Looking back over what happened to Jesus …

I cannot imagine seeing my Lord endure the pain, suffering, and humiliation that His loved ones, friends, and followers witnessed.  It appeared all hope was lost when He died on the cross.  The sky was black, the earth quaked, the DEAD walked the streets, and the temple veil was ripped from top to bottom.  Can you even envision the chaos and utter despair of that moment?

Can you picture yourself waking up on the next hopeless day.  Was it all a nightmare?  He came to save us.  What went wrong?  I know what I saw.  He drove out demons.  He calmed the storms!  He taught with such authority.  He raised the dead.  The sick were healed.  Did I dream this?  The world seems different.  Things are dark … what is HAPPENING?

Mark 16

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.  When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.  

These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.   And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

    

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

He did it for YOU and for me.  Do you know Him?  


Happy Resurrection Day Everyone!

It is ALL about Him.