RESURRECTION SUNDAY
Friday – April 14, 2017
This coming Sunday the 16th of April is Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Our Lord died for us, so that we do not have to die for our sins or die for Him. He arose victorious that we could be victorious in this life and beyond. This holiday commonly called Easter should be more properly named Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday. This day commemorates or memorializes the day our Savior rose from the dead and was restored to the right hand of the Father on high.
A few days ago I wrote a article titled: PASSOVER AND REDEMPTION. That article reviewed the Feast of the Lord called Passover, the prophetic event prophesying the sacrifice of our Savior for us. I will now approach this ‘Easter’ article in a little different fashion. The Feasts of the Lord called Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits all foreshadowed the coming Messiah who has now come. Today is celebrated as Good Friday, previously Black Friday commemorating the death of Jesus on the Cross. Actually Jesus died on a Thursday afternoon at 3 pm and He was in the tomb before 6 pm.
Matthew 12:39-40 (KJV)
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Recall that Jesus died before 6 pm and was in the tomb before 6 pm so that it would not interfere with the Passover Feast. Thursday is day one, Thursday night is night one, Friday is day two, Friday night is night two, Saturday is day three, and Saturday night is night three. In the following passage we find that at daybreak He was already gone. Sunday after 6 am would have been the fourth day and violated Scripture. The following passage and others (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-6, Luke 24:1) makes it clear that Jesus rose on the first day of the week which we call Sunday before daybreak.
John 20:1 (KJV)
1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Did you realize that Jesus went to Hell on our behalf so that we do not have to go there? Have you wondered how Jesus got out of Hell legally? I suspect that none of us know anyone who has gone to Hell and returned. As we study Scripture we know that Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), He is our unleavened bread (sinless sacrifice – He was without sin so we could be without sin), and He is the Firstfruits of salvation (first One born from the dead [Colossians 1:18, Revelation 1:5]). Jesus was a sinless man (Hebrews 4:15) yet as His part in The Blood Covenant He was made sin for us. It is sin that brings the curse (stealing, killing, and destroying) just as in the Garden of Eden. Before sin there was no curse in the earth only the Blessing. Sin maintains and brings spiritual and physical death. When Adam sinned the spirit man (part of the soul) died instantly and later the body died. When Jesus was made sin (He did not sin personally – He took our sin) a separation from the Father occurred due to the death of His spirit.
Mark 15:34-37 (KJV)
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
John 19:30 (KJV)
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
So the pattern of Adam is repeated on the Cross, first spiritual death (Mark 15:34) and then physical (John 19:30). Jesus (spirit and soul) descended into Hell from the Cross. When Jesus exclaimed that “It is finished” He was declaring that The Blood Covenant was sealed (done, complete) and all people could now choose redemption from eternal death to eternal life and an uncorrupted body. Long before Jesus hung His head and gave up the ghost on the tree He had the Word of God guaranteeing His salvation.
Psalm 16:8-11 (KJV)
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Jesus’ body was in the tomb near Mount Moriah, His spirit and soul (mind) were in Hell. His spirit man was dead due to being made sin but His soul, His mind, was completely filled with the Word of God with no corrupt thought. Since He was innocent, without sin His blood cried out for justice. To be just and render justice, the Father must raise Him from the dead and quicken His dead spirit. The price of salvation (redemption) was paid with His most precious Blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus received salvation the same as do we all.
Revelation 12:11 (KJV)
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Jesus came out of Hell by His own sinless blood and the Words of His testimony. We all enter the Kingdom of God the same way, by that shed blood of Jesus which makes us clean and the words of our testimony. Jesus had a little side trip between Hell and the surface of the earth and that was to Abraham’s Bosom where He preached unto the captive (Old Testament Saints) and they by faith in His spotless blood and the words of their testimony were redeemed. They believed the Father would raise Jesus from the dead and them as well when they declared Jesus Lord. Many of them walked the streets of Jerusalem briefly at the time of His resurrection (Matthew 27:51-53). Jesus was then restored as God to the Throne of God.
Hebrews 1:1-9 (KJV)
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Bold added by this articles author)
O what a majestic passage as we watch the Father bring Jesus from death to life, from Hell to the His own right hand declaring Him as God. Hallelujah to our God forever and ever!
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
I have recently published two books. First was the book titled “Temptation – The Battle for our Thoughts”. Perhaps this book will shed new light on this topic of temptation in ways you have not imagined. Second is the book titled “And God Said – The Creator’s Provision”. This book illuminates the will of God from the beginning for them and for us. These books are available at Amazon Books.
