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6. The Light Overcomes the Darkness
As the rising sun shines in its glory, so the Light of the world, Christ, rose and shone when He emerged from the dead. He did not remain in the grave like the rest of the prophets and world leaders; neither did His body decay in the ground, but He actually rose and came out from the sealed tomb.
Christ showed himself alive after His glorious resurrection. He mingled among the people, speaking to them, eating with them, showing them the nail prints in His hands and side, and then blessed them and granted His peace to them. The disciples of Jesus were frightened when they first met the One risen from the dead. However, later they were glad, when they realized that His resurrection from the dead was the greatest proof of His authority and victory. They were greatly comforted and were reassured of their complete justification and their firm hope.
Christ is alive and is seated today at the right hand of God. Death could have no hold on Him, neither could Satan keep Him in his power. Likewise, before His crucifixion, Satan could not overcome Him with temptation, for Christ remained without sin. Thus, by His steadfast faith, His strong love and His living hope He irreversibly overcame the devil. As a result of this the darkness was overcome and Satan was defeated. All who cling to Jesus do not fear magic or superstition nor the evil eye, because all these forces have been defeated through Christ. The living God is our strong refuge, to whom we hasten for protection. Thus, no evil spirit or any other creature is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The resurrection of Christ demonstrates His permanent unity with His heavenly Father. His death on the cross was not a punishment for sins He had committed, nor was it a defeated ending to His life. Had He been executed for a wrong He had done, His body would have remained in the tomb.
Therefore, His glorious resurrection is a proof of His holiness. It is evidence of our new privilege and the legal standing of our justification. Ever since the resurrection of Christ from the dead our reconciliation with God has been confirmed. The Eternal Judge has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for us; He has raised Him victoriously and justified all His followers eternally.
From the resurrection of Christ, we receive great hope because He has conquered death. It had long held its power over mankind and the whole universe. Even today most people dislike speaking about death openly. Those alive are afraid of the hour of their death, because of their fear of a fiery judgment after the grave.
But the man Jesus opened the door of our dark prison and made a way for us to the light. Since the day of His resurrection all Christianity shouts with joy: “Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!” We believe that we arose in Him, when He arose from the dead. The shouts of victory and hope will never cease, as the apostle Paul exclaimed:
No longer is death a fearsome thing to those who are in Christ Jesus, to those who believe in His death and resurrection. Faith in the living One, who was raised from the dead, gives us a sure hope of eternal life.