Easter

Good morning...

This week is known as "Holy Week" in Christian circles. This week as Christians, we recognize the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Many in our world today believe that Jesus is a really nice guy! He was a "good teacher", a "prophet", a "moral man". Let me state with absolute confidence that Jesus is the Son of God who died for sin and rose from the dead! Many would say that they can agree that Jesus was a good man and a prophet but this "rising from the dead thing" is taking it too far. However, to say that Jesus was a good man, a prophet, or good teacher, but deny the resurrection is contradictory. How would a good teacher, prophet or moral man teach that He would die and rise from the dead if He could not do it? By definition, he could not be those things if he was lying about rising fromt he dead. He is either God in human form or He is not, and if not, then he is not a good man, moral man, or good teacher.

Some say that he really didn't die on the cross, that he just feined his death, so he never really died and never really rose from the dead; just recovered. Well, I find it hard to believe that the Roman Government didn't kill Jesus on the cross. These were professional killers so to speak. The Romans knew how to put people to death. Not too long before Jesus' death, the Romans put down the Macabean revolt and literally lined the streets with crucified rebels. Jesus was also scouraged; a horrible punishment where a "cat-o-nine tails" was used. The whip was filled with bone fragments that would slash the skin as it struck him on the back, wrapped around him in the front and dug into the skin pulling it loose as it was pulled back. The death on the cross was real indeed. Jesus claimed that He would rise from the dead and indeed the Bible declares that Jesus rose from the dead and appearred to the disciples at various times and even to a crowd of 500 at one time. Paul stated that many of those people were still alive meaning that they were available to be interviewed in that day. Also, this as just a couple of years after the fact meaning that this was not just some legend that was being repeated. Another factor to consider: What changed the disciples? When Jesus was arrested, they ran away in fear. Peter even denied Jesus three times that night. But after the resurrection, these same disciples became bold prclaimers of his resurrection. Peter even stood in Jerusalem, the city where Jesus died, and proclaimed the gospel story. So obviously, something changed. If Jesus had not risen, would these men have risked life and limb for a lie? I don't think so! These men were martyred for their faith and again, who would give their life for a lie? Don't know of any!
Let me encourage you today: The Bible declares that if we will confess with our mouth "Jesus is Lord", believe that He is the Son of God, believe that He rose from the dead, ask Him to forgive us of our sin and repent of it, that we will be "saved", that is we will be given new life, a life that will be spent in eternity with God in Heaven. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through me."
Friends there is no other way to get to God than through Jesus. We are not all on the pathway to God; we are not all headed there just on a different road. The Bible declares that there are two roads: the broad road that leads to destruction, of which many are on it, and the narrow road that leads to life. Jesus is that narrow road! Let me encourage you to invite the Savior into your heart today! If you would like to ask questions, please comment on this posting with a way for me to contact you and I will be happy to share further.