The promise of the resurrection and its fulfillment is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, He told the disciples what would happen to Him which would fulfill the prophecies concerning Him. Luke 18:32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day, he will rise again.” [1]
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the heart of the Gospel, and His words were a promise to the disciples. He would die to pay the price for our sins but rise again. What an incredible promise to the disciples, who would not fully grasp Jesus’ words until after the resurrection.
Being Stuck in the Past
In their minds, the disciples still thought Jesus would be a political king and could not imagine Jesus as a suffering servant. This worldview was shaken as they watched Jesus’ arrest, unfair trials, and crucifixion. I can almost hear them saying, I don’t understand what is happening. As Jesus died on the cross, they could only see the situation through their eyes and not the eyes of the Lord. They were stuck in the tomb of death.
Where His followers saw death, God saw life. Jesus knew that to free humankind, He would have to pay for our sins, and on the other side of that hardship was victory and resurrection. Our Savior’s death on the cross showed His true love and commitment to save us.
Jesus Was the Suffering Servant
In this world, there is suffering. At times, we bring about our own suffering or suffer because of the sins of others. But Jesus was without sin and lived a perfect life, which was all part of God’s plan to pay the price for our sins.
Isaiah tells about the suffering servant 700 years before Jesus came into the world. Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. [2] Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, which is a love beyond our comprehension.
As we struggle, we have a Savior who is not remote from our suffering. He understands our pain because He suffered at the hands of evil people. He knows that when difficult times strike, we may feel abandoned. Yet we can always praise Jesus for Having endured the cross to rescue and redeem us with His blood. We, as believers, have the promise of resurrection because of Jesus.
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-power-of-promise
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 18:32–33). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Is 53:5). Tyndale House Publishers.