Luke 24:1-6
"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. [2] And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, [3] but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. [4] While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. [5] And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead?' [6] He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,"
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We Christians really should get a lot more excited after Good Friday, when Easter comes around. I mean sure, we can get up out of our chairs about it, but can we really respond in such a way that can even compare with how astounding this news truly is? "He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you". How often is it such a big surprize to us that God has done exactly what he said he would do? In the book of Joshua, it talks about how after the Israelites had finished dividing up the land of Canaan amongst themselves, that God had fulfilled his promise to Abraham and their fathers, in bringing them into the promised land. Hundreds of years later, he does the same thing; He kept his promise. This goes to show that the scripture is true, that Jesus Christ truly is the same, "Yesterday, Today, and Forever." There is some real, tangible comfort in that. Our savior is not simply a war hero; he was a casualty, but because He was God, he defeated death and became a survivor, and the propitiation for our sins. And just as he has risen, he also raises us, if we choose also to die to ourselves.
On Easter eve, I was so down in the dumps, so tempted to just give up on trying. But Jesus decided that he would let me know that he was still the same as when I first came to the cross. I was in bed, listening to Christian radio, and this one woman I've never met before asked if I had gotten out of bed in the morning beating myself up about everything, and I had to acknowledge that it was true. I hadn't been living the victory that comes with the cross and the empty tomb. And then she read from Psalm 37.
Psalm 37:23-24
"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; [24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand."
She said "friend, God loves you, no matter what."
At that point, I just sat there and started crying. It was something I needed to hear. That God does not cast his children headlong simply because they fall sometimes, that he holds up their hand. It didn't even need to be for any particular thing. I had been discouraged about nothing, and yet everything.
What God has shown me this Easter is that he shall not change, he shall not cease to be who he has always been, that he delights when we continue to come back to him, and that He is victorious, and in Him we share His victory.
Happy Easter, everyone, hope it was good.
Christ is risen!
On Easter eve, I was so down in the dumps, so tempted to just give up on trying. But Jesus decided that he would let me know that he was still the same as when I first came to the cross. I was in bed, listening to Christian radio, and this one woman I've never met before asked if I had gotten out of bed in the morning beating myself up about everything, and I had to acknowledge that it was true. I hadn't been living the victory that comes with the cross and the empty tomb. And then she read from Psalm 37.
Psalm 37:23-24
"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; [24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand."
She said "friend, God loves you, no matter what."
At that point, I just sat there and started crying. It was something I needed to hear. That God does not cast his children headlong simply because they fall sometimes, that he holds up their hand. It didn't even need to be for any particular thing. I had been discouraged about nothing, and yet everything.
What God has shown me this Easter is that he shall not change, he shall not cease to be who he has always been, that he delights when we continue to come back to him, and that He is victorious, and in Him we share His victory.
Happy Easter, everyone, hope it was good.
Christ is risen!
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