This Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, marks the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.  Just as Christmas is celebrated to mark the birth of Christ into the world, Resurrection Day is celebrated to mark the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Both are glorious celebrations, but to truly celebrate the significance of both occasions we must understand why Jesus was born into the world and what impact an empty tomb should have on our lives?  

For those of us who have received Jesus as Savior we partake of the celebration of Resurrection Day because that marks the completed work of Christ.  Through belief in Jesus we have been offered salvation and eternal life.  Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, we too, through Jesus, have been raised from death into eternal life through the Son.  This is a great gift and something to be celebrated…eternal life with the Father.  This gift was sent by the Father but how much deeper can we go in our understanding of why the gift was sent?  Why was Jesus born and what is the full significance of why He death, burial and resurrection?  What is the full impact of His death and the empty tomb?  

To gain a deeper understanding of the significance of the cross and the empty tomb let’s first find out why Jesus was born.  Galatians 4:3-4 says, “But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God's sons].”  First John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”  So God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners He sent Christ to die for our transgressions of the law. (Romans 5:8)  John 10:10 says, that Jesus “came that we may have and enjoy life, and have it (life) in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”  He fulfilled the requirements of the law, destroyed the works of Satan and gave us life in abundance.  This is why Jesus was born!  He was born under the law, to fulfill the law, to destroy the works the devil worked through the transgression of the law, so that we through Christ might have right standing with God, life in abundance, and freedom from sin, death and the curse!  But why?  

We understand that sin entered the world through Adams transgression but the penalty of sin was not imputed or assigned to man until the law was given.  Man, in his heart, was aware that he was missing the mark but without the law man had no legal accountability for his transgression because there was no law that assigned consequence or benefit.  Tracing the law (God’s commandments, statutes, judgments and regulations) back to its beginnings we find out that there were more than the Ten Commandments that Moses first presenting the people with. The Ten Commandments was the beginning of the law.   Over time there ended up being 613 laws that the people had to keep.  According to the scriptures God told his people through Moses that they could walk in the blessing (God’s empowerment upon them to succeed in every area of their life) by keeping His commandments and laws or they could walk in the curse (an empowerment upon them to fail in every area of their life) by disobeying His commandments and laws.  In Deuteronomy 30:19 -20 God says through Moses, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”  The choice was given to the people by God through Moses.  They had the right to choose.  Choose life and the blessing or choose the curse and death.  God even gave them direction and told them to choose life and then He went on and explained to them how to choose life (the blessing).  In Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 God said through Moses to the people, “If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments (laws) which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God”  and in Deuteronomy 28: 15 God said through Moses to the people, “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”  The choice to walk in God’s blessing was up to the people.  All they had to do was keep God’s laws and commandments out of love and not out of ritual obligation.  

So the choice was given…obey God’s laws or disobey God’s law?  To disobey was sin.  Sin means to miss the mark.  The consequence of sin was death (the curse) and the payment (or wage) for missing the mark (sin) of not living by God’s laws and commandments was death (the curse / empowerment for failure on your life).  So the law now gave man a consequence to his actions; obey because you love God and walk in the blessing (life) or disobey and walk in the curse (death).  

The law was straight forward.  There was a reward and a penalty attached to their actions under the law.  God’s main intention was for His children to walk in His blessing so that they may live and go in an take possession of the land which the Lord God had promised them.  The problem with the law was that the law was weak because man’s flesh was weak.  Man could not keep ALL 613 laws, commandments, statues and judgments of God and therefore fell into sin and became subject to the curse (death) of the law.  In Galatians 3:10 we see that everyone under the requirements of the law was under the curse of the law because the requirement was that man had to continue in ALL things pertaining to the law.  In essence, if you break one law your have violated ALL the law.  Seeing that the law was weak because the flesh was weak, in that man could not keep the law and fell into sin and the penalty of sin which was the curse (death), a sacrifice was offered through the blood of bulls and goats to atone for man’s sins.  Atonement means to be reconciled to God.  So the sacrifice was made to reconcile man back into right standing with God (righteousness).   Through atonement man was now back in right standing with God and back under the blessing of God.  At this point man started over and was subject to keeping the law again by obeying or disobeying God’s law.  This was the state of man under the law of the old covenant.  

Seeing that the law was weak in that man’s flesh was weak (Romans 8:3) the law was used as our tutor to bring us to Christ so that we might be justified (just as if we had never sinned) by faith in Jesus (Galatians 3:24).  Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.  His sacrifice was done once for all men.  His sacrifice fulfilled the requirements of the law for all men.  Receive Jesus and God looks at you and sees the righteous requirements of the law fulfilled.  Jesus’ blood speaks.  It was the ransom paid for your transgression.  His sacrifice redeemed you from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).  

