The Resurrection Message
The King is coming, He is risen!
As the angel said to the women at the empty tomb, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He has risen, just as He said (Matthew 28:5-7, NIV).
Jesus appears over a span of 40 days, after his resurrection and before his ascension, to various groups and individuals.
His first appearance was to Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb (John 20:11-18). Other key accounts include his appearances to the disciples in a locked room (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-23), to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and to doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29). He ate fish by the Sea of Galilee with some disciples to prove he is not a ghost, saying, “You are witnesses of these things.” And to 500 of our brethren at the same time, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7.
Why would he do this? So, there would be eyewitnesses to his resurrection for generations to come. At that time, culturally, since there were no cell phones to take quick pics or post short videos on YouTube as proof, Oral Tradition was held as “the gold standard for any occurrence and could be passed down as being “the gospel truth” from generation to generation. The narratives themselves were subject to self-correction because so many individuals had witnessed supernatural miracles and heard his preaching/teaching firsthand. They all passed down the same precise stories without exception. If someone wanted to embellish it or negate its validity, for example, by adding “The fish was this big” or “Do you really think he cast all of those demons out of that man?” there would be individuals from these communities who would correct them publicly, word for word. It was held as a sacred trust at that time.
Allow this Easter to give you the possibility of a rebirth and renewal in your spirits. Allow the confirmation of the Holy Spirit (Your inner witness) to testify that Jesus truly is risen. This 1 crucial fact has been passed down from generation to generation after Pentecost. How else could you possibly explain, or how else would it even be fathomable, that so many of us worship and follow Christ over 2000 years later, after his death, burial, and resurrection, with such fervor?
In closing, I would be very remiss not to quote his words as he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of our Father, ever interceding for us all, found in Matthew 27:16-19:
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Therefore, “GO” for he is risen indeed, and King Jesus will come again for he is Faithful and True. Amen.
