Jesus is Risen

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Scripture: Luke 24:1-7 (ESV)

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women} went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

Devotion:

            It was a miracle! Everybody knows that dead people stay dead. Despite all the miracles and signs Jesus did while he was alive, he still looked like a mere man and nothing more—no wonder the women did not know what to make of the empty tomb. They needed help to understand this event. God provided that help in the form of two men (who we are supposed to take as angels) standing with them suddenly. These men astonished the women by proclaiming that Jesus was no longer dead but alive!

            Even after 2,000 years, it is still true that dead persons stay dead. We still have trouble believing in the incredible miracle that happened on that Sunday so long ago. We want to believe but frequently act as if it were untrue. All four gospel accounts record this miracle, but each account varies slightly from the others. We should not let that distract us from the central truth of what each account proclaims. Jesus is not dead; He has risen.

            Consider this miracle together with John’s gospel chapter three, where it is declared that “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son” to save the world. Now we see how God accomplished that task. It was not enough for Jesus to merely be born of a virgin and do mighty miracles throughout His ministry. He had to come back from the dead to seal His victory over sin and its result death. Our hearts tend toward unbelief, but God confirms the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection by the number and kind of witnesses to that event.

            If we can open our hearts, Jesus will fill them with the Holy Spirit, who will confirm the truth of this account for us. Accepting the reality of the Easter miracle will be a life-changing event. Once we truly believe in the truth of this event, we will go forward to change our world completely. We will be filled with supernatural joy, which will touch everything we do. Alleluia! Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed!

Prayer:

            Lord God almighty, we ask you to fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may truly believe in Jesus's resurrection from the dead. Help us overcome our unbelief. Stay with us through the dark nights of the soul so that, like the ever-constant dawn of the new day, we may be found completely faithful to you and the salvation you provided at the cross and empty tomb. Amen.

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