Today we celebrate the most important day in history; the resurrection of our Lord Jesus without which we would still be lost in our sins. We call it Easter or Resurrection Day, but we know Jesus really rose from the grave on the feast of first fruits as he was the first fruits of resurrection so that we all could have a resurrected life. The feast of first fruits occurred earlier this week or some Jews say it is actually today which is a rare occurrence that it actually occurs the same day we celebrate Easter.
When Jesus died as our passover lamb there were many prophecies fulfilled as well as several miracles that occurred that I have spoken of in the past such as there was darkness upon the whole earth. (Luke 23:44-45a And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45 And the sun was darkened,) Jesus gave up the ghost was a second miracle. Jesus gave up his life at the precise moment that the passover lambs were sacrificed by the priests. Only God could do such a thing. No one, even if they commit suicide is able to take their life at an exact moment. The fact that Jesus cried out “It is finished” and then said to God the Father “Into thy hands I commend my spirit” and then died immediately, even though he still had strength as was seen how he cried (shouted) just before he died, was why this Roman centurion at his feet realized that this truly was the Son of God and yet the Jews were blind to see it. This centurion got saved from what he saw. Praise God we will see him in heaven. (Luke 23:46 ¶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.) (Mark 15:39 ¶ And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.) Some other miracles that occurred that day were the veil in the temple was torn at the exact time of Jesus’ death doing away with animal sacrifices for Jesus had paid it all. There was also an earthquake and graves of some saints opened up and after Jesus rose from the grave they also came out of the grave. A few days later the greatest miracle of all occurred when Jesus rose from the grave.
Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in a borrowed tomb. He had told the scribes and Pharisees and his disciples that he would be in the grave for three days and three nights and then would rise from the grave never to die again. (Matthew 12:38-40 38 ¶ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 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.) Jesus did rise on that third day of feast of first fruits on the first day of the week. People often ask where was Jesus during that three days. Jesus had told the dying repentant thief on the cross who got saved that he would be with Jesus that day in paradise. (Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.) Paradise was also known as Abraham’s bosom and was the side of hell where the saved people went before Jesus rose from the grave. The unsaved went and still do go to the torment side of hell. The saved people did not go to heaven when they died as believers do today because Jesus had not died for our sins and risen from the grave yet. They were held captive by Satan as he controlled the deed to earth. Also the blood of animals could never wash away their sins, only the blood of Jesus. When Adam sinned he lost the deed to the earth and Satan gained control of it. Satan is the god of this world. (II Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.) Jesus as the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.) took the deed back from Satan after he rose from the grave and defeated Satan. The fact that Jesus is the last Adam shows Jesus finished salvation. When Jesus rose from the grave he took captivity captive. [Ephesians 4:7-10 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)] This means Jesus took all of the believers that were in paradise and brought them back with him to heaven. Paradise is now in the third heaven as Paul spoke of. (II Corinthians 12:2-4 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.) Jesus took paradise with him. Jesus took the believers captive and took them to heaven. Now at death we still go to paradise just like the thief except that paradise is now in heaven. We know paradise was not at that time in heaven because the thief was with Jesus that day and yet Jesus did not go to heaven until that resurrection Sunday. Ephesians 4:9 says Jesus went to the lower parts of the earth. This is the heart of the earth Jesus spoke of in Matthew 12:40 and where paradise was. The heart of the earth speaks of the center of the earth where hell is located and paradise used to be. Jesus taking captivity captive fulfilled prophecy as foretold in Psalm 68:18. (Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.) After Jesus’ resurrection he ascended to heaven and gave gifts to men. These gifts are those spiritual gifts that all believers receive. Every believer receives a gift from the Holy Ghost whom Jesus sent to us as the Comforter. These gifts are mentioned in several places, but Ephesians 4:11 mentions some of these gifts such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In Psalm 68:18 we see Jesus also gave gifts to the rebellious. This includes talents such as good in sports or music, but really refers to the fact that Jesus gave the free gift of a pardon for all who would receive it as he died for all as Ephesians 4:7 mentions with the gift of Christ to all which is the salvation he offered to all. The problem is the wicked never took this free gift and so never got saved. Before Jesus took captivity captive and away from Satan, he preached to the spirits in hell. (I Peter 3:18-20 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.) These spirits in hell as we see are connected to the days of Noah. These spirits are not the unsaved who died in the flood as many teach since once a person dies it is too late for salvation and also in scripture people have a spirit, but spirits always refers to angels, not people. These spirits in prison that Jesus preached to are the fallen angels in Genesis 6 who rebelled by leaving their first estate in heaven (Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.) and came down to earth to marry women and had sex with them producing the giants. Jesus was not preaching salvation to them as there is no salvation for angels. Rather he was proclaiming victory by telling them that they and Satan had been defeated and that their doom was sealed. Jesus was busy during this three days his body was in the grave.
Jesus rose victoriously after three days and three nights just as he said he would. All three persons of the Godhead were involved in the resurrection of Jesus. The fact that Jesus rose himself from the grave shows he is God as no man can raise himself from the dead. Jesus said he would lay down his life which we saw he did and why the centurion got saved, but he also said he would take it again speaking of him resurrecting himself. (John 10:17-18 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.) Jesus rose from that grave just when he said he would. By doing so not only did he bring salvation to all who call upon him, but he fulfilled prophecy by not allowing his body to see corruption (decay). The Jews believed that after three days a person’s body would see decay. This is why Martha said to Jesus that Lazarus stinketh because he had been in the grave for four days. (Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.) We saw several prophecies fulfilled on that resurrection Sunday with Jesus rising from the grave, his body not seeing corruption, and Jesus taking captivity captive. After Jesus rose victoriously from the grave, body and all, he went to heaven to place his precious blood of salvation on the heavenly altar to complete the work of salvation. This is why Jesus would not allow Mary Magdalene to touch him since he had not finished his work yet. Later that day he came back to earth to see his disciples who could then touch him. Praise God that Jesus rose from that grave and that we serve a risen Saviour. Today the tomb is empty. Jesus is not dead like Mohammed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, and so many others. Jesus is alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father. For those who are not saved call upon Jesus today and get the free gift of salvation. What better day to be given everlasting life than on the day Jesus rose from the grave for your sins?
