Thursday, February 16, 2023

Our Great Hope in the Resurrection! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Mark 16:5-8,

"As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, "He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you."' Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid."

Here is the scene when the two Marys and Salome came that first Sunday morning to the tomb Jesus was buried in. They discover it empty and the young man dressed in a white robe tells them Jesus Christ has risen from the dead! Death was unable to hold onto him.

I am reminded of John's comment about Jesus in John 1:4, "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." Jesus tells Mary the sister of Lazarus, "I am the resurrection and the life." John 11:25a. As the Author of Life, the Son of God is life itself. He creates it and sustains it. As the Son of God was able to take on humanity, he was capable of suffering a physical death. But that death was not able to hold him in its grip. He raised others to life while here and having accomplished his mission in sacrificing his life for us, he picked it back up again and lives today! Peter tells us in Acts 3 that he remains in heaven, but when the time comes he is coming back for us!

And the wonderful news is that not only death cannot hold him but for those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, "He who believes in me [Jesus Christ] will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25b-26.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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