(Taken from today’s devotion from Pastor’s “Precious Thought for Today” on BWTV)
Matthew 28:6—“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
These words, spoken by the angel at Christ’s empty tomb to the mourning women who had come to His grave, proclaim the most glorious reality in history–the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The declaration, “He is not here: for he is risen”, transforms a place of sorrow into a testimony of triumph.
The women came expecting to find Christ’s body still in the tomb. They had brought spices to anoint Him in death. Yet the angel’s invitation, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay”, emphasises the physical reality of the resurrection while also underscoring the grave’s temporary nature. The tomb was not merely empty; it had been vacated.
In the middle of the angel’s proclamation is a reminder: “as he said”. It was an affirmation that what has now occurred stands firmly upon what Christ had previously predicted. These words anchor the resurrection in the faithfulness of Christ Himself. Jesus had repeatedly foretold His suffering, death, and resurrection (cf. Matthew 16:21; 20:19), and now His promise stands fulfilled. The empty tomb is a promise kept.
This is the theological heartbeat of the passage. The resurrection of Jesus was not an unfortunate accident. It was the fulfilment of His own word and of divine prophecy. By rising from the dead, Christ confirmed His identity as the Son of God and demonstrated that His sacrifice for sin was accepted by the Father. In God’s redemptive plan, the resurrection is the receipt of our redemption. His resurrection was the declaration that the debt has been paid in full.
It speaks directly to our deepest fears, like death, the grave, and judgment. Praise be to God, death does not have the final victory!
Because the angel’s message remains true, we now serve a living Saviour, who is not defined by where He was, but by who He is. Even today, we are invited to “come and see” that Christ has kept His Word in conquering the grave. And just as surely, He will keep His promise to raise all who believe in Him.
Let us, therefore, trust His Word, rejoice in His victory, and live in the power of His resurrection.
Testimonies of New Members
Reuel Resuma
I thank God for the blessing of being raised in a Christian family and a Bible-believing church, where I have been instructed in the Word of God from a young age. By His grace and mercy, He convicted me of my sins and of my need for a Saviour, and enabled me to turn to Him in repentance and to believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
I praise God for Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church, where, even from young, I have been grounded in the sure foundation of God’s Word. It is certainly a blessing to have many opportunities throughout the week to study and meditate on God’s Word. I also thank the Lord for giving me many areas in which I can serve Him with my best. These include the Youth Choir, the slide-clicking ministry, the ushering and greeting ministry, and even helping to set up for worship services.
I thank God for our church leaders—Pastor, the elders, preachers, and deacons—who lead our church to be more conformed to His Word and who are examples for us to follow. I also thank God that I am surrounded by mature believers and godly friends who encourage and edify me in my spiritual walk.
I pray that, as I continue my pilgrim journey on this earth, I will persevere in the battle against sin, grow spiritually, and live according to His will. I pray that God will mould me to be more like Christ, enable me to serve Him better, and use me for His glory.
“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8).
All glory and praise be to God.
Lim Joses
I thank God for granting me the privilege of growing up in a Christian household where from a young age, my parents would bring me to church every week. I attended Junior Worship classes and the Gethsemane Children’s Ministry, which allowed me to learn many biblical truths, and taught me the importance of putting my trust in God. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” For all have sinned, and deserve to suffer the penalty of sin, which is death; yet God, in His unconditional love, sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins, that we may believe on Him, and have everlasting life.
Lamentations 3:22 reminds us, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” I thank God for saving me and keeping me steadfast in my faith, as well as helping me to continually grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Bible. I also thank God for allowing me to attend Sunday services where Pastor and other preachers faithfully and diligently preach from the Bible. Praise God too for the privilege to attend the Gethsemane Youth Fellowship, and to serve in the Youth Choir – to sing praises and glorify God with my voice. I was happy to join the Catechism Class, taught by Elder Francis and Elder Choy, which has enabled me to learn more of the wondrous truths in the Bible.
As I grow in faith, I pray that I will continue to love and fear God and be a God-honouring Christian in all that I say or do. May I learn to share the Gospel with those around me, that they may also come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. All praise and glory be unto God!
Eden Lee
I was brought to Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church from a young age, but I did not fully understand the purpose of attending church. Life was plain sailing until I faced my first major trial during my O-Level examinations, where I struggled with anxiety and low confidence. Thank God for my sister who encouraged me with God’s Word and reminded me to do my best for His glory and leave the results to the Lord.
Although God helped me through that period, I often forgot His blessings and only prayed in times of need. Through my sister’s constant reminders about my salvation, I realised during a family devotion that I was not truly saved. I repented of my sins and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.
During the COVID pandemic, I listened to sermons from various BP churches, including Gethsemane BPC. By God’s leading, I began attending worship services here in Gethsemane. The church’s emphasis on prayer and godly living has encouraged me greatly, and I thank God for the opportunity to serve in the Lions Home ministry. I pray that the Lord will help me serve Him faithfully and be a blessing to the brethren in Gethsemane.
Mr & Mrs Soh Chai Seng
When my son was studying in ACJC more than forty years ago, he had to attend chapel devotion as a requirement. It was then that he first heard the Gospel, which touched his heart. When he returned home from school, he would speak to his mum about the Lord Jesus Christ. He encouraged us all in the family to make an attempt to attend church service each Lord’s Day. My son then took his mother and two sisters to church each Lord’s Day for service. My wife, upon her return from church, would speak to me about the Gospel every Sunday night to encourage me to attend church. At that time, I was still an idol worshipper, praying to the Chinese god of heaven, but I was ready to attend church together with my whole family. An elder of the church (Dr Cheng Wei Nien) was very helpful, for he sat with me and flip the pages of the Bible for me during Scripture reading. Dr Tow Siang Hwa preached on that Lord’s Day and indeed, the message touched my heart. After attending church services on a few more occasions, I decided to give up my idol-worshipping. The idol was finally removed from my home, as I had decided to become a believer. In December 1984, my whole family was baptised at Calvary Pandan BPC.
As my wife was educated in Mandarin, she found it difficult to understand what was being preached. Each time when we got home, I had to explain to her the whole Gospel that was preached. After a period of discussion, we made the choice to worship at the Chinese Service of Life BPC. We were initially comfortable attending the service. However, after some time, a misunderstanding arose with a staff member who spoke rudely to my wife regarding a close friend of ours. This incident left us deeply unsettled, and since then, we increasingly felt unwelcome on each Lord’s Day we attended. It was then that we decided to look for another church to worship. Having participated in the Gethsemane Chinese Retreat in Malacca last year through the help of sisters Beng Yan and Beng Hwee, and also having met Pastor Koshy, we gave it a thought – why not attend Gethsemane BPC since many of our friends from BPCs are worshipping here. Besides, we have also been welcomed by Pastor Koshy. After worshipping here for more than six months, we have decided to transfer our membership to Gethsemane BPC. We are looking forward to being received by the Pastor, the Elders, Preachers and also the Deacons in Gethsemane BPC.