04/01/2018
It is Ressurection Sunday, and JESUS LIVES! He made a statement to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, about the transience of death as it pertained to those who believed in Him, and on this day He made good His Word! Today sin and death were defeated, and hope and faith became reality.
“Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"”
John 11:25-26 ESV
Our faith should be strong and without doubt, but sometimes our disbelief, or lack of understanding, finds a foothold and strikes a blow against our faithfulness. This is facilitated by the unseen nature of faith, and the very real desire of our hopes. The needs we can see tend to overcome the assurances of faith which cannot be seen.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.”
Hebrews 11:1-2 ESV
Mary Magdalene and the disciples doubted, or misunderstood that Jesus would rise on the third day, or else the fact of his resurrection wouldn’t have been treated with such alarm and shock. Listen to the account of what happened when Mary found the tomb empty...
“So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."”
John 20:2 ESV
She thought the body had been stolen, or at very least moved, and the two disciples ran to see because they thought so too.
“So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.”
John 20:3-4 ESV
Who would have done such a thing? Who would have absconded with the body? But they saw something that made them think something more had happened... they saw His burial clothes.
“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”
John 20:6-9 ESV
Are you looking at the burial clothes today? Can you see the face cloth folded neatly and set aside? Perhaps, like Peter, you are wondering what has just happened, or maybe you know beyond a shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ has risen. Regardless of whether you are still struggling with your faith, or firm in it, this is our day of celebration. This is the day in which prophesy was fulfilled, and God’s plan for us through Jesus Christ reached beyond hope to reality... beyond sin to righteousness, and beyond death to eternal life. Oh Great Joy! the Lord has RISEN!! Shout the name JESUS! The prophesy of the risen Messiah is complete.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, and His victory over sin and death. I thank you Father for the suffering and crucifixion that led to his prayer of contrition from the cross as He spoke the words “Father forgive them”, and I weep at the love which flowed from Calvary that day. Now I understand Holy Father that all my hopes, all of my faith, all that had been taught and prophesied have become reality through your Son, and that my life is secure in your hand for eternity. I see all of this in a cold and empty tomb that holds nothing but the trappings of death and whose sting I fear no longer. Praised be the name of Jesus Christ whose obedience to the Father’s will has brought life to me, and Glory to God! His pain has become joy, man’s sin replaced by righteousness, His tears have been wiped away, and His place now secured at the right hand of God All Mighty, Holy and full of grace are you my Heavenly Father, and Holy is your Son Jesus Christ. I lift up your Word in my song to you, and sing out to all of creation... “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” All glory and honor is yours my Merciful Father. Your Son has returned home, and beckons me to join Him; heir and joint heir in your house forevermore... me... once lost, now redeemed, the righteous made perfect by His blood, and your grace.
“He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”
Revelation 22:20-21 ESV
Rich Forbes