On this Saturday of Easter weekend, I tend to think of how the followers of Jesus were mentally tormented as flashbacks of Jesus' final hours invaded their thoughts and dreams...if they slept at all. Easter morning had not yet dawned, so they had no idea of the glorious miracle they would be greeted with the next morning. They were in a dark place. Although Jesus had predicted His resurrection, the anguish of the disciples had obviously erased that from their minds. I'm sure they were ashamed of their cowardice, as they ran from Jesus and the guards, and let Jesus suffer alone. However, on this side of history, we can look back and rejoice at what they were about to experience. How the 3 ladies came to the tomb to find it open and empty, except for the graveclothes Jesus was wearing. How the angels told them that Jesus had risen and was alive! How the disciples doubted the story of the women and tried to shut them up. And then, how Jesus suddenly appeared in the room with them. How I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when He appeared! But did Jesus chastise them for their desertion? Did He condemn Peter for denying Him? No! He came in love and forgiveness. When the disciples saw Jesus with their own eyes, they knew it was true! He was alive! Jesus also addressed us here in 2015, when He said that those who believed in Him without seeing Him would be blessed. There was an earthquake this morning in Oklahoma, with tremors felt here in my hometown of Hutchinson. I was in my room doing some work on my computer when I felt a shake, and things in my room began to sway a bit. Normally, the ground will shake when a train goes by a few blocks away. But this was different. There was no train, and things swayed much more than what a train might cause. It made me reflect on the earthquakes that occurred during the first Easter events. When Jesus died, an earthquake caused the veil in the temple to tear from top to bottom, representing the fact that people no longer had to go to the priest to ask God's forgiveness for their sins. People now had a direct line to God, and could talk to Him themselves. An animal sacrifice was no longer required, as a perfect sacrifice had been made (Jesus) for all time, and for all people. On that first Easter morning, an earthquake knocked out the guards to Jesus' tomb and rolled the stone away from the entrance. How appropriate for an earthquake to occur this morning to get my thoughts going!
Are you experiencing a Saturday? Are the memories of the past tormenting you in your thoughts and dreams? Are you in a dark place? I'm here to let you know that you don't have to experience this alone. On the other side of the door is Jesus, ready to help you bear the heavy load you carry. Do you need to meet Jesus today? If you will admit to Him that you have sinned and need Him to save you, believe in what He has done to save you, and will invite Him to come into your life, you will be a genuine child of God, with a Heavenly Father who will never leave you or forsake you. You are promised a home in Heaven, where you will meet Jesus face-to-face, and will see the nail prints in His hands and feet, symbols of His love for you. I can't wait for that day.
I have more info to share with you, but I feel this message is sufficient for today. I will fill you in all of the other details of my life in a separate post. God has basically taken over my hands today as I type, so I am feeling that someone needed to see this today. I pray that your Easter is Christ-filled and full of His love. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
No comments:
Post a Comment