiful Body of Christ”. I had not heard it before, but it is very anointed.
Here is a glimpse into the beauty of the glorified flesh of Jesus.
Jesus prayed that we might “Behold His Glory”.
Mary hastens to the city with the joyous tidings – “I have seen the Lord”.
What a privilege! She was the first to see Jesus risen from the dead and the first preacher to declare, “The Lord is Risen Indeed!”.
Shortly thereafter, the other women were similarly honored with a visitation of the Lord on what is still Resurrection Morning.
Jesus met them and said, “All Hail!”
What a glad morning! The Angels are still declaring, He is alive! The Church of Jesus Christ continues to proclaim that glad morning through the ages of times.
That divine Sun who had so lately gone down in the darkness of the tomb has risen never to set again.
“Love’s redeeming work is done.
Fought the fight---the battle won.
Lo, the Son’s eclipse is over
Lo, he sets in blood no more.
Weeping had endured for the last two nights, but joy came in the morning.
In this simple message, I have only been able to cover the events of that first Resurrection Morning – in the evening of the same day, Jesus’ glorified body walks through a wall and stands in the midst were the disciples were assembled in fear.
No place in scripture is it written that Jesus shed his beautiful, glorified body, but He ascends in it.
“How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross
How beautiful, how beautiful
How beautiful is the body of Christ
How beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sin and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
And as he laid down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we may live just as he died
Willing to pay the price
Willing to pay the price
How beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her groom with His light in her eyes
How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure lives so that others may live
How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How beautiful the hand that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful, how beautiful
Is the body of Christ.” By: Twila Paris
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. – song “The Beautiful Body of Christ” by: Twila Paris