Friday, February 15, 2013

Friday Thought -- February 15, 2013


Good Morning Friends,

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said.  ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you.”’” (Mark 16:1-7)

By the time the women got to the tomb of Jesus the resurrection had already happened.  The most amazing and meaningful event in the history of the world occurred while no one was watching.  There were no eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.  In the middle of the night, or more accurately, in the early morning hours, something astounding happened inside the tomb of Jesus.

Jesus came out of His grave clothes.  He left them just lying there on the rock ledge on which they had placed His body.  The stone was moved.  The heavy stone that several women knew they could not move, someone else had rolled it away from the entrance to the tomb.  Jesus was gone.

Now that’s strange.  Dead men don’t just leave their tombs!  But Jesus did!  And that’s just the first sign that would prove Jesus came back to life.  The second, and more convincing sign, would happen again and again as Jesus Himself appeared to followers of His.

Jesus had to rise from the dead, that’s what the scriptures say.  Why?  Because if death held Him in its grip, there would be no hope for us.  If He couldn’t conquer death for Himself, what chance is there that He could conquer it for us.  But conquer it for Himself, He did!  And conquer it for us, He has done that, too!

He’s not in the tomb any longer.  His grave clothes were there, but He wasn’t.  He’s alive, He still is!  Now that’s amazing and wonderful and life-changing!  It was for those women that morning.  It has been for millions of others through the years.  It has been for me.

His, by Grace,

Steve

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