"And there were also two other, malefactors, led
with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is
called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right
hand, and the other on the left."
(Luke 23:32-33)
"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week
began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And
behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from
heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His
countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the
guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered
and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus
who was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the
place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is
risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you
will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the
tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word."
(Matt. 28:1-8)
The Resurrection: From Sadness To Joy
Easter is the time when we celebrate one of the most important events in the Christian faith the resurrection. Resurrection means to be raised from the dead or the coming back to life. For the Christian, it means the return of Christ to bodily life after his death. The resurrection is central and foundational to the Christian faith. In Romans 10:9 Paul states, "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your hearth that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Here, salvation depends on confession of the lordship of Jesus, which itself depends on his resurrection. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) The resurrection answers one of man's universal questions, "If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14)People today have created for themselves hundreds of new religions and cults. They have made their gods in their own image. Their gods are made to accommodate their lifestyle and norms. In the book, Handbook of Today's Religions, by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, they state, "Hundreds of religions sects, denominations and cults profess to teach the True Way, yet their various versions of the True Way differ widely. Some even seem to be almost Christian." While other religions may seem like Christianity and appeal to man's basic human needs, to be loved, to feel needed and to have a sense that our lives have direction and meaning, none can proclaim a risen founder. All other aspects of the Christian faith can be duplicated or falsified, except the resurrection. The fact that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead is the basic message of the gospel. If the resurrection is not true then our faith loses its meaning. (1 Co. 15:14)
In the periscope above, from the gospel of Luke, Jesus is being crucified. After the crucifixion, the disciples were disappointed, disgusted and disillusioned. Many had left their homes, professions, and families to follow the carpenter's Son. "We were hoping that he would be the long awaited Messiah, " they mused. But now he is dead. Listen to the words of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, "And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done." (Luke 24:19-21) Peter and some of the other disciples decided to go back to their nets. He said, " ..I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately: and that night they caught nothing." (John 21:3) The disciples had lost their Master, friend and teacher. They were sad because Jesus was dead!
In the passage above, from the gospel of Matthew, the women came to the tomb to embalm the body of their dead Savior. They had spices and the necessary things to give Jesus a proper burial. But, what a great surprise when they got to the tomb and discovered that the stone was rolled away from the opening. But what great joy when Mary saw Jesus. It is one thing to hear about Jesus, it is also good to read about Jesus, but it is better to see him for yourself. Then, Mary ran to give the good news to the disciples. It was Mary, a woman that carried the news to the disciples. It was a woman who first preached the good news of the gospel - he lived, he died, he arose! It was the resurrection that moved the disciples from sadness to joy.
At Easter, the genesis of our joy should not be in the clothes we wear, the eggs we eat, or in cute speeches and recitals, but rather in the truth of the resurrection. Christ has defeated dead, "Dead is swallowed up in victory" (1 Co.15:54) Because he lives, we too shall live beyond the grave. He lives! He lives! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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