Matins Devotion: November 20, 2024

Matthew 28

There’s a common misconception that Jesus exited the tomb on Easter Sunday by walking out after the stone was rolled away. I suppose it’s easy to understand where that idea comes from. It has a kind of theatrical and dramatic quality to it, with the earth shaking, the rocks rattling, and Jesus emerging as the victorious king. But the truth is that Jesus has already left the tomb when the stone is miraculously rolled away and the angel sits upon it. The angel doesn’t free Christ from the tomb. The angel frees the women from their despair by showing that Christ has already left the tomb. That’s why the big flash of drama takes place. But, strangely, our Lord chooses a rather quiet and humble exit from the tomb. Why?

There may be many answers to that, but one is this: When Jesus conquers the devil and robs him of His power, yes, this is a glorious and wondrous act of power and might. But it’s also an outcome that was never in doubt. There was never a chance it wasn’t going to happen. So, certainly we can see Jesus as a conquering king valiantly slaughtering the dragon on the battlefield. But there’s a sense in which we should also see that Jesus defeating the devil is like a gardener casually flicking a little lizard off the gate to his garden before He enters.

The new Adam was always going to walk into his garden, the New Eden, with ease. He was always going to take back what was always His. He was always going to come to your aid, rescue you from the power of the devil, flick his corpse to the side, and gather you into His kingdom. The fireworks and explosions of divine power, the earthquake, the angels, that’s for you, to let you know it has happened. But Jesus doesn’t need them. He was always going to win, and He was always going to place that victory into your hands.