Easter means that Jesus rose from His grave. No man had ever done that. Hell had no claim on Him. No man had ever lived like that. The Master rose from His tomb free and unencumbered, determined from that point forward to bring all of us who would come to the same resurrection as His. Our resurrection is our gateway into eternity, but not all resurrections are the same. If we want a resurrection like His, there’s something we have to understand.

Jesus had traveled far to the north beyond Galilee near the headwaters of the Jordan River. He had hinted at – but now He became to openly explain to His disciples that He must “… suffer many things of the [elders and] chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matthew 16:21)

This announcement understandably startled and upset the disciples. “… Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be done unto thee.” (JST Matthew 16:22)

Now, it was meant in love, but it was out of line.

“…Get thee behind me, Satan:” Jesus said with intense emotion. “though art an offense unto me: …” (Matthew 16:23)

Can you imagine the disciples’ shock? Why was Jesus offended? – Because Peter was trying to turn the Savior off coarse from that glorious moment when by His resurrection, He was with the Father again. Now, Jesus didn’t leave them wondering. He gathered them up close, and explained what it meant to be His disciple.

“Whosoever will come after me,” He said, “let him denied himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

He commanded them further to deny themselves of all ungodliness and lust, and keep the commandments at all costs. They were to forsake the world, and “be not ashamed of me,” He said. If they gave their lives to Him and for Him, they would come with Him, and be clothed with His glory in the cloud on the right hand of the son of man. (JST Mark 8:38)

And then, as if to assure them that such was possible, He added that there were those present who would live to see that day.

Now, for the moment, those disciples could not see the distant good for the present bad. Jesus, on the other hand, was fixed on a glorious resurrection. What matter that He had to suffer, sacrifice, and die to obtain it?

So it is with us. So what if life is unfair, ever painful? So what if God, family, and country demand more of us than we think we can give? So what if it hurts? – if it brings us at long last to rise with Him, and look at Him as He looks at us, and know Him as He knows us.

In conclusion, the pathway to the resurrection we want may not be what we have expected.