Resurrection Morning: The Spirit of One Body

The resurrection story of Jesus Christ, ushered in diverse wisdom of God in the affairs of men, which makes for peace, growth, dominion, power and fruitfulness. Of course the resurrection story is not a standalone, it started with his earthly journey of fame and glory, the works of the Father, the wisdom that got sinners and the outcast attracted to Him, the misconception and misinterpretation of the Pharisees, the kingdom parables that were taught, the betrayal and denial, the journey to Golgotha-the place of skull, the crucifixion between two thieves, the rending  of the temple’s veil, laying his ruptured body in the tomb and alas, the resurrection on the third day.

But we shouldn’t dwell too much on the act of the resurrection, rathe let us just gaze at it, behold it in reverence and awe, as an act which we have nothing to do with. An act powered exclusively only by the Spirit. We should not ask how? For we would never get an answer. How did He quicken Him? We were simply admonished to believe, for by faith alone we can access the life behind the resurrection story, wherein it turns out to be an experience in our own lives. We rather do, I mean we rather believe, for even the man who went ahead of us in unbelief, Thomas, has now believed, hence we might be alone and loneliness is not the best in this season of great faith.

Rather than dwell on what is beyond  us, I have found a script to behold and look intently at,  to glean for wisdom. It’s the role played by three people, a woman and two young men on the resurrection morning. Mary Magdalen who came very early when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, saw the stone taken away and ran back to the two disciples.  John, the first of the disciples  who outran Peter, although they both started together, came first to the Sepulcher, stooped down and looked in, saw the linen clothes lying, but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was a slow runner, started early but arrived late, but upon his arrival, went into the sepulcher and saw the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by itself.

There is more to the story. Let us go on. As soon as Peter got into the Sepulcher which both John and Mary initially could not enter, we saw what appeared like a summon of courage in John as he followed Peter and entered. Yet Mary was still standing outside weeping and crying.

While she was there standing and weeping, some how she stoop down and looked into the sepulcher and saw two angels in white, sitting. The one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus was laid. And they said unto her, Woman why weepest thou? She said unto them, because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus. You can be sure of the peaceful words that Jesus spoke to her which settled her worries.

Looking at the story, whom among the three would we call the champion of the script of seeking for Jesus on this resurrection morning? Like I said earlier, the resurrection life delivered to us such, many sided wisdom that we can apply our hearts to and reign in life. One of such is the center point of this story that we can handle. I call it the wisdom of one body

ROMANS 12:3-5

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. {soberly: Gr. to sobriety} 4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

In this story, few things come to light:

1. They all played different roles– Really different roles. Like completely and distinctively different roles-

1. Each role was Connected to the other– One arrived early and ran back to tell others. One arrived earlier than the others and showed them where the issue was. The other arrived late (and you know how costly lateness can be) and entered into where he was shown.

1. None of the roles was complete in itself: Each role could not make a meaning of the whole objective except when connected to the other.

1.  There is a lack and inadequacy in each role: This is not co-incidence and no guilt attached. There was a lack, an inadequacy in the role and of course the life of each actor. Great woman of God who could not sleep all through the night and arrived there even when it was dark, but could not make any head way with her arrival. Great man of God, Apostle Peter who went in and saw all the clothes, neatly wrapped and separately placed, but yet could not see the angels seated at the head and the feet where Jesus was laid.

• These inadequacy was divine: For no man has been made under this new covenant of His blood, to be sufficient in himself. Excuse me, there is nothing you can do about that; that is how He made it. He called them His Body and as a body, they are made up of members and so, eyes was never made to hear. Hands were never made to walk. Ears were not made to see. Kidneys were not made to smell. Every man was made to lack, and what he lacks was divinely made so, so that other members of the body can supply.

• They were not Rebuked; they were lifted! We noticed the angels did not rebuke any one of them for not singularly completing the task, and when she saw Jesus, taken him for a gardener, He called her by name and she turned and said Rabboni! that is Master. He gave her a word for herself and for the disciples, because He saw them as One!

• What was found by one was found by all: And finally, we noticed that what was searched by one is being searched by all, but as soon as what was searched by one was found, it was found by all. This is the Spirit of One Body. In the Business world they call it the team spirit.

In conclusion, what I saw is this; at resurrection he initiated a new ordinance that goals and dreams will now be achieved under the spirit of one body, the team spirit. No one is permitted to be sufficient in himself. We all need each other, and that is how He sees it. What is lacking in you is intentionally left undone so that you can see it in others and with them, you are made prefect.