Resurrection Sunday

Sunday, April 8, 2012

On the third day he arose. Resurrection Sunday! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! The resurrection is the foundation of our Christian faith. Jesus’ resurrection gave proof that he was the Son of God and that He had conquered death.  Acts 1:3 tells us that after the resurrection there was a period of forty days in which Jesus appeared to His disciples and followers. Jesus had spent three years with his disciples trying to prepare them for his final days on earth, yet they didn’t really grasp the meaning of his words. Were the disciples really any different from us? They too had to see, to witness, to experience what Jesus said before they truly believed. So…after three years of teaching, Jesus spent forty days with his disciples in what can be called a “cram session,” a review of all he had taught them. 

Look at the things Jesus did during those forty days to prepare his followers to continue the Gospel after his ascension to heaven.

1.        He appeared to his devastated follower bringing relief and joy that he was alive (Acts 1:3).

2.        He taught them many things concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Luke tells us, “He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way” (The Message).

3.       He commissioned them to “go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life” (Matthew 28:19 The Message).

4.       He lifted his hands and blessed them and then left them and ascended to heaven (Luke 24:51).

Jesus restored their faith, gave them hope, and set them out to share the Good News. The early church very soon began meeting on Sunday in honor of the resurrection of Jesus, which took place on the first day of the week.

As a result, 2,000 years later we still celebrate a risen Savior. We still set aside Sunday as a day to worship this risen Lord. And he still restores faith, gives us hope, and still wants us to share the Good News. Let’s celebrate Resurrection Sunday every day by following Jesus.

UP!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

When is the last time you had a good cry? Has anyone ever found you in a puccled of tears and asked, “Why are you crying?”Yesterday my son asked me to watch a few minutes of the animated movie Up. Coaxing me, he said, “Mom, it’s the best movie ever. If you watch ten minutes, you’ll be hooked.” Ten minutes later I had dissolved into tears. The opening segment shows a couple who fall in love, marry, and begin to plan their future. As time goes by, dream after dream is shattered. Their hopes for a future with a family and travel never materialize. I was hooked but sobbing. Why were their dreams shattered? They had lived with such hope! The rest of the movie is devoted to the efforts of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. By tying thousands of balloons to his home, Carl’s dreams begin to look UP!

This week I’m reminded of the tears that Mary Magdalene shed at the tomb of Jesus. It was early in the morning when Mary Magdalene discovered that Jesus’ body was missing from the tomb. She stood outside crying “because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him.”

When Mary glanced over her shoulder, she saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus. “Why are you crying?” he asked her.

Jesus offered her hope as he encouraged her to spread the news of the resurrection. What a morning of emotions as her sorrow turned to joy when Jesus appeared to her and called her by name.

Jesus wants to comfort us when we feel as if all hope is lost. When we are burdened and filled with tears, Jesus is just over our shoulder too offering the same hope that he offered Mary Magdalene. Jesus has a tender voice of comfort in our sorrow. He whispers our name and calls,

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18

Let’s find peace in that promise during this Easter season. Let’s look UP for our hope!

Living Hope

Sunday, April 4, 2010

He is risen! He is risen indeed! How do we know this? Let’s look at the record, the facts. Let's see how living witnesses shared the living hope!

Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be the Messiah, preached throughout Israel, in Galilee, Samaria, and Jerusalem. He was arrested, tried, and crucified. His body was wrapped in linen cloth following Jewish burial customs. Then his body was placed in a solid rock tomb with an extremely large stone rolled against the entrance. A Roman guard was stationed to guard the tomb, and then the tomb was sealed with the Roman seal to prevent vandalism. Three days later when some women went to the tomb, they found the body was gone. In the following weeks, his disciples claimed that God had raised Jesus from the dead and that he appeared to them at various times before ascending to heaven. Beginning with the testimony of living witnesses, Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and the Good News has continued to spread through the centuries. No credible evidence of hostile witnesses has ever been proved.

