Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Easter Weekend.
May I show you my Easter tie?
While many things distinguish Christianity from every other religion, the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ is the pinnacle, cornerstone event. Do you agree? Have you considered that ONLY Christians claim these God given truths as foundational to WHO we are and WHAT we believe as redeemed followers of Jesus:
* Jesus Christ is God incarnate (Matt. 17:5; John 10:30)
* Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth and willingly died on the cross. (2 Cor. 5:21; John 10:17)
* Jesus Christ’s death was payment in full for humanity’s sin debt to God for our sinful rebellion against God. (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:14)
* Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the Sunday early morning after He died on the Friday of that Passover weekend. (Matt. 28:1-6)
Are those great truths foundational in your life?
Here’s one more life changing truth…
* Resurrected Jesus Christ was seen, touched, engaged in conversation with and even ate food with many people on that resurrection Sunday and over the following next 40 days. (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 1:3)
Do you agree that Jesus’ resurrection is the cornerstone event in human history, and of our salvation?! (1 Peter 1:3)
On Friday we watched as the dead body of Jesus Christ was wrapped and buried in a new tomb in a garden very near the hill of ‘Golgotha’ where Jesus had been crucified. (John 19:38-42) We also watched as, at the request of Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, that tomb was made secure with a seal and around the clock guard posted. (Matt. 27:62-66)
All four Gospel writers give us a perspective of what happened that Resurrection Sunday morning. Matthew tells us there was an earthquake as an angel came and rolled back the stone opening the tomb, but the tomb was empty! Jesus’ body was already raised! The women came anticipating they would be adding more spices and wrappings to the dead body of Jesus, but instead they were shocked to see the angel who told them “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples…” (Matt. 28:1-7)
Matthew also tells us the guards, once they had recovered from their shock, went to report to the religious leaders what they had witnessed. A cover-up story was fabricated, hush money was paid, and that false story spread. (Matt. 28:11-15)
Luke names the women who went to the tomb early that resurrection morning: “Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James…” and Luke tells us that when the women rushed back to tell the disciples what they had seen, “They did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” (Luke 24:9-11)
Luke also gives us the story of two unnamed disciples who, that Sunday, were walking on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, when suddenly another person walked up and joined in their conversation, as they spoke about reports they’d heard of Jesus’ resurrection. It was only when they stopped for a meal and that this third traveler prayed over the food that they suddenly realized this traveler was in fact the resurrected Jesus! (Luke 24:13-32) At once they got up from the table, rushed back to Jerusalem and told the other disciples about their experience! (Luke 24:33-35)
John, as we might imagine, gives us an entirely different and very personal perspective of what happened that resurrection morning. Let’s take a closer look at John’s experience. He and Peter were awakened by Mary Magdalene with the preposterous story that she’d been to the tomb, found it opened and Jesus’ body was missing! They leaped up and ran to the tomb, younger John arriving first. (John 20:1-4)
Pause. Before we look inside with them, let me ask this question: Do you remember the last time the Gospel’s report that Peter and John were together? It was late Thursday night, outside the high priest’s home where Jesus was being interrogated and humiliated by the religious leaders. (John 18)
There, standing in the courtyard of the house, Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus, and then Peter ran weeping into the night. (Matt. 26:69-75) But here, Peter and John are in the same house suddenly awakened that Sunday morning. Please remember that at the cross Jesus had asked John to take responsibility for His mother Mary, so I presume she was in this house that resurrection morning as well. Can you imagine the conversations which must have happened with Peter, John and Mary about what had happened since Peter ran into the night weeping, that Thursday night?
John gives us the very personal story about Mary Magdalene’s encounter with resurrected Jesus in the garden. Through her tears Mary thought the man she saw might be the gardener and asked about Jesus’ body. She had watched them bury Jesus’ body on Friday afternoon, but when she had arrived early Sunday morning the tomb was empty!
But the man wasn’t the gardener and when He spoke Mary’s name, she suddenly realized she was looking at the miraculously resurrected Jesus Christ! (John 20:11-18) After a brief conversation with Jesus, Mary ran back to the disciples and shocked them with one simple yet profound statement: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)
And finally, that resurrection Sunday evening both Luke and John tell us the disciples were all together in fear, behind closed doors and shuttered windows, trying to make sense of the rumors they had heard about Jesus’ resurrection that morning. Suddenly the resurrected Jesus stood among them in that room saying, “Peace be with you!” and showing them the scars on His hands and side. (John 20:19,20)
Luke tells us Jesus even asked for something to eat and ate with the disciples proving His resurrected body was healed from the decimating beatings and crucifixion! His resurrected body was fully alive and functioning like their bodies, talking and eating! But His body was different. This was resurrected Jesus in His glorified, heavenly, immortal body, in fact the same type of body all followers of Jesus will have when we will be resurrected! (1 Corinthians 15) Did you know that?
So, on this Easter weekend, what does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to you?
For me, I celebrate that I have a living, resurrected, ascended, reigning Savior… who is in His glorified body in heaven, as my advocate with God the Father (1 John 2:1,2) and He is saving all who repent of their sin and trust resurrected Jesus today! (Hebrews 7:24,25)
Oh my, no matter where you are in the world we have a lot to thank God for today, don’t we? So, let’s join a group of people from around the world in a glorious Easter medley of worship songs; and of course, the “lessons learned” notes in the Grand Narrative link below and they’ll help you embrace great Easter truths! And let’s meet here again on Monday!
Today’s Scripture: John 20.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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