Matthew 28:5-7 (The Passion Translation) The women were breathless and terrified, until the angel said to them, \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to be afraid. I know you\u2019re here looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn\u2019t here\u2014he has risen victoriously, just as he said! Come inside the tomb and see the place where our Lord was lying. Then run and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead! I give you his message: \u2018I am going on ahead of you to Galilee, and you will see me there.\u2019\u201d (The Message Bible ends the verse with the angel saying, \u201cThat\u2019s the message.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most powerful message ever delivered! The most powerful message fulfilled! Jesus was crucified\u00ad\u00ad\u2014beaten, nailed to a cross, murdered\u2014all for our sins! He was taken down from the cross and placed inside a tomb. A huge boulder was sealed over the opening with Roman guards stationed in front to see that it wasn\u2019t disturbed. Just as it was written by the prophets of the Old Testament, word for word! (Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22.) Why were their words so important then and now? The Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillment came together in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Undeniable proof! I had a drafting teacher in High School. Every day he would have us repeat, \u201cYour pencil never forgets!\u201d Meaning, once you write it down, you can\u2019t forget it! We used to mock him for saying it, but all these years later, it has proven true in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prophets understood what my teacher hammered into us, \u201cWrite it down and you\u2019ll never forget!\u201d So when Jesus kept saying, \u201cThe Son of Man [referring to Himself] will suffer and be crucified and on the third day will rise from the dead,\u201d the disciples would have known and memorized those Old Testament prophesies. It was in writing that YES, Jesus would be back, resurrected in 3 days! It is written! He will rise! But when it actually took place, how could they have forgotten?! I love verse 6, \u201cHe is not here. He was raised, just as he said<\/em>!\u201d The angel was saying, \u201cRemember?!\u201d But that\u2019s not all! The angel then says, \u201cHe is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. That\u2019s the message<\/em>.\u201d Why did he say, \u201cThat\u2019s the message?\u201d Simple! Dead people don\u2019t pass on messages to us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n John 1:1 (Amplified Classic) In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus is the Word. The words of Jesus and the deeds of Jesus were written down. It is as He said. Believe it, because it is written! Jesus gave us His Word: He loves you! He will forgive you for the asking! He will save you if you ask! How do I know? Open your Bible. Everything is written down! Read His Word for yourself! Apply it to your life! If the Bible says you are forgiven, then you are forgiven! If it says Jesus loves you, that\u2019s because Jesus loves you! If it says He was dead and He is alive, sitting at the right hand of His Father, then that is where He is! Take Him at his Word!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Angel came from Heaven with a message<\/em>: Nothing to see here! There is no body in here. Jesus is not here. He\u2019s risen. You can come in and see where he used to be, but He is gone! This boulder in front of this tomb couldn\u2019t stop Him because death could not hold onto Him. Jesus is alive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n On our Easter Sunday, we celebrate that the Word, Jesus, walked out of the tomb just as He said He would! So open your Bible and let the Word come alive inside of you! The tomb is empty because He is alive and His Word is alive! Hallelujah!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Matthew 28:5-7 (The Passion Translation) The women were breathless and terrified, until the angel said to them, \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to be afraid. I know you\u2019re here looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn\u2019t here\u2014he has risen victoriously, just as he said! Come inside the tomb and see the place where our Lord was … Continue reading Easter is an Empty Holiday<\/span>