“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it…Then the angel spoke to the women. “DON’T BE AFRAID I KNOW YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JESUS, who was crucified. He isn’t here! HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, JUST AS HE SAID would happen.” (Matthew 28:1-6)
Paul said, “…if Christ has not been raised, our preaching IS USELESS and so is YOUR FAITH.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) Jesus told His followers that He would rise from the dead, they must not have heard Him, “Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that HE MUST BE KILLED AND ON THE THIRD DAY BE RAISED TO LIFE. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!” (Matthew 16:21-22) At this Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan! You are standing in my way. You do not have in mind THE THINGS OF GOD. Instead, you are THINKING ABOUT HUMAN THINGS.” (Matthew 16:23)
“Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so THE SON OF MAN WILL BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.” (Matthew 12:38-40) “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” He said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will MOCK HIM and SPIT ON HIM, FLOG HIM and KILL HIM. Three days later HE WILL RISE.” (Mark 10:32-34)
“The Jews responded to Jesus, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I WILL RAISE IT AGAIN IN THREE DAYS. They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple He had spoken of WAS HIS BODY. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then THEY BELIEVED THE SCRIPTURE and the words that Jesus had spoken.” (John 2:18-22)
Who was there early Sunday morning? “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices…Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb…” (Mark 16:1-2) None of His disciples were there because, when “Mary Magdalene, told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” (Luke 24:10-11)
ALL OF THE OTHER SO-CALLED-SAVIORS DIED AND ARE BURIED SOMEWHERE BUT NOT JESUS, HE IS SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD WAITING TO COME AND CATCH US AWAY… DO WE BELIEVE???
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham