Easter
- He is Risen!
"He is not here. For He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
"
--Matthew 28:6
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you."Romans 8:11
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Death & Judgment Day
Sir Lionel Luckhoo (1914-1997), was ambassador of Barbados and Guyana.
Knighted by the Queen of England, he was listed in The Guinness Book of World
Records as the world's most successful criminal attorney. Sir Lionel Luckhoo,
who spoke to presidents, kings, parliaments and the United Nations, stated:
"The
bones of Muhammad are in Medina, the bones of Confucius are in Shantung, the
cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal. Thousands pay pilgrimages to worship at
their tombs which contain their bones. But in Jerusalem there is a cave cut into
the rock. This is the tomb of Jesus. IT IS EMPTY! YES, EMPTY! BECAUSE HE IS
RISEN! He died, physically and historically. He arose from the dead, and now
sits at the right hand of God."
What We Are Missing in the Resurrection? - By Dr. Ray Rooney - ...What we
seem to have lost is the fear of Easter. Of the four gospel accounts of the
resurrection of Christ, Mark captures this the most. To see what I mean, read
Mark 15:16-16:8 concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus. You see these
words scattered throughout: Golgotha, save yourself, darkness, forsaken, torn,
alarmed, fled, trembling and astonishment, and afraid.
As for the word Easter, some skeptics suggest it came from Eostre,
or Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of springtime and fertility. Even if they're
right, this wouldn't change the most consequential event in history. But they're
probably wrong.
The online Encyclopedia Britannica explains: "There is now widespread consensus
that the word derives from the Christian designation of Easter week
as in albis, a Latin phrase that was understood as the plural of alba ("dawn")
and became eostarum in Old High German, the precursor of the modern German and
English term. The Latin and Greek Pascha ("Passover") provides the root for P'ques,
the French word for Easter."
Has Jesus Risen to the
Throne of YOUR Life?
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you." (Romans
8:11) What other "prophet" or "teacher" or "holy man" has risen from the
dead? - "
He is Risen - Death is swallowed up in
victory.
For thou wilt not leave my soul
in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalms 16:10
"And when they heard this they were pierced in their hearts."
Acts 2:29-40: "Men, brothers,
allow me to say to you with confidence concerning the Patriarch
David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is among us until
this day. Therefore since he was a prophet, and knew that
God swore to him with an oath "He will cause One to sit on His
throne from the fruit of David's loins," (2 Sam. 7:12, 13, Ps.
132:11) 31. since he saw beforehand, he spoke concerning the
resurrection of the Messiah that "neither would He be forsaken in
Hades nor" His flesh "see corruption." (Ps. 16:10)
God resurrected this Y'shua, of which we all are
witnesses: therefore since He has been raised to the right
hand of God, and has taken the promise of the Holy Spirit from the
Father, He poured this out which also you are seeing and hearing.
For David was not raised into the heavens, but he says, "The Lord
said to My Lord, You must sit at My right hand, until I would have
put Your enemies under Your feet." (Ps. 110:1) Therefore assuredly
all the House of Israel must continually know that God also made Him
Lord and Messiah, this Y'shua Whom you crucified."
And when they heard this they were pierced in
their hearts. They said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "What could we do, men, brothers?" And Peter said to them,
"You must immediately repent, and each of you must immediately be
immersed in the name of Y'shua Messiah, for forgiveness of your sins
and you will take the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is
for you and for your children and for all those in far away places,
whomever the Lord our God will call to Himself." And he chargedthem
in many other words and was urging them saying, "You must right now
be rescued from this crooked generation."
Luke 24:13-49 (BBE) - And then, two of them
(Disciples), on that very day (of the resurrection of Jesus), were going to a little town
named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they
were talking together about all those things which had taken place.
And while they were talking and questioning together, Jesus himself
came near and went with them. But their eyes were not open that they
might have knowledge of him. And he said to them,
What are you
talking about together while you go?
Then stopping, and looking
sadly at him, one of them, named Cleopas, said to him, Are you the
only man living in Jerusalem who has not had news of the things
which have taken place there at this time? And he said to them,
What
things? And they said, The things to do with Jesus of Nazareth, who
was a prophet, great in his acts and his words, before God and all
the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers gave him up to
be put to death on the cross. But we were hoping that he would be
the Saviour of Israel.
