RESURRECTION GLORY II
RESURRECTION GLORY
March 27, 2016, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
At the dawn of the third morning with the stars still shining, the soldiers guarding the tomb were chilled and weary. Suddenly they felt another earthquake similar to that which occurred two days before. The ground shook. The large stone at the mouth of the tomb of Jesus snapped the seals with which it had been bound. An angel in snow-white raiment, whose face was bright as lightning, rolls the stone back from the entrance.
The soldiers in terror fall faint to the earth. They became “as dead men.”
Four women of Galilee approach the tomb: Mary Magadalene, Salome, the mother of the Apostle John, and perhaps Joana; and Mary Cleophas. To their bewilderment, the stone is rolled away. The sepulcher is open! Mary Magdalene is overcome and rushes back to the city. On finding Peter and John, she tells them what her eyes have seen.
Meanwhile the other women, whom Mary had left in the garden, go forward to the open tomb. An angel clothed in a long robe of white speaks to them, “Fear not, I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He is risen, as He said, Come see the place where the Lord lay!” Then he further bids them go as fast as they can, and tell the joyful news to the disciples.
Of all the scattered sheep of the fold, it is to the truant wanderer a message of forgiveness and acceptance is sent---“Go and tell Peter!”
Col. 23:15: NIV “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
The Word of God is filled with examples of our Lord’s victory over the king of darkness. The Bible reveals eight absolutes about our glorious King, declaring:
- Jesus triumphed over principalities and powers.
- Jesus bound the strong man.
- Jesus slew the dragon.
- Jesus killed the giant.
- Jesus judged the prince.
- Jesus dismantled Satan’s kingdom.
- Jesus abolished death.
- Jesus divided the spoils.
Jesus didn’t go to hell to finish the victory. He went there to announce it!
Col. 2:15: KJV “Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
Jesus “spoiled” our adversary at the cross.
The Greek word for “triumph” is thriambeuo (Strong’s #2358). It means to have a loud and enthusiastic procession; to conquer or to give victory; “to lead in triumph”.
Col. 1:13: “Who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
We have been delivered, rescued, and preserved by the finished work of Jesus Christ. Our Lord through his death on the Cross and resurrection from the dead has delivered us from the “power” or “authority” of the kingdom of darkness and sin. We have been translated, or transferred from darkness to light, changed and made able to stand in the righteousness of Christ.
Mt. 12:29: “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.”
The Conqueror stripped the devil of his weapons and carried off his belongings. The cross took away the whole armor of Satan and made provision for the whole armor of God (Eph. 6: 11-13).
On Golgotha’s hill, the devil’s faith was destroyed and the faith of God was inaugurated (Heb. 12: 1-2). Satan’s whole world caved in.
Jesus, the Rock of ages, is stronger than the devil. Everything about our King is superior. Not even death was able to hold Him down! It could not seize or retain the one who is the resurrection and the life.
Acts 2:24 – “Whom God has raised up, it was not possible that death could hold him.”
The battle of the ages is the battle for the seed. Jesus Christ was the Seed of the woman, the Seed of Abraham, and the Seed of David. He relates to mankind, racially, redemptively, and royally.
As our minds are renovated and we put Satan under our feet, we have the mind of Christ. Jesus the serpent-bruiser is also the dragon-slayer.
Is. 27: 1-2: “In that day the Lord with His sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”
The “sore and great and strong sword” is Jesus, the Word made flesh. The sea symbolizes the nations that are restless, teeming masses of unregenerate humanity.
Ps. 24:8: “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle?”
Psalm 24 is King Jesus’ coronation song as He passed through the heavens and ascended the throne of David (Heb. 4:14). Christ had just come from the bloody battlefield---Gethsemane, Calvary, and the empty tomb.
The giant lay slain, his head removed, his army scattered.
Jesus Christ, the servant of Jehovah, the seed of David, was chosen for the contest of the ages.
Jesus smote the enemy and then apportioned His governmental ministry among His apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Theocratic government and divine order will smite the thinking of the enemy in the forehead.
Eph. 3: 10-11: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The warfare is accomplished. The giant has been slain. When Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification, He also judged the prince of this world.
Jn. 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”
There is a difference between the “earth” and the “world.” The earth is forever the Lord’s (Ps. 24:1). The “world” is a temporary order, a system, an arrangement of things. Satan is the prince of this world.
The Word of God says that when Jesus finished Satan at the cross, Satan was “cast out”. Jesus, knowing in John 12 that His hour of being offered was near, declared the time of Satan’s judgment to be “now”---“now” was over 2000 years ago.
The “gospel of God” is the judgment written---the Scriptures, the Word of God. The Bible is God’s criterion for righteousness, His standard of living for all men. The “gospel of His Son” is the judgment personified---the Word was made flesh.
