March 22, 2016 - This week we look at the events 3 days following Jesus' death on the cross of Calvary. The most selfless act ever committed on this earth,an act that paid-in-full the sins of all men for all times. The scene here is the arrival of 3 women at the opened tomb of our Lord.
"He is Risen" these were the words spoken by the angel sitting at the tomb to the women that followed Jesus; Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and Salome as they came to the opened tomb that Sunday morning 3 days after His crucification on Friday. (Matt. 28:5-6) "And the Angel answered and said unto the women, "fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
He is not here: for he is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
The women mentioned here had come to the sepulcher or tomb of Jesus, I suspect to see if He indeed had risen as He had promised. Upon their arrival they found the guards all unconscious and the large stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb and the Angel of the Lord sitting by the tomb, waiting on them. He then made the statement; "He is risen" speaking of the absence of Jesus in the tomb and even invited the women to go in and witness for themselves where he had laid, so they knew for certain that Jesus had indeed "risen".
We can only imagine the shock and feelings of gladness when the women looked into the tomb to see only the clothes Jesus had been wrapped in when He was placed in the tomb 3 days earlier. Especially His own Mother, the Mother of James mentioned here.
(Matt. 28:7-8) "And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and behold, He goeth forth before thee into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word."
From this day forth Jesus was seen many times by each of His disciples and the women who tended to them, He met with them, He talked with them and He ate with them all the while teaching them and proving of His being alive for about 40 days following His resurrection, the date we celebrate as "Easter Sunday" each year.
We can see in the book of Luke what Jesus did at the end of the 40 days; (Mark 16:19) "So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."
The verses called "the great commission" tell us what He expects of us today as we wait for His return. (Matt. 28:19-20) "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Because "He is risen" we have hope for eternity spent with our Lord in heaven. Amen.
