Y.O.L.O. & The Resurrection

Matthew 28

Jesus Has Risen

 ¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

 ² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 ⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

 ⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

 ¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

 ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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As we prepare for Easter Sunday in a few days, this passage is clearly poignant and well-used in the Moravian Text plan. Here we see Christ's triumphant return from the grave and his victory on full display to his followers and killers alike. The beauty of this verse can fade with time if you let it, but for those who love Christ with a heart of fondness and joy, this passage is the bedrock of every Christians hope. Our Lord did not give his soul up to death; he is fully and completely resurrected and living!


With this truth comes many resounding truths, the foremost being that death itself is conquered forevermore. We no longer need to fear our own demise; Christ has taken away our temporal lives and replaced them with eternity. Death has no power over the Christian. We are free!


There is a little catchphrase going around these days with a lot of our students at GSLC called Y.O.L.O., which stands for "You Only Live Once." A hip-hop artist named Drake made it up, and it essentially has become a soundbyte reason for people to live out their lives as if there's a time limit on what they will be able to do. The idea behind it goes something like this: "I better do as much fun stuff as I can right now, because that's what it means to really have a full and fulfilled life. If I make mistakes, it doesn't matter; I only live once, and I would rather make mistakes but be able to say I 'lived' at the end of my life."


As a Christian, this is simply a non-reality. While it is true that we only live once, the whole truth is that we live forever. Not only that, but the vast, VAST majority of that life will be lived in the full, uncensored presence of our living God. This passage of Scripture is one full of hope, and one that proves our lives are not resigned to the point when our earthly bodies expire. On the contrary, in fact! Once we enter the presence of our Heavenly Father, then we will really understand life as it was meant to be; the life that Jesus came to give us. We will be wed to our holy and glorified Bridegroom, and what happened during our lives on earth will blissfully fade. 


So in leu of reflection questions this week, I offer this: Simply reflect on the glory of a never-ending life with God Himself. His beauty, His endless love, His splendor, His majesty. Let that image be your source of life. And remember this incredible truth: Y.O.L.F. You Only Live Forever.