The Living Among the Dead

     The sun had not yet risen on that first day of the week. It had been three days since they laid Jesus in the tomb. The women had prepared the necessary spices for the Lord's body. The spices would cover the odor that would surely be coming from the dark hole carved from the rock. After all, it had been three days. But when the women arrived at the Lord's burial site the stone had been rolled aside. What was going on?

Mary Magdalene poked her head inside the tomb and saw two men in glowing garments and they asked her, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." (Luke 24:5-6) At first, Mary thought Jesus' body had been stolen. Things still weren't clicking. It took several conversations and appearances for all the disciples to believe Jesus had indeed risen from the dead--just as he said he would. (Matthew 28:6)

The crucifixion was an excruciatingly painful day for those who believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of Israel. The resurrection turned out to be joyful beyond reason. The puzzle pieces finally fell into place. The disciples remembered the teaching of Lord about his death and resurrection. They remembered the prophecies written about Jesus centuries before his birth. Every one was fulfilled the day of his resurrection.

So why didn't the story end with Jesus' death on the cross? He had accomplished what he set out to do. He died for all sinners. He was the perfect sacrifice. God's wrath was satisfied. But Jesus rose again to guarantee the life we will enjoy with him in heaven. It's why the lambs had to be sacrificed continually for the people of Israel. Those creatures, innocent as they may have been, did not come back to life. Their death was permanent. Jesus' wasn't. His return to life secured our future return to life as God had intended. We will be with him eternally and that can only happen if we're alive. 

We celebrate the resurrection because it completes the work of salvation for those who believe. We celebrate the resurrection because it secures our future with the Lord for eternity. Hallelujah! What a Savior!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Walmart Experience

      It's a foregone conclusion that when we go to Walmart, we can expect to experience any number of things. From the woman wearing a bikini and high heels to the girl in pajamas and slippers, we are neither shocked nor surprised by such sightings anymore. My experience the other day was different, but certainly within the realm of possible Walmart encounters. My mom and I went to pick up a few things. These excursions usually begin with me coasting up and down parking lot aisles becoming ever more frustrated as I look for a handicap spot. It can be almost impossible to find one simply because of the general clientele of the superstore chain with discount prices. It would behoove them to add more than the requisite number of parking spaces for those with mobility issues, but that's another subject for another day.  I finally found a non-handicap spot with enough room to squeeze a motorized cart to the passenger door for my mom. I went in through the market entrance and h
Read more

Skipping Sunday

Someone recently asked me if I hate Tuesdays. I answered, “Yes.” Doug died on a Tuesday and they will be hard for me for the foreseeable future. As I thought more about that conversation I came to realize that Sundays are even harder. I would like to go to bed on Saturday and not wake up until Monday. I would like to skip Sunday. We were together on Sundays more often than any other day of the week and when we returned to the US it was difficult for me to go and sit in a church service and not participate in some way. However, my ministry role had transitioned from that of pastor’s wife to full-time caregiver and I could not slack. I had to be content with sitting in a service when I could and allow others to minister. Since Doug’s Home going, Sundays have become even more difficult. Songs of worship often bring on tears; especially the ones that address the resurrection. When someone prays, I find myself reaching for Doug’s hand. When the pastor makes an interesting point, I want
Read more

When a Church goes Above and Beyond

          The First Baptist Church of Hamburg, New York has a long history and heritage. Founded in 1810, the church has been a presence in the community for more than 200 years. It began with a small group of German believers and experienced consistent growth throughout the 19th century.            This growth resulted in the founding of three other churches in the area, all of which are still in existence. The First Baptist Churches of Eden and East Aurora are worshiping and impacting their communities in the village centers. Armor Baptist Church was established in a small community at a crossroad. It has since changed its name to Armor Bible Church. The 20th century brought about a burden for missions and several families called First Baptist their commissioning church. The Harold (Doug's father) Reiner family was commissioned and left for the field of Brazil in 1948. About 10 years later, Harold's brother, Ray also went to Brazil to preach the Gospel. Doug and I were the
Read more