An afterthought about Resurrection Day: After listening to some of the Sunday morning messages on the resurrection, this revelation (for me at least) about a different aspect of Jesus’ work on this day was impressed upon me.
When Jesus was “begotten” through Mary, Heaven was incomplete (in the sense that He was not seated at the right hand of God) for the years that He lived on earth. The bond and relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit was not diminished, but when Jesus “emptied Himself” (Philippians 2:7) His divine nature was in a sense without a form of expression (He operated supernaturally, while in human form, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in much the same way that we are empowered through the gifts of the Spirit today), and His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father was vacant. Jesus was still fully God, even as He became fully human, His Divinity was not in question. He chose to lay aside (or shroud) His Divine presence and power; it was necessary in order for Him to live and accomplish His work among mere mortals; had He not, no one would have been able to harm Him, much less crucify Him; creation itself could not have survived an encounter with Jesus in His supernatural state (Exodus 19:10-24).
Now comes the crucifixion, the burial, the descension to Hades, and the resurrection, Jesus then commissions His disciples and His work on earth is complete. There is now but one thing to do; Jesus’ Divine nature is fully restored as He ascends to His rightful place at the right hand of God.
We think of the Resurrection as being about Jesus rising from the dead after His work is finished; God sees it as His Son coming home after accomplishing a great work! How might the angels, ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands (Revelation 5:11) have reacted when Jesus sat down again on His throne beside the Father? If the angels rejoice over one lost sinner who comes to trust in Jesus, what must the celebration have been like when Jesus Himself returned to the Father?
Let’s remember the messages we heard on Resurrection Sunday morning, and the folded cloth handkerchief that had been on His head, now neatly folded until His return. For now though, Jesus is at home with the Father!
