The two greatest days of celebration in the Christian calendar of events are when Christ was born and when He was raised from the dead:  Christmas and Easter!  We celebrate the birth of Christ by giving gifts to one another, but on Easter we celebrate the fact we have received the greatest gift of all:  Jesus Christ and His gift of eternal life!

            It was to the women who followed Jesus that He first showed Himself alive:

Luke 24:1

They (23:55 the women who followed Him from Galilee), and certain other women with them, came to the tomb …

Mark 16:1

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (and Mark), and Salome (the wife of Zebedee, the mother of James and John) brought spices …

Luke 24:10

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna (the wife of Chuza, Herod’s servant Lk 8:3), Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.

           There were four women named, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Salome, and Joanna, and “other women with them” when Jesus showed Himself alive!  He knew all the events that were transpiring among the Disciples and chose this group of women to be the first ones to whom He would show Himself alive.  His first words were … “Rejoice!”

Matt 28:9-10

9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me." 

Matt 28:9 Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"

            Can you imagine the excitement, the awe, and the joy of these women, who had seen the agony of Jesus being crucified and dying, and now they have come to embalm His body, and He’s alive!  What a relief!  What a joy!  What a gift! 

           The greatest message for Easter Sunday is that Jesus is truly alive!  Would you take the time to rejoice with Jesus?

           The gift of God to you and to me is the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!  We serve a living Savior, the one who is fully God and fully man.  He is still just as alive today as He was 2000 years ago!  It may sound repetitious, but He is alive!  This is the central message of the Gospel of the Kingdom … we serve a living Lord!  

Paul wrote:

1 Cor 15:17-19

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

           The Apostle Paul is explicit in his teaching:  If Jesus is not alive then our sins are not forgiven.  If Christ did not rise from the dead we have a severe difficulty because we can never become good enough to be acceptable to God the Father by our good works.  His standard of purity is perfection and we’ve never achieved it in the past and never have hopes of achieving it in the future!  The only remedy is for Jesus to provide a Himself as a sacrifice in our place!

            Many good men and women have died in the place of someone they loved.  Their sacrifice is worthy of honor.  We honor those heroes by listening to their stories, hearing their words, and letting their challenge give some direction to our lives.  But their sacrifice does not change the sin nature that is within us!

            When Christ died in our place, a spiritual work of atonement was made.  He made the payment for our sins!  But that payment could not be applied until Jesus was raised back to life as our risen Savior.   The resurrection is necessary!

            The first gift we receive in the Resurrection of Jesus is a Risen Savior! The second gift we receive is our hope of eternal life!

             The Bible calls Jesus the “first fruit.”  In the Jewish Law, when harvest time came, the first fruit was given to God as a thanksgiving sacrifice.  After a long period of time of tilling the soil, planting the seed, working the crops, and collecting the harvest, the first fruit was to be given as a sacrifice!  It was an act of faith to give and then expect God to supply for the family with the continued fruitfulness of the field.

1 Cor 15:20-21

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

            The first fruit implies there is a second fruit!  If the first crop is good, the rest of the crop will be just as good and plentiful!  Jesus was the first Man to have been raised from the dead with an imperishable body but He won’t be the last!  All those who have placed their trust in Jesus will also be given a new eternal life like Jesus’. 

1 Cor 15:54

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

            All the sorrow and the pain of this life is set behind us when we know that our hope is for eternal in heaven with Jesus Christ!  The gift of God is so great yet there are so many who have refused or neglected to receive the gift Jesus has provided!  What could we trade for the everlasting, eternal joy and love that we will experience in heaven?  Jesus asked the question, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

           Death is swallowed up in victory!  Eternal life is the completion of all that God has planned for us for fulfilling our longings and healing our hurts!  There is no expression adequate to describe how fulfilling the plan of God is for all who will trust in Jesus!  Jesus is our first fruits … we are the second fruit!  When Christ returns we will be with Him forever!

            The resurrection story isn’t always believed.  You have to admit it is difficult to understand that someone who was dead and buried for three days could come back to life … and that He is still alive!  But don’t be too hard on the unbelievers … the disciples had a hard time believing too.

            If you recall … the women went to the tomb and found Jesus.  It was the men who were hiding behind closed doors, but Jesus was kind enough to go find them!

John 20:19-22

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 

20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

            But Thomas wasn’t there at the time … and he didn’t believe them!

26 And 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!" 

27 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." 

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

            The story wasn’t complete until Thomas knelt at the feet of Jesus and declared that He was his Lord and his God.  He believed and from that point on preached the resurrection of Christ to his world.  History records that Thomas traveled from Jerusalem into what is now India and preached the Gospel as he went.  He lived for Christ.

            You may be like the women who went to the tomb … you are looking for Jesus.  Or you may be like the men hiding behind closed doors … afraid of what is going to happen next.  Jesus revealed Himself to both groups!  And He wants to reveal Himself to you. 

           The story isn’t complete until we kneel before Him and proclaim “My Lord and my God.”   He is still the risen Savior and He is still providing the gift of eternal life to all of those who open their hearts to Him!  Will you?