Our Joy in Christ's Resurrection!

This Easter Sunday, we especially celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It is a most glorious thing! It brings joy to all believers!

But there was a time when the prospect of our salvation was a sad thing. That was true before salvation had been accomplished, and before the purpose and consequences of Christ's death dawned upon the disciples.

Jesus had told them many times that He would be put to death by wicked men, and then raised again the third day. Christ connected His death and His resurrection.

But the prospect of His death made His disciples very sad. They seemed not to grasp the promise of His resurrection at all.

The night Jesus was betrayed, He warned of their impending sorrow, and how it would be turned into joy that nobody could ever take away!

The disciples were at that time so fixated on an earthly kingdom, that they didn't understand how a dead Savior could actually save them!

Why did not they believe Christ's promises to them? Why did they ignore the Psalmist's prophecy of Messiah's resurrection?

The Lord Jesus rose in victory and power and glory that Sunday morning, and the joy of it spread very quickly!

The disciples wouldn't believe Mary Magdalene's testimony that Christ had risen from the dead. Only when Jesus appeared in their midst, and showed them His wounded hands and side, did their sorrow turn into joy, just as Jesus had promised them.

Their sadness suddenly drained right out of them, when they believed that Christ had risen from the dead.

In fact, there would be no comfort at all in Christ's dying for us, had there been no resurrection of the Savior!

All of God's comfort of His people depends upon the Lord Jesus rising from the dead!