"Sir,' they said, 'we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’

So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and

steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 

'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.'

So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard."

–Matthew 27:63-66 (NIV)

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Even after seeing the curtain of the temple torn in two, and even after the earthquake, the chief priests and the Pharisees would not relent from "HATING" on Jesus! Even after seeing all the clear indications that he was who he said he was, their pride, hate, and ego would not allow them to end their denying that Jesus was the Son of God. Even after the guards at the tomb reporting to them that Jesus had risen and after sharing with them all that had happened, they would not relent. Instead, they paid the guards to lie and say that the disciples came while they were asleep and stole Jesus' body from the tomb (Matthew 28:11-15). And the moral of this story is that…JESUS COULD NOT BE BOUND!

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The chief priests and Pharisees after remembering that Jesus declared that he would rise on the third day, went to Pilate requesting that it be ordered that the tomb be made secure because they claimed that the disciples might try to steal Jesus' body and "pretend" that he rose, causing more chaos than before. Pilate gave the order to secure the tomb. So here it is, a tomb being guarded by both 'man' and whatever they used to secure it. And in spite of their attempts to keep Jesus in the place that they wanted him to be, Matthew 28:2-7 reads as follows:

 

         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. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of             him that they shook and became like dead men. 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.             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' (NIV)

 

Despite all of his suffering. Despite all of his agony. Despite all of the ridicule, slander, shame, and despair that they tried to inflict upon him, JESUS COULD NOT BE BOUND! They went to great lengths to stop him, spent money that served them no fleshly purpose, invested their time and energy into trying to rid themselves and do away with the one who was greater than them all, and yet JESUS COULD NOT BE BOUND!

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Even as he hung on the cross and they blasphemed and mocked him, he did not react in anger, but he humbly said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NIV). He did not stoop to their level or become shaken by their behavior toward him. They could not control his reaction to their cruelty, his pain, nor his situation, because JESUS COULD NOT BE BOUND! Jesus could not be bound so much so that in Luke 23:46 we read, "Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last" (NIV). Though they thought they had the control, God gave His Son the ultimate power. They beat him, hung him on a cross, and tortured him, yet they still did not have the power to take his life, but he chose to give it up! Why so? BECAUSE JESUS COULD NOT BE BOUND!

 

In John 10:17:18, Jesus stated, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father (NIV). What does this mean for us?...IT MEANS FREEDOM!

 

FREEDOM through CHRIST             

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Because of the grace of God and His giving us His Son who paid the price for our sins, WE CANNOT BE BOUND!

 

John 8:36 states, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (NIV). As Jesus spoke to the Jews, he told them that if they held fast to his teachings then they were indeed his disciples and through such they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.

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In hearing this, they inquired of Jesus how could they be set free if they had never been in bondage. They told Jesus that they were descendants of Abraham and had never been slaves to anyone. It is within this inquiry that Jesus explains the bondages of sin and the difference between the children of God and those who follow satan (John 8:34-44). It is also within this narrative that Jesus acknowledges that those who are the true children of God would believe in him and that God had sent him.

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Jesus explained that those that were the children of God and were true children of Abraham would know the truth when it was being spoken to them. Instead of seeking to kill him, they would be able to hear the truths of God that were being spoken through him. Jesus was trying to impart truth into them but instead of seeking truth, they were more concerned with trying to portray him as a deceiver and a liar.

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Jesus was about God's agenda in helping to both proclaim and spread the gospel, whereas they were trying to spread their own truths and control the minds of the people based on what would best serve themselves. Jesus only spoke what was of God as God lead him whereas they spoke of evil intents against him, his disciples, and whatever he and his disciples were proclaiming. Jesus made them aware that they were far from Abraham as Abraham both reverenced the Word of God and believed in the words of God. Abraham knew God's voice and acted accordingly, whereas they were prone to acting upon their own schools of thought. They preferred to remain in their bondage of sin and self.

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While many nations, races, and cultures, have experienced slavery in various facets, sin is the one form of slavery that each and every one of us has experienced in some way, shape, or form. It is the one form of slavery that all generations have personally experienced starting from Adam all the way up to each of us in this present day. No one was left out. And it was for this reason that God sent His Son, to bring us out of the bondage and confines of being slaves to our sins.

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We quite often find ourselves bound by our bad choices, wrong decisions, worldly temptations, and need to appease our yearning for all of those things that take us away from the will of God and the plans and purpose that He has for us. There are many of us that are more gratified by the chains of sin than the freedom of salvation. For many of us, pleasing God and living our lives on His terms, does little to please our flesh although beneficial to our spirit.

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We often find ourselves wanting something that is going to gratify a temporary sensation embedded within our flesh that salvation does not satisfy because we equate what we feel with "WHAT IT IS!". If we feel pain, then we call it AS IT IS. If we feel despair, then we call it AS IT IS. If  we feel defeat, then we call it AS IT IS. We define whatever we are going through based on HOW IT FEELS and don't recognize or care to accept that God may be allowing this hurtful thing into our lives for His purpose and our good, just as with Jesus suffering for our benefit on the cross. Because salvation does not always feel good, it is hard for many of us to remain grounded in it.

