JEWELS FOR THE SOUL

HE IS NOT HERE, BUT IS RISEN! (Luke 24:6a)

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If you believe God exists, and He created the universe and has power over it, then you must believe He has power to raise the dead. We know that God has all power, He is a God with no limits of power, therefore God is worthy of our faith and worship. Jesus Christ conquered death on the cross, it defines the most important difference between Christianity and all other religions. No other religious leader ever predicted his own death and resurrection. (Matthew 16:21) Jesus’ resurrection from death is the first time that anyone was resurrected from death never to die again, others who were resurrected eventually died a second time, but Jesus conquered death on the cross once and for all time, never to die again.

"Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
"It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Jesus' friend got sick and died. But Jesus said that Lazarus sickness was not unto death. Jesus knew he would live again when He resurrected him. Jesus told the disciples "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up". "Then the disciple's thought Jesus was saying Lazarus was sleeping as in resting, so they said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well". (John 11:12). Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (John 11:14). "So when Jesus came, He found that he already been in the tomb four days. (John 11:17). "Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." "But even now I know that whatever you "ask of God, God will give you." John 11:21-22). "Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again". (John 11:23). "Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day".

Jesus said to her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, THOUGH HE MAY DIE, HE SHALL LIVE”. (John 11:25)

"AND WHOEVER LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS"? (John 11:26)

“She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world”. “And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you”. (John 11:27-28)

“Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. “And He said, where have you laid him? They said to Him, “Lord, come and see”. (John 11:32-34)

“JESUS WEPT.” (John 11:35)

“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it”. Jesus said, “Take away the stone”. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days”. (John 11:38-39)

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father I thank you that you have heard me. And I know that you always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” (John 11:40-42)

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, LAZARUS COME FORTH!” (John 11:43)

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, LOOSE HIM, AND LET HIM GO. (John 11:44)

“Jesus Wept”. He wept for His friend Lazarus, Jesus knew that He would bring glory to the Father that day. His friend had died, and Jesus was going to resurrect him, and Lazarus would live again, he would continue to be the living brother of Mary and Martha. Yes, Lazarus will live again, and Lazarus would also die again. Maybe that is why “Jesus wept”. Or maybe Jesus knowing that resurrecting Lazarus back to life meant that Lazarus had to continue to live in a sinful world, he would continue to live in a morally bad and wicked world, also in a world where there is the absence of love, forgiveness and true fellowship with God and each other. So, Jesus wept. It was right of the back of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus that He, the Savior, the Lord, of our life was looking at the cross at Calvery where “HE” would soon be crucified so brutely in a few days. Jesus even foretold His crucifixion, He said “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” (John 12:23).

The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history, and providing irrefutable evidence that Jesus is who He claimed to be, who is the Son of God. Jesus said, He will be killed, and be raised the third day. As you can read irrefutable scriptures that validates the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (John 2:19-21). The Jew’s thought Jesus was speaking of the temple building, “but He was speaking of the temple of His body”. (Mark 8:31) “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 9:31); (Mark10:34). The important thing about the resurrection is “If Christ’s body was not resurrected, we have no hope that we will be resurrected (1Corinthians 15:13,16). Apart from Christ’s bodily resurrection, we have no Savior, no salvation, and no hope of eternal life. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, His promise holds true for us. “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Our great enemy, death, will be defeated (1Corinthians 15:26, 54-55). Through Jesus resurrection, God declares us righteous; Jesus “was raised to life for our justification” (Roman 4:25). The gift of the Holy Spirit was sent from the resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus (John 16:7).

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

Have a Blessed Resurrection Day!!! Praise the Lord!!!