Passion: The Last Moments of Jesus' LifeSample

It’s dawn.

April 9th, AD 30.

Sunday’s finally here.

Two grieving women walk to the grave of their fallen hero. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the Mother of James and Salome, somberly approach the borrowed tomb.

A second earthquake has hit.

Angels are on the scene.

The guards have fled in terror.

The stone is rolled away.

The angels insist the two women have nothing to fear but a lot to tell.

“Deep in wonder and full of joy,” they sprint back to the others.

. . . . .

See, a few days ago, we stared at the Cross, and even through the pain, we embraced the power of love. Today, we step into the empty tomb with those women, and even through all our confusion, we embrace the power of hope.

The resurrection is hope.

Because the worst day gave way to the best day, so can yours.

Because Jesus rose again to new life, so can you.

As the famous old revivalist Jonathan Edwards once said, “The resurrection of Christ is the most joyful event that ever came to pass.”

See, Jesus did so many beautiful things, but like Paul told his friends in the Corinthian church –

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied….”

But.

“… Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

The resurrection changes everything.

Oh, and that Spirit that Jesus now pours into His followers?

It’s not “… a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind… the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” (2nd Timothy 1, Romans 6)

The same power that circulated Jesus’s body and raised Him up – now circulates inside you if you belong to Him. Oh, what our lives might look like if we believed that, operated in that, lived like that.

Yes, "This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, ‘What’s next… ‘” (Romans 8 MSG)

When Jesus rose again, the first day of the week even changed. And now the rest of our lives can change as well.

Please. Don’t just read this, but hear this - deep inside:

No matter where you’re from, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, what’s been done to you, or where you are now - today, there is hope for you.

Read that again. Read it until the words on the inside of this screen are written across the inside of your heart.

Because the tomb is empty, hope is on the table. Right now.

But maybe for now, maybe just for today, and maybe tomorrow, maybe just maybe, we just need this a straightforward reminder to sink like glowing morsels into our souls -

Jesus lives.

And therefore, as it’s been said before - to any aching or lonely or grieving or empty hearts reading these words, remember this -

Saturday can’t last forever.

Sunday came.

And so, Sunday will come.

“Who told you that night would never end in day? Don’t you know that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Be full of hope! Hope forever! For God does not fail you.” - Charles Spurgeon

He is risen.

He is risen indeed.

REFLECTION QUESTION

How much hope do you feel or not feel right now? How might the reality of the resurrection affect that?