Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Part Two
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and
Salome, Joanne and the other women (Luke
24:10) quietly walked through the darkness just before sunrise toward the
gravesite where Jesus’ body had been laid on Good Friday. They carried spices (Mark 16:1) which they were to use in
preparation for His burial.
These women had witnessed His suffering and
death. They had heard the centurion’s words at His death, “Truly this was the
Son of God!” They had been there (Matt.
27:55-61) when Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for the body of
Jesus. Joseph had taken the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid
it in his own new tomb. He had rolled a large stone against the entrance of the
tomb.
The next day, the chief priests and the
Pharisees had gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that
when He was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I am to rise again.
Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day,
lest the disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen
from the dead.’ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure
as you know how. So they went and made the grave secure, and along with the
guard they set a seal on the stone.”
Arriving at the tomb the women saw the stone
had been rolled away and that the grave was empty. Two angels appeared to them
and said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He has
risen! Go and tell His disciples and Peter.”
As the first witnesses of the resurrection,
the women ran (Matt. 28:9,17) to tell
the disciples Jesus was alive. As they ran they probably recalled His words, “After
three days I will rise again.” He had also said, “Destroy this temple (speaking
of his body) and in three days I will build another.”
At first the disciples refused to believe
the women (Luke 24:11). After all,
they had watched Him die. They’d seen the soldier pierce His side with a spear.
They’d seen the blood and water that poured out (John
But, then Peter and John arose and raced
toward the tomb to see for themselves. They saw the linen He had been wrapped
in and the empty tomb.
Jesus appeared to many individuals over the
40 days He was on earth after the resurrection (Acts 1:3). He appeared to Mary Magdalene in the Garden (Mark 16:1) and His disciples. He talked
with the two men traveling to Emmaus (Luke
24:13-33). He appeared to Thomas who had not been with the disciples the first
time Jesus appeared to them. Thomas said, “Unless I can touch the scars in His
hand and His side, I will not believe (Luke
24:36)!” Jesus did not abandon Thomas in disbelief, but appeared to Him and
offered His hands and side for inspection. He said to Thomas, “Reach here your
finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side;
and be not unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My
Lord and my God!’”
At first some thought they were seeing a
ghost (Luke 24:37). But, Christ
clarified this by saying, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your
minds? Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see, a ghost
does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. And while they still did not
believe it because of joy and amazement, He asked them, ‘Do you have anything
here to eat?’ They gave Him a piece of boiled fish, and He took it and ate it
in their presence.”
He appeared a third time (John 21:1-19) to His disciples by the
During the days after the resurrection He
explained to the disciples what the Scriptures said about Him. He opened the
disciples’ minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45). He said, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should
suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for
forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations,
beginning from
Later Jesus told his disciples, “All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This Great Commission of the Lord was not
only for the early disciples, but also for you and me. Are you witnessing to
others about the resurrection? Remember the Lord said, “I will make you fishers
of men.” If you are finding it difficult to share your faith, ask the Lord to
help you. He will.
Let’s proclaim the resurrection of Christ!
Yes, Jesus lived a perfect life, suffered, and died for our sins. But, don’t
end your story with His suffering and death on the cross! It is not the end of
the story! The good news is that Jesus rose from the dead! He has risen! He has
risen indeed! Alleluia!
Kay L. Meyer
is the founder and president of Family Shield Ministries, Inc. and host of its
weekly radio program. The program is heard each Saturday at