Headed to
Easter – Easter Sunday
It
is a quiet morning. Some roosters are
just beginning to stretch and sound their morning call, for it is the crack of
dawn
If
we listen, we hear the soft shuffle of feet walking the dirt road to the
tomb. It's two women, and they have a job to do, and they
are going to do it. They wanted to get
there early, get it done and then be gone.
One
of the ladies is Mary Magdalene. She was
the Mary from whom seven demons were cast out, and she never got over that
experience.
The
other Mary? We’re not sure who she is,
and really that is a lesser matter.
Nevertheless,
these faithful women were on a mission.
They were going to anoint the body of a dead man, their friend Jesus.
As
they rounded the corner, the ground began to tremble. It was a mighty shaking, and if they could
believe their eyes, it seemed a heavenly being, perhaps an angel was just approaching
the tomb and with one touch of his finger the mighty stone covering the
entrance rolled out of the way and the angel sat on the stone. He SAT on the stone.
Can
you believe that?
The
guards that the temple high priests had put in place fled for their lives at
the rumbling and the first sight of the angel.
They went into town, reported what had happen, were paid a lot of hush
money to ‘hush up’ and that was that.
The
two Marys were terrified. They saw it
but didn’t believe their eyes.
The
angel spoke: “Don’t be afraid. You are
seeking Jesus, who was crucified. He is
not here: for he has been raised, as he said.
Come, see the place where he lay.
And now, go as fast as you can and tell his disciples. Say ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he
is going on to Galilee. You can see him
there.”
The
women left. They were a mixture of great
fear and greater joy. It had happened
just like he promised.
And
as they ran, they met Him – Jesus. It happened
so quickly it was a startling thing to behold.
He
said “Greetings.” After examining him,
he said, “Fear not. Go and tell my band
of brothers, my disciples, to go to Galilee.
They will see me there.”
If
you want to see the whole uninterrupted story, read Matthew 28.
The
critical message is this … He rose from the grave, just as he said.
He
came back to life, miraculously, and he is alive NOW!
That
is the heart of the Christian message.
We serve a living Christ.
If
that is not true, then everything I believe, everything I write, everything I’ve
ever sung about this Christ, the son of God, has been in vain.
I
accept this story by faith. I wasn’t
there in that era. I’ve had no vision,
heard no voices.
All
I know is what I’ve experienced in my heart.
I feel the spirit of the risen Christ dwelling in me and I accept His presence.
That
is my Easter story to leave with you.
Remember
when I wrote on Friday about the curtain in the temple being split into two
pieces? That one act let loose the
indwelling spirit of God so that His spirit can flow over and into you and
me.
How
he does it, I don’t know.
Why
he deems you and me as worthy specimens to receive His spirit, I don’t know.
It
is a faith kind of thing.
Either
we believe, by faith, or we don’t.
I
choose belief by faith.
Happy
Easter.
Hope Encouragement Inspiration
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