Power No Grave Can Hold

By Pastor Tony Cervero

Acts 2:24 - But God raised him (Jesus) from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

This may be my favorite Easter Verse. I love what it says. It was impossible for death to hold Jesus down. On the cross, God placed the wages of sin upon Jesus - Death. But death did not have the ability or power to take hold of our Lord's resurrection power.

Many of the religious rulers feared that the disciples would steal His body to fulfill His promise. Matthew 27 says that they came to Pilate with their concerns, and Pilate said to them, "You can have a guard. Go and make it as secure as you know how." So they went and made the grave secure. Along with the guards, they sealed the tomb closed. This tomb was as secure as Jesus' enemies could make it.

But no matter what they tried - it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Protecting Christ's grave was an impossible assignment, because you can't hold the resurrection power of God down. It was impossible for death to keep its hold on Jesus. The saying goes: You can't keep a good man down! Well, this verse proclaims that: You can't keep the resurrection power of Jesus down.

Because death could not hold Jesus down, we have the certainty that death, or any other enemy, cannot hold us down. For the Christian, the sentence, "When I die..." doesn't have a period at the end. You don't put a question mark there either, as if you are wondering what will happen. And you don't put an exclamation point, because it's not a surprise. For the Christian, "When I die," has a comma at the end. A comma means it is to be continued ... it is not over.

Before the resurrection, you couldn't get the disciples up. But after the resurrection, you couldn't shut them up. Before the resurrection, they were afraid - but after the resurrection they had courage. Before the resurrection they had doubtful minds - but after the resurrection they were filled with faith. Before the resurrection they acted as if their lives were over - but after the resurrection they had purpose in every step. Before the resurrection, the disciples ran away from everyone - including a little girl; after the resurrection, they stood strong, even in the face of death. Before the resurrection, they were silent - but after the resurrection, they spoke with boldness. That is because when Jesus rose from the grave, the disciples realized that nothing is impossible. They realized that the message of the gospel is bigger than life ... and bigger than death. They realized that every foe was defeated - sin, death, hell and the grave. They realized nothing could hold them down.

Easter gives us a new attitude. The open tomb proves that no matter what problem you have right now; nothing can hold you down. God is able to do the impossible.

Romans 8:11 says: "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 through his Spirit, who lives in you."

Do you need a miracle? Power to see your family healed? Power to break a destructive habit? Power to be healed? Power to renew your mind? Power to overcome the past? Power to do God's will in your life? Remember this Easter season, - "... it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." When Jesus lives in you, it is impossible for anything to keep its hold on you and hold you down!

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