The Cross & The Tomb: The Greatest Victory Ever Won

It is the greatest story ever told, the greatest victory ever won!

John 19:30 (KJV) - “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” 

Luke 23:54–56 (KJV) “And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.”

Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV) - “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’” 

John 20:19–20 (NLT) - “That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!”

We know the story. We have been hearing about it since we were babes, physically and spiritually. The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

What does it really mean to me...or you? 

Family, as we grow in Christ in 2025, I want to encourage us to delve deeper into the spiritual meaning of these regular and popular and much talked about stories in the Bible. Not just because it is the season, but because it is THE SEASON. Some of you will catch that now, and some of you, well maybe a little later.

Essentially, it is time, while we are yet alive, for us to live the Easter Story.

We must understand that the resurrection of Jesus is more than a theological concept. The resurrection account is the undeniable proof that every word God speaks is true. The tomb is empty today, not by accident, but by divine design. 

When Jesus said He would rise again, it was a promise. And Matthew 28 is the moment that promise was fulfilled.

When the women came to the tomb, they expected to mourn. But instead, they received a message of hope, life, and victory. Glory to Jesus.

That same message, Family, still echoes today.

At the cross, Jesus took the weight of our sin. His declaration, “It is finished,” wasn’t a cry of defeat; it was a shout of victory. Every debt was paid. Every curse was broken. Every prophecy was fulfilled.

The crucifixion was the cost. The resurrection was the receipt.

Matthew 28:1–7 (NLT) “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow… Then the angel spoke to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.’”

The tomb couldn’t hold Him. The stone was rolled away, not so Jesus could get out, but so we could see in. It’s the proof that resurrection power is real. The angel’s words, “Just as He said,” point us back to all of Jesus’ teachings and promises.

Unlike us as mortal beings, God doesn’t just make promises—He keeps them.

We have come through another Easter Sunday and we must go forth knowing that the resurrection changed and changes everything.

Romans 8:11 (NIV) “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

Because Jesus rose, we have life. Eternal life, yes—but also resurrected purpose and power in this life. The same Spirit that raised Him now lives in us. That means brokenness can be healed. Dead dreams can live again. Fear can be conquered by faith.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT) “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ (which means ‘Yes’) ascends to God for his glory.”

Family, let us be confident in knowing that every promise of God finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The resurrection is the loudest “Yes!” And because Jesus is alive, we can hold fast to every word He has spoken over us—healing, freedom, peace, purpose, victory.

Just like the women at the tomb, we can go from sorrow to joy, from mourning to mission.

aub - 21Apr25

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