On the third day, Sunday, around the break of dawn, the earth shook around Jesus' tomb, just as it had when He gave up His last breath on Friday. The soldiers standing guard at the tomb awoke to see the large rock rolled away from the tomb opening and there was no one inside. They ran to tell the priests.
The priests bribed the guards and told them that if anyone asked, they were to say that Jesus' disciples had snuck in during the night, rolled away the stone and took Jesus. The guards were threatened so they took the bribe.
Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb with spices and fragranced oils to anoint the body of Jesus, but seeing the stone rolled away and the tomb empty, she was alarmed and ran to tell Peter. He and John ran to the tomb to find that Jesus was indeed gone. They didn't understand about Jesus rising from the dead on the third day, so they each went home.
Mary stood outside the tomb and two angels were inside; one seated at where the head of Jesus had been and the other at the place where Jesus' feet had been.
Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had spoken these things to her.
John 20:13-18 NKJV
Ten of the disciples were gathered in one place, hiding from the Jews (only Thomas was missing. Judas had hung himself for betraying Jesus) when Jesus appeared to them. Even though He was able to appear to them without using an opened door, He was flesh and blood. He showed the disciples His hands, feet, and side, and they believed. When Thomas got back, they told him about Jesus but Thomas didn't believe them (this is where we get the term/phrase "doubting Thomas"). He said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” John 20:25b NKJV
The next time that Jesus appeared to them, Thomas was there. Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:27-29 NKJV
This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
John 21:24-25 NKJV
The "disciple who testifies of these things..." is John. John usually refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved;" he was there as an eyewitness to all of it, from Jesus' ministry, to His arrest, trials, and even His crucifixion. John was there to inspect the tomb after Jesus arose and he was there when Jesus ascended into Heaven.
Before Jesus ascended, He told His disciples:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
This is our job, our purpose for living, and our hope.
*********
Please join me in praying for our Lord and Savior, remembering what He did for us nearly 2000 years ago. Pray with thanksgiving. Testify what Jesus has done for you, what He continues to do for you, and what it means to have Him in your life.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
No comments:
Post a Comment