The life of Jesus Christ is now the gauge, by which all men are judged. Just as Noah condemned his world by his righteous life, so Jesus condemned the devil and cast Him out.
The “gospel of (the) Christ” is the execution of the judgment that He is---the Body of Christ arising to appropriate Jesus’ victory over the devil, to enforce the law of Satan’s defeat, and to become salt and light.
The devil has been judged and cast out. Our sins are judged in Christ. As we learn the truth, grow in grace, and judge ourselves righteous in Christ, we will progressively cast Satan out of our thinking, preaching, and singing.
Jesus came to open our eyes that we might live in the light of God instead of Satan’s darkness. Because of His finished work, the devil has been annihilated and robbed of any authority in our lives.
The crescendo of Jesus’ defeat of Satan reaches its apex in the truth that the one who is the resurrection and the life confronted the last enemy and abolished death itself!
Isaiah 25:8: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it.”
Hos. 13:14: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be your plagues; O grave I will be your destruction…”
Ro. 6:9: “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him”
The Lord of all abolished death. All enemies are under His mighty feet. Death is a spirit, an enemy that deserves no respect.
First Corinthians 15 is the resurrection chapter of the Bible. The apostle Paul makes a powerful declaration with regard to the spirit of death:
1 Cor. 15:26: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
Death and the devil are outsiders to the victorious King and His Kingdom.
Jesus swallowed up death in victory (1 Cor. 15:54).
2 Tim 1:10: “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
The devil is defeated! Jesus is Lord! The warfare is accomplished!
Resurrection Glory! What a victory! What spoils! Jesus became the Victor so that we don’t have to be victims! The New Covenant is His last will and testament. The Benefactor of all things is the Testator who died that we might becomes heirs of salvation, then rose from the dead to become the Executor of His own will!
By His blood, we have become partakers of the commonwealth of Israel.
Never come into the house of the Lord with your head hanging down, downcast and defeated. Come in shouting, clapping and dancing! Celebrate the victory of our King. Arise with God’s kind of faith, and soar into the heavenlies on eagles’ wings of prophetic prayer, praise and worship.
Announce His triumph in the face of principalities and powers. Then go to the darkest place of the earth. Tell the good news of Jesus’ victory there---through anointed intercession and evangelism.
Eastgate Ministries Church is blessed with the gift of great revelation knowledge. We soak in the Word and in the Presence of the Lord. However, we are also woefully weak in evangelism. I pray the Lord send in Evangelists to gather in the people.
Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb after Peter and John left. What Mary beheld that resurrection morning, perhaps gives us the secret to bringing the church into the day when Christ will be fully formed in a people.
Jn. 20: 11-12: “But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping; and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher. She saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”
Two angels, two messengers…two messages.
Both messengers were in white…both messages, like linen, are righteous…both are right.
The angel at the “head” (Jn. 20:12) pictorially embodies a company of real prophets, speaking forth deep, revelatory truth.
The messenger at the “feet” pictures a company of real evangelists, the foot soldiers of the Church. “How beautiful are the feet of them who preach good news.”
Pastor Faluade spoke
a word of affirmation to me on Tuesday morning.
He said he knew I could not have the revelation which I preach unless
the Lord had revealed it to me. That was
a nice affirmation. On the other side of
him sat Evangelist Lori Fajardo. Her
total heart is for evangelism.
Often revelatory prophets are considered wrong and even crazy by some evangelical churches. In addition, those who wade out in to deep revelations aren’t always patient with those who do not have a grasp of revelation knowledge. I know because I know prophets who become angry if their revelations are not received by evangelical churches. The Lord gave me the grace to spare me of being offended by either camp. I have consistently brought into our fellowship ministry leaders in both rivers.
Mary saw both angels, both messages---up reach and outreach. Until these two ministries---one at the “head” (mind of Christ); and the other at the “feet” (“How beautiful are the feet of them who preach the gospel of peace”) come together, the Body of Christ will never fulfill its Kingdom mandate.’
The angels speak to Mary in compassion for her great grief---“Why do you weep?” She replies in the very same words she spoke to Peter and John, “they have taken away my master out of His grave. Oh! Tell me where they have laid Him?”
Mary turns around and sees a solitary Figure standing close by the tomb. She speaks to the supposed stranger thinking he might be Joseph’s gardener.
One word spoken by the supposed gardener reveals the figure to be Jesus.
She at once replies in an ecstasy of joy, “Rabbon!”
Mary hastens to the city with the joyous tidings, “I have seen the Lord!”
“Let heav’n and earth rejoice.
Messiah made the choice,
To come and give His life for all
Now He walks down here
To all who have an ear.
To young and old, this day He calls.
The warfare now is over
The King reigns over all.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. or N.I.V. as noted. I entered into the labors of “Whose Right It Is” by Kelley Varner. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Bro. Varner.