He is Risen

Dear Weekly Readers!  

I hope each of you have a very Blessed Easter and Holy Week!

This time of year is so precious to us as Christians, because it is not only a time to remember, it is who we are.  The events of this week give us our very life, our very being, and our true identity!

This week I want to share with you just a few points from Mark chapter 16, which is where I spoke from in our church on Easter Sunday morning.

We first notice in verses 1-4, as the women were walking toward the tomb where Jesus was laid, that they began to talk about the large stone that was blocking the entrance to the tomb.  They began to worry about the practical things in their life at the moment.  They wondered how they could get in to where Jesus was with the stone in the way.    Notice that they kept walking toward where Jesus was while they wondered about this.  They did not give up on their attempt to see Jesus and return home, but they continued on.

How many times do we as people begin to worry about the practical things in life?  We spend so much time focusing on the natural things, the practical things of life.  Let us make sure that even though we have to deal with these things, that we do NOT alter our course.  Let us make sure we continue on toward the Lord Jesus Christ!  As in Philippians 3:14… I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Do not get sidetracked.  Do not allow the devil to take your eyes off the prize, off the goal!  Keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus so you do not begin to sink like Peter sank in the water.  If we do that, we will realize that God will move the “stones” from the way, and we will see Jesus.

We notice in our text in verses 5 and 6 that when they entered the tomb, there was a man sitting there.  Another Gospel tells us this was an angel.  We see that the angel is having a conversation with them, just as God still speaks to man today in any number of ways. The angel said not to be afraid.  He said to look at the place where they laid him.   He is not here, He is RISEN!!    We still have these words to live by today.  He is risen!  What a wonderful thing!     Because He is risen, the grave has lost its sting.  Victory has been won.  Because He is risen, we can pray in Jesus’ name because He is alive and is on the right hand of God, making intercession for us!   Because He is alive and has conquered death, we as Christians live!

What a wonderful and Victorious Lord we have.  He wants to show us the risen Lord today!  He wants us to hear His Voice and follow him!

I love how in verse 7 the angel of the Lord instructs them to go tell Peter.  God wanted Peter to know that Jesus is risen.  Why?  We can read in scriptures that Peter, while a great man, also had many failings.  He failed to keep his eyes on Jesus and sank in the water.  On the last days of Jesus’ life on earth, Peter denied Jesus three times.  We see how after the third strong denial by Peter, the rooster crowed.  Then Jesus looked at Peter.   Jesus did not condemn him or strike him dead; He just looked at Peter.  Peter was then deeply convicted, saddened, and went out and wept bitterly.  

Let this be a lesson for us.  No matter how far we have fallen, Jesus still looks upon us with love.  He wants us to know and be assured that because He is alive, we can believe that His complete work has covered our sins and washed them away.  He wants us to know that He is Lord, that He loves, He forgives, and He is Risen!  He is the Living Lord Jesus and wants us to hear His voice and come to Him. 

He wants us to come just as we are!  Do not look at our surroundings.  So often we can begin to grumble that things are not so good or perfect.  Do not look at our past sins or troubles.  But LOOK TO JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith! Look to the one who shed all His Blood on the cross to wash our sins away!  Look to the Risen Lord and Live because HE lives!  Live in the Power of His resurrection!  We of course know that we cannot come to faith and believe this unless God calls us and gives us the faith to do so!  So let us humbly call upon Him and hear His voice.

Philippians 3: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…

May each of us believe by faith in the complete redemptive work of Jesus Christ the Lord today!

 

May God Bless your entire life in the Lord Jesus!