In addition to all this He has now let three
days go by from the time when these things took place; And certain
women among us gave us cause for wonder, for they went early to the
place where his body had been put, And it was not there; then they
came saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that He
was living. And some of those who were with us went to the place,
and saw that it was as the women had said, but Him they did not see.
And he said, O foolish men! how slow you are to give belief to what
the prophets have said. Was it not necessary for the Christ to go
through these things, and to come into his glory? And he made clear
to them all the things in the Writings, from Moses and from all the
prophets, which had to do with Himself.
And they came near the town
to which they were going, and he seemed as if he was going on; But
they kept him back, saying, Do not go, for evening is near, the day
is almost gone. And he went in with them. And when he was seated
with them at table, he took the bread, and said words of blessing
and, making division of it, he gave it to them. And then their eyes
were open, and they had knowledge of him, but he went from their
view. And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning in
us while he was talking to us on the way, making clear to us the
holy Writings?
And that very hour they got up and went back to
Jerusalem, where the eleven and the others had come together. And
they said to them, The Lord has truly come back to life again, and
Simon has seen Him. And they gave an account of the things which had
taken place on the way, and how, when He gave them bread, they had
knowledge of Him. And while they were saying these things, He
himself was among them, and said to them,
Peace be with you! But they were full of fear, being of the
opinion that they were seeing a spirit.
And He said to them, Why are you troubled, and
why are your hearts full of doubt? See; my hands and my feet: it is
I myself; put your hands on me and make certain; for a spirit has
not flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when He had
said this, He let them see His hands and His feet. And because, for
joy and wonder, they were still in doubt, He said to them,
Have you any food here? And they gave
Him a bit of cooked fish. And before their eyes He took a meal.
And He said to them, These are the words which I
said to you when I was still with you, how it was necessary for all
the things which are in the writings of Moses and the prophets and
in the Psalms about Me, to be put into effect. Then
He made
the holy Writings clear to their minds.
And He said to them, So it is in the Writings that the Christ would
undergo death, and come back to life again on the third day; And
that teaching about a change of heart and forgiveness of sins is to
be given to Jerusalem first and to all nations in his name. You are
witnesses of these things.
And now I will send to you what my father has undertaken to give
you, but do not go from the town, till the power from heaven comes
to you.
The Road to Emmaus - and Understanding - By Ed Vitagliano - In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus had been crucified and had
risen from the dead. Despite His clear teaching about the matter, no
one expected the resurrection to occur, not even His disciples!
Moreover, even an empty tomb, the declaration of angels, and the
testimony of eyewitnesses seemed like "nonsense" to the 11 apostles,
who were gathered together in fear of the law (vv. 10-12).
They could not understand, as the words
"appeared to them
as nonsense;" but it also says they would not believe. There was a
refusal to trust these words. Perhaps it was because of fear, doubt,
unbelief, disappointment, or some combination. It is a sad
testimony nonetheless that they "would not believe them." "Everything they thought they knew about life, even about God,
seems to have been swept away by wicked men. Evil appears to have
triumphed. Their world has collapsed into confusion and fear. He is always admonishing, exhorting, and encouraging us. It is
important to note that these two disciples had the facts right but
not the meaning of those facts. They had a faith problem. They
understood what their eyes could see, but they could not understand
what only faith could see behind everything in our lives.
These two disciples were being shown that, without faith,
it is impossible to see Him. They knew the tomb was empty, but why
was it empty? What did it mean? It's almost as if Jesus wanted these
disciples to finish the thought: OK, all these things you saw Jesus
do and the words you heard Him teach, He told you He would suffer
and die, and on the third day, something would happen. Then some disciples went to the tomb and no one was there, except
for angels , who said something important.
As I said, these disciples had a faith
problem. "And He said to them, 'O foolish men and slow of heart to
believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary
for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?'"
(vv. 25-26). The symptom was that they were "foolish men." The cause
was that they were "slow of heart to believe." But believe what?
Jesus said, "all that the prophets have spoken!" In other words,
they should believe all that God has said.
Their hearts, which had been slow to believe, were now
burning within them because Jesus Christ had interacted with them.
He is the cure! Do we desire to go from (1) being slow of heart to
believe in all that God has said to (2) having hearts that burn with
understanding? It requires drawing near to Christ and interacting
with Him. If you don't do that, you won't attain to the latter,
while remaining in the former state.
