Arisen

14. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

I hope everyone had a wonderful “resurrection weekend.”  I did.  But I always enjoy my weekends.   I love being in church and around the people and things of God.  It’s just the best. 

Our text for today is found in the book of Luke.  I know we are not finish with Matthew yet, but of all the gospels this is my absolute favorite account of the resurrection story.  I want to share it with you.  

 Luke 24: 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in

Galilee: 7 ’The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from

Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to

Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 ”What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem

Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 Our story opens up with the women going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus.  If you remember on last week, we studied the story of the women with the alabaster box of oil that came to Jesus and anointed him and Jesus defended her inspite of the indignation of the disciples indicating that she had done this for his burial and I went on and on about how awesome it was that Jesus knew when the women came to anoint his body that he would have been risen so he was anointed while he was still alive.    I just think that is so powerful …..  It’s amazing how the scriptures harmonize.   

My favorite part of this account is when the two disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus and Jesus comes up behind them and asked them what are they talking about and why are they so sad.  The men immediately think that Jesus is a stranger to the city and must not know what just happened which all

Jerusalem was aware of. 

Jesus then calls them fools and said did you not believe the words of the prophets and that what happened to Christ was fulfillment of prophecy and the bible says that he opens up the scriptures at Moses and begins to preach to them through Moses and the prophets the things concerning him.  When it refers to the scriptures of Moses it is talking about the first five books of the bible from Genesis-Deuteronomy.   Ahhh!!!!!!!!  Another power piece.   He opened up the Old Testament and starting at Genesis, he preached to them what the old testament scriptures had to say concerning him and what just transpired. 

Another one of my favorite texts in this piece of scripture is when they finally realized that it was Jesus, the bible said when Jesus disappeared they said among themselves:  Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked with us and opened the scriptures up to us.   Oh!!!!!!!!!!  The power of the “word of God.” 

Sorry for the extremely late post today, but our power has been down all day and we just got it back. 

I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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