Scripture Text: Isaiah 25:6-9 and Matthew 28:1-10 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection John Calvin, The Gospel of Matthew We now come to the closing scene of our redemption. For the lively assurance of our reconciliation with God arises from Christ having come from hell as the conqueror of death, in order to show that he had the power of a new life at his disposal. Justly, therefore, does Paul say that there will be no gospel, and that the hope of salvation will be vain and fruitless, unless we believe that Christ is risen from the dead, (1 Corinthians 15:14.) For then did Christ obtain righteousness for us, and open up our entrance into heaven; and, in short, then was our adoption ratified, when Christ, by rising from the dead, exerted the power of his Spirit, and proved himself to be the Son of God. Ross Douthat, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious Just taken individually, the possibility that someone might rise from the grave, or that our minds might survive our bodily deaths, or that the Something Out There might yield supernatural visions even to a New Jersey mobster, should each demand a serious response from any rational creature…If the door to immortality-real immortality, not the Silicon Valley aspiration to somehow undo cellular aging or merge our minds with AI-is possibly cracked open, you should probably think about making some kind of preparation for whatever might be waiting on the other side. If a vision of transcendent goodness and mercy appears to you, a sinner, and you don't understand what it means, the most obvious interpretation is that you gotta change your life. Dante Alighieri , The Divine Comedy, Paradisio Yet even as a coal engenders flame, but with intenser glow outshines it, so that in that flame the coal persists, it shows, so will the brightness that envelopes us be then surpassed in visibility by return flesh, which earth now covers up. Nor will we tire when faced with such bright light, for then the body’s organs will have force enough for all in which we can delight. Application Questions 1. What questions does the resurrection raise for you—and how might following those questions lead you to deeper truth? 2. Jesus rose from the grave after three days. How might the resurrection invite you to trust God’s work in your life, even when it feels quiet or unclear? 3. If the resurrection creates a people, not just individuals, how might being part of a church community deepen your experience of it?
