I found this in a magazine. It was written by Charles Stanley. I figured it would be a good topic since Easter is this coming Sunday, and many people don't know the real significance of Easter. Hopefully this will shed some light...
Jesus told His disciples He was the Messiah. He told them all authority had been given to him by the Father, and no one would be able to take His life from Him--He could call down legions of angels if need be.
He said these things, and then He hung from a cross between two thieves. He bled and died, but no angels came to save Him. Roman soldiers shamed and crucified Him. Where was the Jesus who had made such a lofty promise? For the disciples, Good Friday must have seemed like the end of the world--everything they had put their faith in appeared to have fallen apart. The One in whom they had placed their trust was dead.
More often then not, God's ways are so different from ours that we fail to see His hand working in difficult circumstances. Easter is a good time to reflect on the paradox of life given to us through death. The Scriptures do not promise us lives without pain and suffering; they guarantee only that Jesus will walk with us through our trials. And that we will find Him on the other side of adversity.
Three days after all hope had died, an angel cried out, "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Slowly, the majesty of His perfect plan began to unfold. The Christ in whom the disciples had believed was indeed the Savior. And He had risen from the dead.
This statement--that Christ had risen--was the most powerful message the disciples had ever heard. The very words transformed them.
And it is still the most powerful message more than 2,000 years later. We can experience all the soothing feelings that accompany forgiveness and the gratefulness of a gift received, and we should. But knowing with certainty that Jesus has risen changes a person from the inside out. To believe in your heart and to know confidently that the Son of God died, conquered death, and rose from the grave--that's the acid test of a true believer.
If you've never truly committed your life to Christ, consider what He did at Calvary and how the transforming power of that act could change your life today.
He did it for you!
InTouch Magazine, A Word from Charles Stanley
Jesus showed His power over death when He rose from the dead with a new body. This same power defeats Satan and guarantees that if we believe in Jesus and know Him as our Lord and Savior we, too, will be resurrected one day with a new body and live forever in heaven. For Christians, the Resurrection is everything!
If Christ had not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.
If Christ had not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17
2 comments:
I think a lot of times we all forget the true meaning of certain holidays. Two main examples are Christmas and Easter. We get caught up in the meanings the world has given these sacred holidays and forget what we should really be celebrating. Easter is supposed to remind us of Christ's victory over death. He was crucified on the cross and rose three days later just like He said He would. This assures us that when we die (if we believe and have accepted Jesus as our Savior), we will not simply cease to exist...we will be resurrected like Jesus was and given a new body to live with Him in Heaven for ever! I know I get caught up in the "hoorah" created by the world surrounding days that are meant to be holy. But I think it is very important that we understand the real reason we celebrate days like Easter and Christmas. These days offer us hope and strength. They remind us that something better lies ahead of us.
In today's fast paced society we don't often take the time to "Be still and know that I am God". He is God. He is an awesome God. He loves us and sent His son to die for us and then up from the grave He arose. It is our hope of eternal and everlasting life. It just doesn't get much better than that. When we know that this life is not "it". There is something to look forward to.
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