The Lion's Roar

Early in the morning, on the first day of the week . . .  (Matt. 28:1)

'The Lion's roar' opened the tomb and raised Jesus from the dead.  (Matt. 28:2-6)

With only a word from His mouth He spread out the heavens.
    With only a word He separated the waters from the waters
                                                 and caused the earth to form dry land and creatures to live upon it.
With only a word, He flung stars in space and called them each by name.
    With only a word He caused the seas to swarm with life. (Gen. 1)

Since He did all that with only the word of His mouth, could His word not raise the dead as well?  Surely this is not too hard for Him!

But man was formed differently, not with His word, but as clay in His hands. (Gen. 2:7, 21,22) And last, but not least, He created woman from the man.  God breathed into them the breath of life, His Spirit life.  Could He not breathe life back into His own Son?

My God is fiersome and terrible.  He is awesome in power and might.  I know that a God like this will destroy my enemies, even squash them like a bug.  Some say God is not to be feared.  But it is a paradox.  While I do not fear my God in relationship with Him, yet like a child, I can proudly say, "My Daddy's bigger than yours and He can beat the tar out of yours!"  In this sense, yes, I do fear God, and gladly so, because I know I am under His protection.

This same power that created the world, also raised Jesus from the dead.  Not only that, but He did it just as He said He would.  Exactly.  (Matt. 28:6)  Now that is an accomplishment!  Do you realize how many prophecies were made about Jesus regarding His death and resurrection, hundreds of years before He was even born?  At least forty.  Even if someone tried to make them all happen, they could not.  Yet He fulfilled every prophecy, even to exact specifications.

Did you know that after He was raised from the dead He was seen by over 500 witnesses at once?  (1 Cor. 15:6)  Let's see, if I remember right, I think it takes two witnesses to verify an account accurately.  Furthermore, his followers went to the death claiming Jesus had risen from the dead.  Who would die for a lie? 

Jesus was sealed in a tomb with the lions, those demons who viciously sought his destruction.

Like Daniel, the tomb was covered with a heavy stone and sealed with the king's own seal.  (Matt. 27:66; Dan. 6:17)  In the morning King Darius hurried to the lion's den and asked that crucial question, "Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?"  (Dan. 6:20)  Able?  Was He able?  Surely you jest, Darius!  Daniel answers with, "My God shut the mouths of the lions.  They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight."  (Dan. 6:22)

Most assuredly, though killed like the worst of criminals, Jesus was found innocent in God's sight.  And to those of us who trust in Him as our Savior, His shed blood stamps us with innocence as well.  The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has triumphed and His roar surpasses them all, a deafening, thunderous roar, causing the demons to cower in fear and scurry away like dogs with their tails between their legs.  Satan has been defeated.

This is my God.  There is none like Him! 

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Now that's some solid rock to stand on!

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; 
              that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 
                                                                               that he was buried, 
                           that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
                                                             and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time..."
I Cor. 15:3-8