Resurrection

 

    Jesus died on Friday afternoon.  That means his body had to be prepared hastily because the burial had to be done before dark.  The Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday and last until sundown Saturday.  They could not touch a dead body on the sabbath because that was the rule of man to stay clean.  However, rules come into affect and last so long that you don't even realize that you are following rule, some that are unnecessary.

    The following Sunday morning at dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb to be near Jesus.  There was a violent earthquake as God's angels rolled away the sealed stone in front of Jesus' tomb.  Jesus walked out in pure glory: shining white.  It was beyond what a human mind and body could handle, so both of the guards had passed out.  The resurrection fulfilled many prophecies from the Old Testament.  

    The angels sat on the stone waiting on the Marys to tell them the good news.  They ordered the women not to be afraid, but that they would not find Jesus there.  He was gone.  He had risen as promised and was headed toward Galilee where they would see him.  In joy, and many other strong feelings, the Marys ran to tell the apostles who had all come together again (accept Judas).  Before they made it to them, they came across Jesus themselves.  They immediately began to worship him.  Jesus repeated the message that the angels gave and they were to continue on to the apostles.  Jesus' acceptance of their worship signified his place by God's side.

    The guards woke up and saw that the tomb was empty.  They left to report to their superiors that he was gone.  The priest paid the guards a large sum to lie: Jesus' disciples stole his body.  They could not afford for people to believe in the resurrection of Jesus.  It went against everything they were willing to kill for.  They had to keep their pride because that is all they had left.  There was no holiness to them.  Their story was widely circulated, but so was the truth.  You can't hide the truth forever.

    The 11 apostles went to Galilee and Jesus met them on the mountain as was directed.  I can only imagine what that reunion was like.  The emotions, the joy, the exhaustion was probably overwhelming.   They had to accept Jesus' forgiveness  for all of them abandoning him.  They had to accept their part of the story and that it had to play out the way it did.  None of that is easy.  

    The apostles funneled all of that into worship.  Some did doubt probably because it was just too much, but God's authority took care of that.  It was not a shared hallucination caused by grief or hope.  Analytical people can sometimes struggle with faith.  We like answers.  We like a path that we can see and follow.  Faith is the opposite of all of that.

    Jesus still had some more things to teach them before He left them again.  They would all reunite in Heaven, but their time on Earth was very short.  It was different now too.  They were no independent of Jesus in the fact that he would no longer be holding their hands in their ministry.  He had to go meet more people, so the world could know about His resurrection.  

    Jesus' last bit of loving advice was to out to make disciples in all nations.  Baptize them in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost.  Teach them God's commands.  Jesus promised to always be with them, even when he was not physically with them.  He had taught them everything they needed to succeed.  It was their turn to be the teachers.  Now it is our time.  Our command is the same.  His love for us is the same.

Matthew 28