Luke 24:1-12
The Resurrection of Jesus
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8 Then they remembered his words.
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Jesus has risen...He is resurrected...Jesus had told His disciples several times He would die and be raised to life again...But as you read the Scripture, you wonder if the Twelve, now Eleven, knew what He was talking about...
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, son of James, are the first to notice Jesus' empty tomb on the third day...When the women got to His tomb with their spices, it is early in the morning... They expect to find Jesus' remains...The women find the stone rolled away from the tomb...The women enter the tomb, but do not find the body of Jesus...While they were wondering what happened, suddenly two men in glowing clothes that looked like lightening stood beside them...In their fright, they bowed to the men, with their faces on the ground...The men said "Why do you look for the living among the dead"..."He is not here, He has risen"...
The women went back and told the Eleven the story of the empty tomb and the two men...The Eleven did not believe the women, because their story sounded like nonsense...Peter, however gets up and runs to the tomb...When Peter enters the tomb, all he finds is strips of linen lying by themselves...He too wonders and is amazed at what has just happened...
Jesus' promise had come true and Peter was there...Not only would He rise from the dead, after three days...But He promises we will rise...John 5:20-21 tells us that to our amazement the Father will show greater things than His Sabbath miracles...For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life; even so the Son gives life to whom it is pleased...
John 5:28-30 foretells this part of the story..."Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me...The Father is the One who sent Him...
This is the most important fact, in our history...The fact that Jesus was resurrected...Jesus died for us, to save us from our sins...Jesus has overcome death, proving He is eternal...This is our first Easter...This is what Easter is really about...This maybe the most important day in our lives...
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son and through His Son...He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life...These things John wrote for us who believe in the name of the Son of God, that we may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:11-13)...
Could death become undone that day?...Could now with Jesus dying and resurrecting, death be beaten, so that we might live eternal?...All this wonderment, mystery, and amazement surrounding Jesus' resurrection can turn into doubt...Take this wonderment, mystery, and amazement and turn it into faith...Our God is a God of miracles...