"...You are looking for Jesus of Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here!" Mark 16:6b
Friday night was the beginning of Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. Indeed our Savior was resting. He was in the tomb following His crucifixion. His bloodied and welted body lay ever so still. Blood seeped through the fine burial cloths that Joseph of Arimathea had wrapped Him in. All is silent inside, but outside His mother and Mary are weeping .The images of His death and the insults that they heard about their innocent and precious Jesus, were still assaulting their minds. How could this have happened?
Mary, Jesus' mother, remembered the thoughts she had tucked into her heart years ago when Jesus was visited by the Magi in Bethlehem. They brought gifts. The frankincense and myrrh were burial resins made from trees and their sap. Now Jesus had died on a tree. It was all so prophetic. Even so, it didn't ease the pain. Jesus was her son. And He was God.
Both Mary's tried to understand it all. Grief stricken, the ladies left the tomb to prepare for Sabbath. Their hearts could never have imagined what would happen next. God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, breathed life into Jesus Christ! Mary went back to the tomb Sunday morning when Sabbath was over, but it was empty! And Yes, He Lives!
The resurrection is a crucial part of our belief as followers of Jesus. We don't just believe He died for us. We believe He lives for us too! The resurrected Christ was seen by over 500 people, Mary Magdalene being the first. He ate with His disciples, He restored Peter. Then He ascended into heaven where He sits today at the right hand of the Father.
Resurrected Jesus, means resurrection for those who have or will, put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their personal sin. Jesus' resurrection was the greatest miracle and its affects are far reaching. They span from ancient Jerusalem, through time, to your where ever you are sitting right now.
We deserve death for our sins. But God doesn't repay evil with evil, rather Paul wrote,
" O' death where art thou sting, O' grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." " 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
Why? Because God is love. That's it, plain and simple. Jesus withheld nothing from us. He gave us His life to bring us into God's majestic, marvelous and wonderful presence. Now because of His shed blood, we live through Him and He lives through us! We are one by His beautiful prayer:
" I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they all be one, as You Father are in Me and I am in You. may they also be one in Us, so the world may believe you sent me." John 17:20-21
The resurrection didn't just happen 2000 years ago. It goes on to today, with our every breath. And it will go on into eternity. So brothers and sisters in Christ, may we have the mind of Christ as we have the living Spirit of Christ, and are already seated in heaven. ( Ephesians 2:4-6)
" Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory."
Colossians 3:1-4
Resurrection, believe!