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Resurrection!
The empty cross, the empty tomb, the greatest promise of hope ever given!
"But now
is Christ
risen from the dead,
and become the first
fruits of them that
slept" (1 Corinthians
15:20)
The Green Hill Far Away
There is a green hill far away
Without a city wall,
Where our dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.
We may not know, we cannot tell, What pains he had to bear; But we believe it was for us He hung and suffered there.
He died that we might be forgiven, He died to make us good, That we might go at last to heaven Saved by his precious blood.
There was no other good enough To pay the price of sin; He only could unlock the gate Of heaven and let us in.
chorus: Oh, dearly, dearly has he
loved, And we must love him too,
And
trust in his redeeming blood, And try
his works to do.
From the Brethren In Christ hymnal, by
Mrs. Cecil F. Alexander (1848)
This is the time of year when most people's thoughts are centered upon Easter. Ladies are anxious to dawn their new dresses and shoes. The children are excited because they get a few days off from school and the extra treat brought by the Easter bunny, the Easter egg hunts, candy and so on. But what makes Easter Sunday important has nothing to do with clothing and frills, candy and egg hunts, not even the mysterious and elusive rabbit.
Some make a rare visit to church, which they avoid like the plague the rest of the year, excepting for Christmas. My mother-in-law refers to them as "the C and E bunch". But, not even this, in itself has anything to do with Easter.
The great thing about Easter is the great "good news" that Jesus Christ rose from the grave. It was our sin that put Him there and His righteousness which took Him out again. Jesus taught that He would die as a sin substitute for man, that He would remain in the grave three days and nights, culminating on Sunday morning. He was the only substitute possible to take away sin for He is the only man who was without sin.
On that blessed Sunday morning Christ arose from the dead demonstrating victory over Satan, sin, death, hell and the grave. In Him, we too, may overcome death, the last enemy. When He poured out His blood on the cross He died as the sacrificial lamb (John 1:29), Who had the power to remove, not just cover sin.
Jesus testified, "I am the
resurrection, and the life: he
that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live;
And whosover liveth and believeth
in me shall never die"
(John 11:25-26).
We can personally have
the same victory by trusting
Jesus Christ for forgiveness
of sin and everlasting life.
Jesus died in public on a
crude, cruel cross. He was
buried before witnesses and
when He arose, He publically
showed Himself alive before
many witnesses. This, to attest
to the fact of His bodily
resurrection from the dead.
In John 20, Mary Magdalene,
His disciples, including
doubting Thomas saw Him.
Paul said, in 1 Corinthians
15:3-7; "Christ died
for our sins according to the
scriptures; And he was buried,
and rose again on the third
day according to the scriptures:
And was seen of Cephas, then
the twelve:
After that, he was
seen of above five hundred
brethren at once;...After
that, he was seen of James;
then all of the apostles. And
last of all he was seen of me
also".
They were certainly blessed in
seeing Him alive and believing
Him because of it. However,
Jesus points to another time,
a time in the future and speaks
of blessing upon those who will
believe, not having seen with
eyes, as Thomas and the others had, but with their minds and hearts.
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29).
Some have a hard time believing the resurrection is true, but, after the fact Jesus said,"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:18).
By faith in His vicarious and substitutionary death on the cross, suffering shame and humiliation for our sin, we have life eternal in Him. When he was burned at the stake, John Hus was given a mocker's paper crown to wear. He responded; "My Lord wore a crown of thorns for me. So I will gladly wear this light, though ignominious crown for Him."
In His resurrection, we have everlasting hope and the promise of His personal, bodily return for us to be with Him.
We all need to have this hope, this absolute assurance. One can only have it in Jesus Christ. Apart from Him there is no hope!
Apart from Him there is no life! Apart from Him there is no purpose! Where do you stand this Easter season? Do you have a part in His resurrection? Or, are you still spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-2)?
This personal, blessed assurance can be yours. It is offered to all who will accept it without charge. It is truly free. If you accept it you will also be truly free. Easter is the commemoration of Jesus' rising from the death and the grave and it can be a celebration of your rising into newness of life with Him if you'll call upon Him. He will save you, forgive you and be your best personal friend forever.
"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
Low in the grave He lay - Jesus my Savior! Waiting the coming day - Jesus my Lord!
Vainly they watch His bed - Jesus my Savior! Vainly they seal the dead - Jesus my Lord!
Death cannot keep his prey - Jesus my Savior! He tore the bars away - Jesus my Lord!
Refrain: Up form the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o'er His foes; He arose [the] Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Is He your Savior? This is the question we must all answer in our own hearts. No one else on earth can answer for us nor can they make our decision for us Who He is to be in our lives.
Jesus asked His disciples who the people round about thought He was.
This is recorded in Matthew 16:13-17;
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
Tackling the same question, about the same time in history, Josephus, a Roman-Jewish historian recounts:
"Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,- a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles.
He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had fortold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named for him, are not extinct at this day"
(Flavius Josephus, Book viii, Antiquities of the Jews, @ A.D. 93, under Domitian the emperor of Rome).
Now, let me ask again. Who is Jesus Christ in your life? Savior of stranger? Lord or legend? The eternal Son of God or a man Who once lived? The burden is upon you to decide and decide you must.
For He will eithr be your Savior and Sovereign, or He will one day be your judge.
The Bible makes Him God the Son Who rose again from the dead on the third day and offers eternal life to all who will accept it.
Paul gave us his testimony in Romans chapter 1;
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" (Romans 1:1-4).
Not only is there a profound hope in the RESURRECTION, but there is greater promise in His RETURN!
Forty days after the resurrection Jesus met with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, giving them encouragement and instruction. Then, He was lifted out of their sight into heaven. There two angels spoke to them of His return.
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven"
(Acts 1:9-11).
Created for EASTER, 1998 (© April 1, 1998)
Revised April, 1999 and April, 2000
Rev. C. David Coyle
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The clip art was provided by:Christian Media (UK)
