We have come to a conclusion in the book of Matthew. It has been such a rich and challenging journey. After the cross, when Satan thought he had victory, Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords overcame the grave! Jesus did not just stay in the grave, but instead he conquered death! Because he conquered death, we now have an everlasting hope of eternal life. I will list out several things of what Christ's resurrection accomplished.

Jesus is the firstborn of the dead and a new creation - Revelation 1:5 and Colossians 1:15

When Jesus was put into the grave, it seems like the powers of darkness had won. It seemed like there was no hope. But on that Sunday morning, death was conquered, and Jesus came out of that grave. That means that Jesus is the firstborn of a new kind of people that God was and is making for himself. When that day Jesus comes back, all those who believed in Christ and repented of their sin will make an army of those people who were dead and now are raised up with Christ. Jesus will be the first and then we will all follow him.

Jesus has the keys of Death and Hades - Revelation 1:18

In Revelation chapter 1 John encounters Jesus, the resurrected Jesus in all his might. He was no longer that lowly Jesus who walked the earth that people rejected, but this Jesus was in his rightful place, with all his power, splendor, and might. Jesus tells John that he holds the keys of death and hades. Meaning that Jesus can open and close the door of death and hades as he pleases. The one who has a key to the door is the only one capable of opening and closing at will. Jesus has conquered death therefore we no longer need to fear it, because we know that he controls it and even in our last moments when it seems it is over, Jesus holds the key to conquer death and raise us up again and give us eternal life.

Jesus will give us immortal bodies - 1 Corinthians 15:49-52

When Jesus conquered the grave and was raised, he paved a way for us. Meaning that Jesus is the firstborn of the dead and he will give us a new body. This current body we have is mortal, it gets sick, it carries diseases, it carries pain, and it will die, but Jesus will one day give us new immortal bodies that do not carry around the effects of the fall. One day we will be able to live with no more suffering from disease, again, pain, but all will be new because Jesus conquered the grave.

Jesus shows us his power in the resurrection - Philippians 3:10-11

Paul says “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Right now, as we live our mundane lives, we can experience the resurrecting power of Christ. Church, we do not serve a God who is dead and not active, but we serve a God who is alive and sustains every molecule of this universe by his hand. We can know the power of Jesus' resurrection in our sufferings, in our turmoil, in our pain, knowing that we are becoming like Christ by sharing in his sufferings. Jesus rising from the dead means that he gives me the power to pursue becoming more like him and knowing that just as he conquered death nothing can hold down our savior.

 I invite you to go look at the tomb in which he once laid, like the angel said to the women in Matthew 28. You will see that the tomb is empty, because Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father.