Today is Easter Sunday. It is a special day for Christians all over the world because they recall in a special way the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. His body had been in the tomb of Joseph for three days and nights (part of Friday, all of Saturday, part of Sunday). He had predicted that would be the case, a reminder that he was in control of all events. His human soul had been in heaven since his passing on the cross. Now on the morning of the resurrection day, his soul and his body were reunited.
His resurrection, in some ways, is similar to that of his people. Apart from those of them who will be alive when Jesus returns, they will experience the separation of soul and body caused by death. Their souls go instantly to heaven, and there they wait for their resurrection. They are in the presence of the risen, exalted Jesus, and they recognise through his presence that they too yet will be resurrected. He is a permanent reminder to their perfected souls of the greater glory that is yet to be theirs on the future resurrection day.
The resurrection of Jesus was his personal victory over death. It was also his public victory, not in the sense that anyone saw it happen, but in the sense that he was the representative of his people when he rose. Everything he did, he also did for his people. This is his role as the Mediator. On earth, he lived and died and rose again for them. In heaven now he functions as the prophet, priest and king of his people.
On Easter Sunday, indeed on every day, we don’t recall his resurrection in the same manner as people recall an event from the past through nostalgia. We look back at it with certainty. The resurrection of Jesus enabled him to ascend later to heaven and rule from God’s throne. It is part of the great divine plan of salvation, one of many guarantees that the promised glory will one day be the normal. He has already attained to that experience because he is the first fruits of the great harvest of the resurrected ones who will yet be glorified, body and soul, in his presence for ever.
Easter Sunday calls us to look back to an empty tomb, to a risen Saviour with a wonderful future, a future that he planned in eternity to share with his people forever.
