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Chapter 28: "Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!"

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“Christ is risen!”...“He is risen indeed!” For thousands of years the Christian church has used this phrase as a customary greeting of joy at Easter and throughout the Easter season. Instead of “hello” or “good morning,” a person greets another with “Christ is risen!” and the appropriate response is “He is risen indeed!” We speak this greeting because we want others to know that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest thought in our hearts and on our minds. We speak this greeting because we want others to know that Jesus’ resurrection is the first words on our lips as believers in him. This greeting of joy is known as the “Paschal greeting” (Named after the “Paschal Lamb,” and “Lamb of God,” Jesus Christ).

The women we hear about on that first Easter morning did not greet each other with such joy; rather, they began that day in mourning. These women were walking to the tomb of Jesus, their dear friend, to finish the embalming process. They were fully expecting to see the worst sight ever—the reality of death, Jesus’ dead body, staring them in the face. The angels*—the two men with lightning-bright clothing (Mt 28:3), however, announced their presence to the women with the news that Jesus was not there; instead, the angels announced their presence with a similar greeting of joy to the one we just spoke a few seconds ago. They said, “He is not here; he has risen!” The women’s findings were a great surprise to them that morning. These findings went against all the forensic evidence they had seen over the last couple of days. With their own eyes they saw how Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb and how the stone was rolled in front of it (Lk 23:55; Mk 15:46,47). Now, the massive stone that sealed Jesus’ body in his tomb was rolled away by one of the angels (Mt 28:2). Their natural senses were in awe! Their minds were full of fear and doubt! But these findings should not at all have surprised them.

All these events did happen just as Christ promised. The angels also directed the women to remember that Jesus fulfilled all of this. Jesus kept his promised word! That meant he kept his promise of giving his own life as the ransom for many (Mk 10:45). That meant he kept his promise at the cross, where he died as the sacrificial Lamb of God, “who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29)! Now Jesus kept his promise of rising from the dead. The angels said, “He is not here; he has risen!” Christ’s resurrection meant that victory over sin, death, and hell was a sure thing! It meant that eternal life is certain. As Scripture says, “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 6:23b). The women remembered the words of Jesus. They trusted what his word meant for them—forgiveness of sins and eternal life through his death and resurrection! Today, the Lord’s angels bid us to remember the words of Jesus that we trust—remember what the good news of Jesus’ resurrection means for you! His resurrection means that “[He] was declared with power to be the Son of God…” (Ro 1:4). His resurrection means that he is our Redeemer, because “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Ro 4:25). Jesus’ resurrection means he will raise us from the dead also. Christ says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;” and, “Because I live, you also will live” (Jn 11:25; 14:19). We need not fear death that fast approaches. We need not despair in the loneliness of this world. God has given us a “new birth into a living hope—[eternal life in heaven] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pt 1:3).

He lives and grants me daily breath; He lives and I shall conquer death. He lives my mansion to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there (CW 152:7).

The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things! I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done (Ps 118:16,17). * Although Matthew speaks of one angel (28:2) and Mark of a young man in white (Mk 16:5), this is not strange because frequently only the spokesman is noted and any other companion is not mentioned. The angels’ words and posture (Jn 20:12; Lk 24:4) change in the course of the recorded events among the Gospel writers. These variations are not contradictory; they are evidence of the independence of their personal accounts inspired fully by the Holy Spirit.