Christadelphians - Bible Believing People

by Peter Forbes

 

Detailed Version - Part 4

 

The Resurrection Morning.

Our studies have stopped before we even get to the trial of Jesus. However in our minds we should move on to the resurrections morning. A little thought about our Lord's waking moments is a fitting place to go as we conclude this study.

 

In The Tomb Early On The First day Of The Week

The toil and anguish was all over. He had cried 'into thy hands I commend my spirit' [Luke 23:46]. With that he 'gave up the spirit' [Luke 23:46]. He had died quickly and so his legs were not broken. Doubtless the toil of the last three years had taken its toll on his body. Amidst great urgency he was removed from the cross and, had it not been for the care of two of his secret disciples he would have been cast into Ghenna. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.' [Matthew 27:58] whereupon he and Nicodemus took the body, embalmed it with about an hundred pounds weight of myrrh and aloes before placing it in Nicodemus' own new tomb. [John 19:39-40 Matthew 27:57-60]. As the Sabbath drew on, when all work had to stop, the women noted the place where Jesus was laid and departed, intending to return to complete the ritual of preparing the body for permanent rest in the grave at a later date.

 

Three Days And Nights

The next three days and nights were passed in depressed confusion by the women and the disciples. They had thought that Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel, but now he was dead in the grave. On the first day of the week various of the women journey towards the tomb to complete the burial of their Lord. However by the time they arrive at the tomb he is not there. 'He is risen'. [Matthew 28:6 Mark 16:6].

 

We wish to consider just a small period of time whilst Jesus was in the tomb and discuss Jesus' thoughts on that resurrection morning.

 

Thou Hast Redeemed Me.

Our Lord's last words, according to Luke were 'into thy hands I commend my spirit'. [Luke 23:46]. These word showed Jesus' utter confidence in his father's ability to bring him out of the grave. David, in the Psalms, speaking in spirit of Jesus' thoughts and words shows his confidence in his God when he said 'Into thine hand I commit my spirit' [Psalm 31:5]. These words were doubtless in Jesus' mind as he died. The Psalm continues ''thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth' and we can imagine that these were the first thoughts in the mind of our Lord on that resurrection morning as he awoke to newness of life.

There are other Scriptures which could well have been in our Lord's mind on that resurrection morning. He had lain in the enclosed space of the sealed tomb for three days and three nights, his body wrapped in about an hundred pounds weight of myrrh and aloes. The inside of the tomb would not carry the odour of death. Rather there would be the sweet odour of those two spices.

 

The King's garments

On that resurrection morning our Lord would have awoken to the sweet smell of the myrrh and aloes and we can imagine his mind turning to the Psalms again.

 

Psalm 45 speaks of the king 'I speak of the things that I have made touching the king ...' [Psalm 45:1]. The king of whom the Psalm speaks is indeed the risen Lord for Hebrews 1:8, when discussing the majesty of the risen Jesus, applies this Psalm to the status of Jesus after his resurrection.

 

Speaking prophetically of the risen Lord the Psalmist says:- 'All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.' [Psalm 45:8]. Whereas we might have thought that the Psalm was speaking in symbol of our Lord after his resurrection those words of the Psalm were actually true on that resurrection morning.

The smell of the myrrh and aloes might well have brought the Psalm to mind and all the wonderful promise that it contains.

 

So on that first day of the week the 'firstfruits of them that slept' could draw together both Psalm 32 and Psalm 45 and reflect on the majesty of those things that he had achieved by his resurrection.

 

The Odour Of The Resurrection

The odour of myrrh and aloes - the odour of the resurrection - is something that our Lord looks for in us. Not that we have attained unto the resurrection of the dead yet. However in this life we should be developing that character which pleases him. He is seeking to create us as that 'glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish'. [Ephesians 5:25-27]. And so the woman is described in the Song of Solomon as 'A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:' [Song of Solomon 4:12-14 ].

 

Our Lord would have us now manifesting that odour of the resurrection that we might awake with his likeness.

 

A Calendar Of Events In The Last Week Of Jesus' Life And To The Resurrection

 

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