Good Morning Friends,
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of
the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was
a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going
to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like
lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him
that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘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: “He has risen from the dead and is
going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.”’” (Matthew 28:1-7)
The greatest event in all of human history, and
Matthew tells it in just a paragraph or two! Jesus was crucified, dead, buried.
His followers were grief-stricken, hopeless, coming to care for His body. God
had other plans! They should have expected it, even His enemies knew He had
predicted it and made arrangements to guard against it. But it was so
unbelievable that until it happened they could not believe it, and even then it
was not easy!
It’s not easy for us to believe it, either.
We’ve seen death. We’ve been to funerals, buried loved ones. Death is
permanent. People don’t just come back alive again. But Jesus did! History
records it. The disciples testified to it. Changed lives confirm it. The church
proclaims it. Jesus -- died -- came back to life!
That is the core truth of Christianity. It is
the one act of Jesus that divides people. Believe it, and you must follow Him. Don’t
believe it, and you cannot follow Him. “If Christ has not been raised, our
preaching is useless and so is your faith. If Christ has not been raised, your
faith is futile; you are still in your sins. … But Christ has indeed been
raised from the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:14-20)
Christ has been raised from the dead. So follow
Him!
His, by Grace, Steve
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