For Consideration
The empty tomb could have been proved false if that were the case. Both Jewish and Roman sources admit there was an empty tomb.

In the Roman military guards could be put to death for the smallest infraction. They surely fled in fear of their lives when they discovered the stone had been removed and Jesus’ body was no longer there.

The burial clothes remained in the tomb and appeared in the same position.

Jesus appeared to…

First to Mary Magdalene. (John 20:14, 16, 18; Mark 16:9)
Then to the other women. (Matthew 28:9)
To Peter. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
To Cleopas and the other disciple on the way to Emmaus. (Luke 24:15)
In the closed room, to ten disciples. (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19, 20)
To the eleven. (John 20:26, 29)
In the mountains, to the eleven. (Matthew 28:10, 17)
At the sea, to Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two
other disciples. (John 21:1, 14)
To five hundred brethren at once. (1 Corinthians 15:6)
To James, and to all the apostles. )Acts 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:7)
To Paul. (Acts 9:3-6; 22:17-21; 23:11; 1 Corinthians 15:8)

Scripture records they talked with him, ate with him, and touched him. According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus appeared to over 500 followers over a period of 40 days after the resurrection and before ascending to heaven.

Yes, He is risen! He is risen indeed! Living witnesses and a living hope!

“In his great mercy he had given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 1:3

27,000 Sunrises

Monday, April 13, 2009

Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

It was early in the morning when Mary Magdalene discovered that Jesus’ body was missing from the tomb. What a morning of emotions as her sorrow turned to joy when Jesus appeared to her and called her by name. At sunrise on that morning Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus.

Beginning that morning, Jesus appeared to a smattering of his followers. Each failed to recognize him until he revealed himself in a way that cast away their doubt. You see, Jesus met them where they were. He spoke to their individual concerns. Then it was up to each individual to respond.

Mary Magdalene was crying outside the tomb when Jesus appeared to her. She thought he was a gardener. Then Jesus called her name, “Mary.” She heard and believed.

The disciples, fearing the Jews, had locked themselves in a house. When Jesus appeared, he calmed their fears as he stood in the midst of them and said, “Peace to you.” But it wasn’t until he showed them his nail-pierced hands and side that they rejoiced. They saw and believed.

Thomas needed more. It was not until he put his finger in the nail holes that he was able to say, “My Master, My God!” He touched and believed.

Simon Peter needed even more. After an unsuccessful night of fishing, Peter and his disciple friends fell asleep very disappointed. The next morning Jesus appeared on the shore, unrecognized. He told them to throw the net on the other side of the boat. All of a sudden there were so many fish that they couldn’t pull them in. After experiencing this miracle, Peter acknowledged Jesus, “It’s the Master!” Peter experienced and believed.

Aren’t their experiences much like ours? Some of us are like Mary Magdalene. We need a tender voice of comfort in our sorrow. We need to hear Jesus. Jesus whispers our name and says,
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18

Some of us are like the disciples, gripped by fear – fear of the unknown, fear of what others say about us. Maybe we’re “locked” in emotionally. We need to see Jesus working in our lives. We need to Jesus says
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. “ John 14:27

Some of us are like Thomas. We doubt and become skeptical. We hear what good things God is doing for others but don’t believe it will happen in our own lives. We need to touch God. We need for God to move mountains in order for us to believe. Jesus says,
"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him." Mark 11:23

Then some of us are like Simon Peter. We may have a history of highs and lows in our relationship with Christ. We may have praised him in one minute and denied him in the next. Or maybe we’re in a rut and like the disciples, our net comes up empty. We need to experience Jesus in a mighty way. Jesus says,
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. “ Mark 2:17

Jesus meets us where we are. Whether we need to hear, to see, to touch, or to experience Jesus, he has promised to be near. He will reveal himself to us. Will we recognize him? Will we respond to him?

If you live to age 75, you will experience over 27,000 sunrises. Jesus will appear at all of them. On how many mornings will you recognize him? Like his early followers, all we have to do is accept and believe.