So why was fulfillment of the law through Jesus’ sacrifice important?  According to Galatians 4:3 “We were kept in bondage under the law because Satan and his evil spirits used the law to enslave and condemn man through his weak flesh.”  You see, evil spirits worked unhindered down through the ages.  They held men in bondage and reigned as kings in the realm of spiritual death.  No one had the authority to dispossess them or to rule over them until Jesus DETHRONED them (knocked them off their throne by fulfilling the requirements of the law).  Colossians 2:15 says, “Having DISARMED principalities and powers (evil spirits), Jesus made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”  Jesus DISARMED them…He took away the requirements of the law and fulfilled them, therefore, Satan and his evil spirits could no longer us man’s inability to keep the law to enslave him and condemn him.  So Satan and his evil spirits could no longer enforce the curse upon man that was in Christ Jesus.  Why?  Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law.  Man in Christ is no longer subject to the curse of law.  Why?  Galatians 3::13-14 says, “Christ has redeemed (brought us back from) the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”  Why did he become a curse for us? Versus 14, “So that the blessing (empowerment for success) of Abraham might come on the Gentiles (those without a covenant with God) through Christ Jesus and so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.”  “For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him [Jesus].” (Romans 10:4)

Jesus was born into the law to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Romans 4:4-5)  Jesus has fulfilled the law.  He took the penalty for your sin (your inability to keep God’s commandments) upon himself.  So all the curse (pain, sickness, disease, lack, poverty, failure, destruction, etc…outlined in Deuteronomy 28) that was rightfully meant for you because of your transgressions was laid upon Him.  God substituted Jesus for you.  Isaiah 53:4-5 says, “Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, diseases, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God.  But He was wounded for our transgressions (sins), He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities (sins); the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded and cut into His body with every blow] we are healed and made whole.”  The work has been completed.  The penalty of the curse for mans inability to keep God’s laws and commandment’s was laid upon Him.  He took your curse upon Himself and sealed it by being nailed to the cross. The penalty that rightfully belonged to you, the curse, Jesus took from you, for you.  He substituted Himself for you.  God paid a ransom for you.  Jesus was that payment.  His blood was the currency.  The penalty you should have bore because of your sin, He bore, therefore you have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).  Jesus took the penalty as an innocent man, hung on a cross, was buried in a tomb and raised from the dead.  Jesus himself said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)  The redemptive work has been completed.  God’s plan for redemption has been satisfied by the blood of Jesus.  It is a gift of grace to man.  We, through Jesus, are now under grace and not under the strict requirements of the law.  We no longer have to live by the works of the law but by grace through Jesus Christ.  The blessing of Abraham is upon and in you.  The Holy Spirit has been sent to you as your comforter, helper, teacher and guide.  We now walk in right standing with God (righteousness) through Jesus Christ.  The relationship God intended to have with man from the beginning has been restored to Him through Jesus.  This is why we celebrate the day of Resurrection.  We celebrate the completed work of Christ.  Jesus knew the importance of the completed work.  Jesus said that He must go to the Father so the Father would send another; the Holy Spirit.  With this completed work Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father daily making intercession for the saints and we have been given joint seating with Christ.  Authority over satan has been recaptured by Jesus and He in turn gave us that authority and commissioned us to ”go into all the world and preach the Good News” of the redemptive work that has been completed with signs following.  The redemptive work of Christ has made you free from the law of sin and death.  The empty tomb is your sign that His work is complete.  Celebrate and rejoice…HE IS RISEN!

I pray that this teaching has helped you and that you will have a deeper and more intimate celebration of the Father God’s work through Jesus this Resurrection Sunday.  Worship Him and Praise Him for His acceptable sacrifice. He did it to gain sons and daughters, in right standing with Him, like you.  Look into the empty tomb this Sunday and see that your God…your Lord and Savior has risen.  He is not there.  Your God lives.  He lives!  Your enemy has been defeated.  Satan can no longer us your sin (missing the mark) against you.  Satan can no longer hold you in bondage.  He can no longer condemn you of your sin unless you let him.  According to Romans 8:2, “There is therefore NO CONDEMNATION to those that are in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus set you free.  Satan can no longer condemn you of you sin.  You sin is not covered with the blood of bulls and goats but it has been washed away, no longer to be remembered by God, by the blood of the perfect lamb…Jesus Christ.  Receive your deliverance.  It belongs to you now!  You may not feel it or see it but that doesn’t change it!  The tomb is empty!  The work is complete.  Receive the benefits of the sacrifice of Jesus.  We walk by faith and not by sight.  He is risen!  The work is complete.  Now receive the gift of grace from God through Jesus.  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you need to lay hold of the promises of God.  They belong to you.  The price has been paid.  Receive your healing by faith.  Receive your deliverance by faith.  Receive financial increase by faith.  Receive God’s goodness by faith.  The tomb is empty.  We celebrate!  We celebrate because we understand the full redemptive work of Christ.  The empty tomb seals the deal…He is risen.  He is alive and serves as High Priest.  My High Priest.  This what we celebrate!  Yes, He has risen.  My God lives and I have been redeemed!  Glory to God.
 
 

PRAYER REQUEST
Know that we at Covenant Living Ministries are here for you.  If you have sickness in your body, if you lack in anyway, if you are having hard times or if you need the working power of God in your life and you want to lay hold of the work done at Calvary and would like someone on our staff to pray with you please contact us.  We would be honored to pray with you - we expect great results.  The word of God says the prayer’s of a righteous man makes great power available.  There is also great power available in agreement so allow us to agree with you today.  Send your prayer requests to devotional@kingdomsportspark.com or call (812) 962-3478 and ask for Troy or Amy.