Matthew 28:1-15 - And after Sabbaths, on the First Day of the
Week at dawn, Miriam Magdalene and the other Miriam came to see the tomb. And
behold there was a great earthquake: for there was an angel of the Lord, who
descended from heaven, and after he came he rolled the stone away and was
sitting upon it. And his appearance was like lightning and his
clothing white as snow. And those who were guarding trembled from fear of him
and became as dead. And the angel said to the women, "You must not be afraid,
for I know that you are seeking the crucified Y'shua: He is not here, for He has
risen just as He said. Come! See the place where He was laid. And go quickly, you must tell His
disciples, "He has risen from the dead, and behold He is going before you into
Galilee, for you will see Him there: behold I told you." Then they left quickly
from the tomb with fear and great joy, and were running to report to His
disciples. And behold Y'shua met the women saying, "Greetings." And they, who
had approached Him, took hold of His feet and they paid homage to Him. Then Y'shua said to them,
"You must not be afraid: you must go, report to My brothers so they would go
into Galilee, they will see Me there." The Report of the Guard: And
after they left, behold, some of the guards, having gone into the city, reported
to the high priests everything that happened. And gathering with the elders they
formed a plan and taking silver coins they gave them to the soldiers saying,
"You must say, 'When His disciples came in the night they stole Him while we
were sleeping.' And if this is heard by the governor, we will persuade him. We
will keep you out of trouble." And those who took the silver did as they were
taught. And this word was spread widely by Jewish people until today, this very
day.
1 Corinthians 15:49-58 -
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
John 11:25: I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever
lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 15:11-22
- Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach,
and so you believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the
dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the
dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ
not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses
of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the
dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also
which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only
we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is
Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.
2 Corinthians 5:1-7 -
For we
know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we
shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do
groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but
clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he
that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always
confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are
absent from the Lord: (For
we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and
willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the
Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus
judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died
for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto
themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Romans 8:24-25 - For we are saved by hope:
but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope
for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for
it.
Hebrews 11:7 - By faith
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned
the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Would Noah otherwise have built an ark on a
mountain with no water in sight, after being warned about things not yet
seen? What would reason have us do?
1 Corinthians 1:17-31 - For Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of
the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved
it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of
the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this
world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that
in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ
crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is
wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see
your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen
the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that
are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that
glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Was Jesus in the Grave for
"Three Days and Three Nights?" -
By Gary DeMar -
...So even if Jesus was crucified on Friday and raised on Saturday, we are still
missing a third night (first night, Friday, second night, Saturday). Attempts to
resolve this apparent contradiction center on the mistaken assumption that
"heart of the earth" is a reference to the time Jesus spent in the grave. Does
"heart of the earth" mean the grave?:
The Eyewitness Testimony That'll Make You Never Doubt the Resurrection
Again - By Paul Strand - Christianity's core belief is that the Son
of God took on human form, died for our sins and then rose from the dead to give
us eternal life. But if Jesus Christ didn't come back to life, it undoes His
claim to be the all-powerful, eternal Son of God, Savior and Messiah. So,
Christianity hangs on the Resurrection. (See the evidence and videos at link.).
Jesus Resurrection - Proof that Death is a Failure - By
Michael Bresciani - The resurrection of Christ isn't merely about Easter
religious observances, spring, flowers, bunnies and Easter bonnets, it is the
single most important event in the history of mankind. It is the pivotal point
upon which every man and woman's final destiny rests. Perhaps no one in recent
history has described this immutable truth better than Mr. Timothy Keller. "If
Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't
rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which
everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching, but whether or not
he rose from the dead. - Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age
of Skepticism.
CBN.com Easter
Special Section (2010) Explore the Garden Tomb, Biblical
Archaeologists Explore the Crucifixion,
Gordon Robertson Teaches on Jesus in Psalm 22 "Can you imagine, a
Psalmist a thousand years before it actually happened describing exactly
what people are going to be saying to Jesus as He's hanging on the cross?
It absolutely boggles your mind."
"For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Hell), nor will You suffer Your godly one to see corruption." -Psalms 16:10
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...Mark's tone concerning the crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus is constant and unchangeable. Ominous. Troubling.
Worrisome. It's all aimed at implying one thing: accountability. More than a
martyr. More than a prophet. More than an angel. He is Lord. He is God. We will
answer to Him. Everyone. On His terms. Not ours.
