He Stood Up

But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. — Acts 2:23-24 The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the greatest single event in human history. This is why we celebrate this day on the Christian calendar. The word for "raised" here is the compound verb anastasis. Ana means "up" and stasis means "to stand." God stood Jesus up. He was on a stone slab in a cave, a lifeless corpse. There was no more breath coming from his lungs. His heart had stopped. His brain was dead. His life was gone. But God . . . But God raised him from the dead. It was an absolute impossibility that Jesus could stay dead. He had done nothing to deserve death; he was sinless. This, too, Peter boldly proclaims, was the fulfillment of a prophecy from Psalm 16 by King David: David said about him: "I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence." — Acts 2:25-28 Do you know that this prophetic statement, written by the Jewish King David over 1000 years before the event itself, not only was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but this very same promise also applies to you and to me? The resurrection of the body from death because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the promise of Christianity to all who believe. "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Every one of us has lost to death someone we deeply love and miss. Let your hearts be glad for all in Christ who will be made alive again. They will stand up and so will you. Oh, what a wonderful day that will be when we will see our loved ones once again and enjoy their companionship for all eternity. All because of our Lord's victory over death in our behalf. Maranatha!