It is good that much of the world pauses to commemorate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, though I fear much of that commemoration is nothing more than idol worship and self-righteous religiosity.  But I am thankful that, as the church of the Lord Jesus, we are not limited to observing this wonderful truth only one day a year.  In fact, it appears that the early church worshipped on the first day of the week for this very reason: that is the day on which our Lord rose from the dead.  So, every week we are celebrating the fact that our Lord who died also rose again.

Why is the resurrection so important?  Imagine yourself in Old Israel on the Day of Atonement.  The high priest has killed the sacrifice and entered into the Most Holy place, putting the blood on the mercy seat.  All the people are outside waiting for him. But what good is all this work by the High Priest if He never emerges from the Most Holy Place to bring the blessings the sacrifice procured?  No good at all!  If the Jew’s High Priest does not return from the Most Holy Place, then the Jew’s hope in him is vain.  The priest went in the Most Holy Place bearing the sin of the people and the sacrifice for sin.  But, behold! He re-appears; and what does his re-appearance outside the Most Holy Place mean but that he has appeared once again at the end of the ceremony, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation.

Even so, the Lord Jesus style went into the Most Holy Place not made with hands, into heaven itself, bearing our sin and being the sacrifice for that sin.  What did His re-appearance in this world signify but that he has appeared at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself and He has re-appeared, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.  This re-appearance shall find complete fulfillment when He appears once more, “not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. (Hebrews 9.28)  That blessed hope to which we look and for which we long – the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus was begun in a garden 2000 years ago: There He re-appeared, not bearing sin, but bringing salvation.  May He soon appear once again to finish what was begun there.