GETTING THE MESSAGE/The hope of salvation
In the book of Acts, the early Christians were called “people of the Way,” because Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” The resurrection of Jesus validates the truth of that statement and gives us the hope of salvation.
In John 20, we see Mary Magdelene go to the tomb of Jesus and find it empty. She is not there to see if Jesus had been raised; she is there to honor his body by anointing him with spices.
The disciples also were not expecting the resurrection of Jesus. When Peter and John get to the tomb and enter it, John saw the linen cloths and the facecloth folded up in a place by itself, and he believed. John tells us that they had not understood the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.
Their confusion was in spite of the fact that Jesus had repeatedly and explicitly told them that he would be delivered into the hands of men, suffer, and be killed by them, and on the third day he would be raised. When the disciples heard this, they were distressed, but didn’t want to ask about it. They didn’t understand it, so they dismissed it.
We are dull to the word of God because of sin. Paul said that Christ is preached both to the Jews and the Gentiles, but he is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks (1st Corinthians 1). The cross offended the Jews because of their self-righteousness, while the resurrection, life from the dead, was folly to the wisdom of men.
But these great truths are the hope of salvation. I know of a brilliant man who writes on world events with insightful commentary. He disdains religion, except in the effects it has on moral restraint in some men. He is in his mid 70’s, and says that artificial intelligence is developing medical advances at such a rate that if he lives another 10-15 years, they will have discovered a way of perpetuating life. “If I can just hang on” is his hope.
It is a sad hope that hopes in men rather than God. But the tower of Babel will not reach heaven. Men cannot save themselves from God or death. Death is the judgment upon sin. Men need to be reconciled to God and delivered from the bondage of sin rather than be perpetually under its misery. Christ is the gift of God for life. All other hopes will prove futile.
Christ’s resurrection proves that he is the Son of God. It is the pledge of the fulfillment of all the promises of God in both the Old and New Testaments. It was the public acceptance of all Christ’s work as a Mediator on our behalf by the Father, that those in Christ have eternal life. His resurrection secures our own resurrection.
Mary Magdalene loved him because he delivered her from the misery of sin. In John 20:11-15, we see her racked with grief at his body missing. She is so preoccupied with finding him, she is not concerned with angels, neither does she recognize Jesus.
It is not until Jesus calls her name that she recognizes him. One of the marks of those who know Christ is that they know his voice. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Every person in the world has a distinctive voice. We readily recognize the voice of our spouse, parents, or friends.
The Lord Jesus calls his people, he knows their name, and they know his voice. How do you know he has called your name? You see Mary’s response; she calls him Teacher and worships him. If you believe in Christ, then you will have reverence and affection for him. If you know him, you can be sure that it was his voice that led you to him.
We notice also how Mary seeks Christ. Her weeping is mentioned four times. Her weeping comes from the grief of his death, a longing to be with him. Faith keeps on seeking even in the darkest hour. The Lord hides himself that he may be found. He may frown on you that you will know his smile. He breaks Jacob’s thigh and gives him a limp that he might bless him. The sure way to get life and to grow in that life is always to come to Christ.
The Rev. Chris Shelton is pastor of Union’s First Presbyterian Church.