“My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (Psalm 13:5)
April 27, 2022
A human nature that embraces the redemption of God and exchanges this love relishes internal peace and sin has no control over it. Live and experience the Resurrection in the life of the living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at heart. The Resurrection of Christ is thus a new aspect in the lives of humans fulfilled by Christ in the fullness of time so that the prophecies would come true “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
In Job 19:25-27, it is stated, “For I know that my Redeemer lives and He shall stand at last on the Earth; after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another how my heart forms within me. In addition, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from Death. O Death, I will be your plagues O Grave, I will be your destruction; pity is hidden from my eyes.” (Hosea 13:14)
Prophet Daniel tells us of the promise of the raising of Daniel and prophesizes the expected resurrection and judgment. He says, “But you, go your way till the end, for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”; “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:13; 12:2)
Moreover, some did not even go through death. Enoch was taken alive to heaven. “And Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24). Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire; “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2 King2:11)
The belief of the resurrection was established before the coming of Lord Jesus Christ and it was confirmed in His days too. What about the raising from death during the days of our Lord Jesus Christ? When our Lord Jesus asked his Disciples, “who do people say I am? They answered, John the Baptist, other said Elijah and others said one of the prophets.” (Mark 8:27-28). This was what King Herod thought (Mark 6:14).Our Lord Jesus Christ raised Lazarus after four days in the tomb. He raised Yairous’s daughter and the son of the widow of Nain. These were not the only cases where our Lord raised people with His own power.
Saint John said, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25). Saint Luke the evangelist also said in Luke 7:19-23, “And John, calling two of his Disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, ‘Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?’, when the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying” Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?’ And that very hour He cured many people of their infirmities, afflictions and evil spirits; and to many who were blind He gave sight. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard; that the blind saw, the lame walked, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them and blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. “Martha, Lazarus’ sister showed her faith in the resurrection by answering the Lord Jesus Christ saying, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the Last Day.” (John 11:24). If God, in the old times, had raised the death through His prophets, and if our Lord Christ in His own power as Son of God or God himself appearing in the flesh, has raised many from the dead and called death just sleep, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps”, yet the resurrection of Christ has another meaning. Its effect and results are more different than all that was said before about the resurrections before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and during His days on earth.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ redeemed human race with His resurrection. Hence, we shall all rejoice about the salvation received upon the cross. As Prophet David said, “My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation,” our heart shall revel the true redeemer. (Psalm 13:5)
Source: “EVERYTHING FOR YOUR SPIRITUALITY” By Pope Shenouda III