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When we look at SALVATION and reflect on where it GOT JESUS, not many of us want that. We don't want the cross but will gladly accept the throne. We glory in the salvation that is freely given to us, that Jesus had to go through pain and agony to bring about, but we don't want to have to do the same.

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We don't want the pain, burdens, and agony that salvation can at times inflict upon us because while salvation is free, there is no way to have it and not endure something as a benefactor of it. Jesus even warned his disciples as such. In John 15:18-19, Jesus states, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (NIV). EVERYONE who CHOOSES SALVATION will be hated. Whether by friends, family, co-workers, classmates, teammates, or members of your very own church congregation, you will experience both being hated and being hated on. YOU WILL HAVE ENEMIES WITHOUT CAUSE!

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As Jesus continued to bring comfort to his disciples preparing them for what lied ahead as it concerned his crucifixion, he also stated, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). This means that EVERYONE who CHOOSES SALVATION will also have troubles.

 

Even as Jesus expressed these words of comfort to his disciples explaining what lied ahead of them, they were at times perplexed. Although they heard Jesus proclaiming who he was and believed in who he was, and even spread the gospel themselves, they still did not fully comprehend the cross and what that would mean for Jesus as their earthly shepherd, brother, and friend.

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Many people have the false percept that salvation prevents trials and bad things from happening, which is why many have a hard time understanding what's the benefit of salvation if those who receive it must still endure the trials of life just like everyone else. Well, the difference between facing trials as a believer and facing them as a non-believer is found in Isaiah 54:17 which states:

 

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord (KJV).

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Those who have salvation and live their lives accordingly have the protection and assurance that regardless of what comes against us, IT CANNOT PREVAIL! IT CANNOT PROSPER! IT CANNOT DESTROY US! And if you need more proof as if God's promise that He will have our back is not enough, truly CONSIDER and reflect on the stories of JOB, DAVID, DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO, JOSEPH, and the perfect example, Christ himself!

 

Or maybe you are the example. Maybe you have experienced how God has both shielded and protected you from all the things that have tried to discourage you, stop you, destroy you, and deplete you of any hope, strength, or faith that you had left. And while you know the weapons formed against you won't prosper, maybe the reality is that YOU'RE STILL EXHAUSTED AND TIRED OF THE WEAPONS attacking you. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE! We love God but if we can avoid the pits, fiery furnaces, and lions' dens and still please Him, we'll gladly do so.

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God does not expect us to welcome hating relatives, egotistical rulers, and raging lions at our doorstep, but He does expect us to trust Him in the event that we find ourselves facing these very things that we don't want to have to greet. Trust is not easy, but it is indeed possible. God makes it possible!

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We have quite often expounded on John 16:33 in our posts, but this scripture is of great depth. The fact that Jesus OVERCAME THE WORLD does not just give us freedom making us no longer bound by sin, but it gives us freedom from anything and everything that tries to bind us. Because Jesus was crucified, died and rose, we don't have to be bound by the opinions of man, by the labels that they place on us, by the negative things that the speak over our lives, by their condemnation of who we are, where we are, and where we've been. We are not bound by what people think we are capable or incapable of doing, achieving, or becoming. We are not bound by the limitations that society, social systems, or government try to place upon us. We are not bound by statistics based on demographics, such as, race, culture, sex, and family background. Classism and sexism does not determine our future or ordain our purpose. We are not bound by the lies, slander, and deceiving tongues that try to destroy our character and turn others against us as a means of slowing us down. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, because he overcame, because HE COULD NOT BE BOUND, NEITHER CAN WE, but we must CHOOSE!

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They labeled Jesus a liar. They called him a phony. They said he was a troublemaker. They constantly lied that he broke the law. They accused him of starting rebellions. They mocked his power and authority. In John 19:19 we read, "Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS" (NIV). The chief priests were upset and wanted Pilate to change the wording on the sign so that it would read "the man who claimed to be king of the Jews", but Pilate refused to change it. His response to them was, "What I have written, I have written" (John 19:22, NIV). There is so much revelation in what Pilate did that we won't expound on in this post, but it is to note that no matter how hard they tried, they could not take away the truth of who Jesus was. Their untruths about Jesus did not void his power, his authority, nor his purpose, because JESUS COULD NOT BE BOUND!

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Although we celebrate this very special and significant day in various ways and although some of us will greet friends, family, and loved ones by saying, "Happy Easter" while others will say, "Happy Resurrection Day", it does not change the fact that Jesus was crucified, died, and ROSE!

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Whether we celebrate it by partaking in Easter Egg Hunts, reciting speeches, or putting together dramas to replicate this sacred event, it will not change the fact that Jesus was crucified, he died, and he ROSE!

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No matter what you do today, whether or not you choose to acknowledge what today represents, or whether you believe it actually occurred or not, it WILL NOT change the fact that Jesus was crucified, he died, and he ROSE because JESUS CANNOT BE BOUND, which means NEITHER CAN WE ,when we choose to receive the salvation that he sacrificed his life for!

 

As you go about this day, and as you think about God's love and compassion for us, and the gift of grace that by our faith allows us to be saved, and as you celebrate the life, death, and RESURRECTION of our TRUE AND RISEN KING, don't forget to also CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOM because thanks to the SON, WE ARE NO LONGER BOUND!

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Enjoy Your Easter Day!

HAPPY RESURRECTION!