Experiencing the power of the resurrection today

 Posted at Reformation Scotland:

The transformation from death to life is stupendous and miraculous. Only God can do it. Not merely as a hypothetical possibility, but in historical fact, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. This showed conclusively the utter futility and impotence of any opposition to God’s good ways, whether human, demonic, or merely natural. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ changed everything. As the Covenanting minister Michael Bruce (1635–1693) outlined in a sermon on Matthew 28, the transformative power of the resurrection is vast and unstoppable. In the following updated extract, Bruce vividly describes how spiritual death can be abolished in sinners’ hearts and spiritual life planted there instead, spiritual foes can be vanquished overnight, and spiritual growth can be seen even in barren and backsliding churches and communities.

The Lord makes big changes in a little time

One thing in this chapter which rejoices the heart is this — that a dead and buried Christ shall be a living, rising, and exalted Christ the next day, whoever might say the contrary. In the previous chapter is a dead and buried Christ, with many joining together to hold Him down in the grave, yet in this chapter He rises in spite of them all. All the men of the world, with all the devils in hell, shall not be able to hold our Maker in the grave one hour longer than His appointed time.

In the previous chapter, you see a sad and dark world. Now in the beginning of this chapter, there is a light world again, and a sound basis for gladness again. It’s but the space of three days, but what a change!

Such is the way that our blessed Lord orders business with His church and people. In a very little time, He can make a very great change.

There are three or four great changes produced in this small interval of time.

1. Before, never a one acknowledged Christ but one or two poor women. Now, more are beginning to acknowledge Him.

2. Before, a great stone was lying on the mouth of Christ’s grave. Now, there is no stone on it, but the stone is rolled away, and an angel is sitting on it. This will be a great change for the better in Britain and Ireland, when not one stone will be left to hold Christ in His grave.

3. Before, the soldiers are all standing watching Christ’s grave, laughing and domineering in their pride, and no doubt swearing many a choice oath, saying with much bravado that the God of the fanatics would never rise again. Now, all of a sudden, they are all fallen like dead men, and cannot handle their arms. All the instruments they were using to keep Christ in the grave are rendered useless.

4. Before, there is a great din about a dying Christ. Now, there’s a great din about His resurrection. Before, there’s nothing but darkness, the sun refuses to countenance this abominable act of the taking away of the life of the Son of God, the earth trembles, and the temple splits in two. Now, the rising Christ is astonishing to both friend and foe. The sun gives light again, and all things begin to look brighter.

Continue here.