He is eternal as is His Word. He has the final say on
what constitutes faithful obedience. He has the final say on sexuality. He has
the final say on gender. He has the final say on marriage. He has the final say
on what is and is not love. He has the final say on whose heart is filled with
hate and whose is not. He has the final say on eschatology. He determines
authenticity. Not you. Not me. He will separate the sheep from the goats. And He
will not misjudge or misinterpret one single word or event in anyone's life. He
is not an arbiter of the truth. He is the ultimate manifestation of truth.
...There is little reverence or fear in what is being
passed off as "Christian" these days. The name of Jesus is abhorred by
government officials, ridiculed by counterfeit religions, and manipulated by
church leadership. It is used to justify hedonism, prevent discernment, and
promote immorality. Words like "Judge not" are taken out of context, twisted,
and repackaged as justification for sinful choices and lifestyles.
...Not only does that mean He has defeated Satan, sin,
and death, but it also means that every single angelic and human being is
answerable to Him. That means it really doesn't matter what my interpretation of
the Bible and Christianity is. All that matters is what His view is. Remember
what He said He would tell those who cringed before Him in judgment after their
"Well, to me" argument concerning what they considered obedience to be. "I never
knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23) The
Resurrection of Y'shua (Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10)
Matthew 27:62-66 - The Guard at the Tomb: And the next day,
which was after the preparation for the Sabbath, the high priests and the
Pharisees were gathered to Pilate saying, "Sir, we remembered that that deceiver
said while still living, 'After three days I shall rise.' Therefore you must
immediately order the tomb to be guarded until the third day, so when His
disciples come they could not steal Him so they could say to the people, 'He was
raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."
Pilate said to them, "You have a guard: go, as you know you will have your
guard." And then after they left they guarded the tomb, by having sealed the
stone with a guard.
There were times when Jesus spoke in parables so He would not be
understood by everyone: "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted." Therefore I speak to
them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they
do not hear, nor do they understand" (Matt.
13:11, 13; see 13:34-35). The
Scribes and Pharisees had come to Jesus asking for a sign. Similar language and
context are used by Jesus in John 2:19:
"The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us,
seeing that You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
Since Matthew 12:40 is the
only place in Scripture where "three days and three nights" and "heart of the
earth" are used, we can assume that it's an idiomatic expression that takes some
deciphering using other Scripture passages.
If Jesus was buried in the "heart of the earth," and "heart" is a metaphor for
"center" or "middle," then Jesus was not buried in the literal heart (center) of
the earth. From what we know of Jesus' burial, He was buried above ground (Matt.
28:2) in a rock-hewn grave (Mark 15:46)
that could be entered and exited easily.
Jerusalem was considered the "heart of the earth": "Thus says the
Lord GOD, "This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with
lands around her," (Ezek. 5:5). Later in
Ezekiel, Jerusalem is said to be "the navel [center] of the world" (Ezek.
38:12). "Jesus does not simply use Jonah as a convenient analogy to express
the time span of three days. In fact, "three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth" is a strained analogy for the crucifixion. To make Jesus's
experience cover three days and three nights, we must extend it to his time on
trial, so that the "heart of the earth" is Jerusalem and thus includes Jesus's
trial by Jew, Edomite, and Roman. (Calling Jerusalem the "heart of the earth" is
not a novel reading; Ezekiel 38:12
refers to the "navel" of the land, and Ezekiel
5:5 describes Jerusalem as being in the "middle" of the nations.).
6
Jerusalem was the redemptive center of the world: "but you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Today, it's no longer physical Jerusalem but the "Jerusalem above" (Gal.
4:26) "the heavenly Jerusalem" that is the redemptive center (Heb.
12:22).
Jesus continually points to Jerusalem as the place where He would be betrayed
and crucified: "From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He
must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day" (Matt.
16:21). When did the "suffer many things" begin?: "Behold, we are going up
to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered up to the chief priests and
scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him up to the
Gentiles to mock and scourge Him, and on the third day He will be raised" (20:17-19).
From the time of His being "delivered up" on Thursday evening in
the Garden of Gethsemane to the day He "will be raised" constitutes "three days
and three nights" in the "heart of the land," that is, in Jerusalem. The Greek
word often translated as "earth" is better translated as "land."
There is no need to claim that there was a special Sabbath or even
to argue that exactly 72 hours was necessary for Jesus' words to be true. "Heart
of the earth." considered to be the center of the world, was Jerusalem.