Easter: The Cross Before and AfterPrimjer

An Encounter

The empty tomb is not enough. There is more. In the Gospels, those who saw or knew about the empty tomb of Jesus had many different reactions. Mary was weeping even after seeing the empty tomb and thought the body of Jesus had been taken away. Thomas, even after hearing the testimony of others who had seen Jesus, said that he would not believe until he could personally touch the nail-scarred hands of Jesus. The two followers of Jesus who were walking on the road to Emmaus were confused and uncertain. Just knowing the tomb in which Jesus was buried was empty did not translate into the belief that Jesus was the Living Lord. That which dried Mary's tears caused Thomas to believe and made the two men who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus move from confusion to exhilaration! It was the fact that they had an encounter with the risen Christ.

Personal conversion is a matter of the heart, not just the head. Transformation of one's life requires something deeper than mental recognition or agreement of some set of facts. This miracle takes place as we encounter something, or rather Someone, who is very much alive. True belief in Jesus goes deeper than our minds can comprehend. It includes the function of our hearts. Paul said that without the reality of the resurrection, our faith is in vain. God always deals with us at a deeper level than our heads. He comes to dwell in human hearts. 

We see this on that first Easter morning. Beginning with Mary, continuing with all the disciples, including Thomas, and the two men who ran seven miles back to Jerusalem from their home in Emmaus after realizing they were with the living Jesus, to share their story with others.

It was the same for Paul, who encountered Christ on the road to Damascus. When the risen Lord becomes an encountered reality, everything changes. This is why Jesus appeared to many in the days between His resurrection and His ascension into heaven. It is why He comes in dreams and visions to so many who have no access to the written Word of God or the message of the Gospel. It is why He takes the written Word, and moves it from our heads to our hearts, and reveals Himself to us through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. I always believed the right things about Jesus, but my life was only transformed when I had an encounter with Him. What was in my head became something that I experienced as a reality in the depths of my being, and Christ came "to dwell in my heart by faith."

The resurrection is a reality. Not only is the tomb empty, but the Savior is alive. When we encounter the risen Lord, life is different. Since Jesus lives, He is far more than a person on the pages of history. He is the One who will walk with us every single day.