August 9, 2023 -- Matthew 27:62-66 -- The Blessings given to us in Jesus' resurrection

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
Matthew 27:62-66 ESV

Recently I have been teaching a series on the Apostles’ Creed. This concise summary of our undoubted Christian faith is more than 1650 years old, and has been recited by believers generation after generation. Those studying it  with me are new believers and the richness of the creed has been a blessing to them. Yesterday the focus was on the phrase: “The third day He rose again from the dead”. The text before us today related to the time of Jesus' death. Interestingly enough His enemies—the chief priests and Pharisees who had called for his death—were the very ones who remembered He’d said He would rise again from the dead. It is ironic that Jesus’ enemies remembered this while His own disciples grieved as those without hope.

As the Bible proclaims, history proves, and our faith declares, all the efforts of sinful man to guard the tomb could not prevent Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. And by Jesus' resurrection we have these glorious benefits:

~the single offering by which He has perfected for all time
    those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:8-14)

~those who believe in Jesus Christ are already now raised
     to new life in Him (Romans 6:1-6)

~Jesus’ resurrection is the guarantee of our glorious
     resurrection (I Corinthians 15:50-58)

What a wonderful Savior! What a glorious Father in heaven! He so loved us that He gave His One and Only Son as the single, perfect offering by which believers are being sanctified. What a treasure believers have in the Holy Spirit! The Spirit is given to believers so that by Him we are directed to Jesus in Whom and through Whom we have everything for life and godliness!

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. How deep and wide and high and long is the love You have lavished on Your people in Jesus Christ. Thank You, Triune God, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, by Whose presence we can celebrate our resurrection life. Let our lives be pleasing in Your sight, Oh Father. Spirit help us to live so openly for Jesus that even our enemies will be confronted with the Truth of Jesus and perhaps turn from their wicked ways and join us in confessing Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of the Father. Amen.

https://youtu.be/9kowN2rxc0M Low in the Grave He Lay

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