The Resurrection of Jesus

How 'bout cha people of God,
Do any of you meditate on the resurrection? On Easter Sunday? This Truth is more than a once a year reminder. It is the very foundation of Christian faith. Is it not? I'll go farther and state that it is not merely a belief, but, a fact. A fact of history and an ever present reality, for us, the church. Paul tells us, by way of his first epistle to the Corinthians, that if Jesus be not raised then our faith is in vain and we are still in our sin. Chapter 15:17. This is recorded in all four gospels, His raising. This fact, proves His "Deity". If He had not been raised, how would we know He was who He said He was. Jesus declared it to us(who He was), while walking on the earth. This is recorded five times in the New Covenant; Matthew 12:39-40, 20:17-19, 26:30-32, Luke 18:31-33, John 2:19-22. Paul says, "He was demonstrated, the Son of God, by His resurrection, from the dead", in Romans 1:4.
Jesus came to take the sinner's place and to satisfy the "law", fully, with God. By taking our place, He became us, and died, as us. He could not die as God and had not a need to. I hope you got that. Read it again, and consider, we died with Him......in Him. And, in Him, we AROSE. This fact is proof that death has been conquered. Is not this, "the good news"? I exhort, that it IS. Jesus appeared to the Apostle John, on the isle of Patmos, and declared, "I am He that lives and was dead; and behold, I am alive for ever more, amen: and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev 1:18.
Because the Spirit of Him, who raised up Jesus, lives in us, He that raised Christ from the dead, shall quicken our mortal bodies, by His Spirit, that lives in us. That is, raise US from the dead. Romans 8:11.
There really can be no question, as to Jesus' death on the cross. All four gospels, tell us that Jesus yielded up His Spirit. Death did not conquer Him. He gave His life, of His own will. He said, "I have the power to lay down my life and I have the power to take it again". John 10:17-18.
There are many accounts that verify this truth. There were many witnesses, and not all believers, that Jesus died. The centurion told Pilate, that Jesus was dead. When the spear was removed, after the piercing, water and blood came out, showing His heart had been pierced. If Jesus had been only passed out, as some have scoffed, He would have suffocated in the burial wrappings. All the precautions that were taken, the tomb being guarded and sealed, so His body could not secretly be stolen away. Matthew 27. Many seen Him die, yet there was not an eye-witness, that seen Him come out of the sepulchre. By this there were many stories fabricated, to discredit His resurrection. Although He appeared to many, in the coming 40 days, after His raising, I find the most compelling testimony to come from John and Peter, as to the physical resurrection of the body of Jesus. When John and Peter came to the empty tomb, after Mary had told them, they went in to inspect and examine it. they found the linen clothes, that the body of Jesus had been wrapped in, lying on the stone slab, where it had been laid, "and the napkin that was about His head, not lying with the linens, but wrapped together in a place by itself." John 20:6-7. The grave clothes are a silent witness, that His body was not stolen. The napkin, tells another story. (Maybe we'll get to that later) We also know, the disciples did not steal the body, because they were so difficult to convince, by Mary, the resurrection had in fact happened. Knowing, as we do, having the New Testament, to read, that Jesus told them, repeatedly, that He would die and raise the third day, They either forgot in their grief or disbelieved, else they would have been waiting at the tomb, at the morning hour. Even the women that went to the tomb, that morning, were only taking things to further embalm the body. They were even concerned, who would roll the stone, for them. Mark 16:1-3. As I ponder this, I see God at work here. If the disciples had hung around the tomb, it would have surely been easier to blame them and label them grave robbers.
Yes, even so, there was not an eye-witness, to the actual coming out of the tomb, there were eye-witnesses to His having been raised. Not days, weeks, months, later, mind you, but that very day! I also find it particularly lifting to know that when Jesus died, He was scarcely recognizable. Beaten and wounded, bleeding and fatigued, not at all, as He appeared to the disciples. He appeared, the picture of wellness, with only scars, to remind us, I suspect. You know.....He was HEALED! And recall that we raised with Him? WE TOO ARE HEALED!Amen and amen. This resurrection is more than a story, I assure you. Life....restored! Health.....restored! Adam's fall and our separation....RESTORED! Through and by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I could go into the accounts of Jesus' appearances to all the disciples and the 500 and such, but I will not here. Please read and meditate on this for yourselves. Only know, that He taught and counseled for 40 days, and appeared to many, teaching, showing and leaving us, what is the Great Commission. Our commission. We have not, in written record, what exactly He taught. We do, however, have a record of what they did(as a result of His teaching), after His Ascension. The book of Acts is testament to this. I exhort that this is the way and means of our ministry. Not judgement and tradition, but love and encouragement. Not where we are at, but where the lost and poor are at. Take it to them! Just a little bit more, please.
In the Old Testament, the exodus, was God's Power, manifested. In the New Testament, the Resurrection(of Jesus) is our exodus. We are no longer bound! WE ARE Free! Everything IS changed! Yet we must allow the change, in our lives. We must not remain ignorant or unbelieving. You cannot change from Sabbath Saturday to First Fruits Sunday and wave your hands in the air while saying...Glory, thinking all is well while living so defeated. Hear this brothers and sisters, please. The battle IS over! Believe it........Live it. IT IS FINISHED.

What a Joy
Love You


GW