Time for Grace-March 30, 2024

Time for Grace-March 30, 2024

Matthew 12:40

[Jesus said] For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Then Your body rested. As with the creation of the world, Your salvational work was done. Your body born of Mary was placed in a tomb, and scripture was fulfilled—Your Words were accomplished, and Your work complete.

The time of Your humiliation was done. You had set aside Your divine powers and took on human flesh to defeat sin, death, and the devil. Our sins were defeated upon the cross. You took them all into yourself and bore our punishment when Your Father abandoned you to the eternal condemnation we deserved. You suffered our punishment.

Your body lay in the grave, but as David wrote, it would not see decay. Why did your body remain all that time in the grave? Was it to give your enemies as much time as they could to make your grave as secure as they could? They placed a guard, sealed your tomb so no one could steal your body, and only claimed that you rose. So your body rested.

How joyful is Easter because You rested and rose from the dead? Tomorrow, as we recall the women, Peter and John, coming to the tomb, we are reminded that Your body was not there. We are sure of Your resurrection, which makes us also confident that the Father has accepted Your payment for all our sins.

No sin was left unforgiven, and because You rested, we, too, can rest with peace. Because you live, we, too, live. Our bodies may one day rest in the grave, and our souls will then be with You in heaven, but on the last day, You will resurrect us, and these bodies will be reunited with our souls. Because You, our Redeemer, lives so, too, we will live in the joy of heaven.

Let us share this joyful rest with those who do not know you so that, by faith, they will trust in you and enjoy a heavenly rest. Amen.

Written through Pastor Roger Emmons

Jesus rested for three days! What words of peace when it is our body’s time to sleep? We can confidently trust that on our last day, our souls will be in heaven with Jesus and one day, He will raise this body from our grave’s bed.