Luke 24:1-12 NIV
24 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
over to the hands of sinners, 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.
Remember!
Last
week I was wowed and speechless. This week we all are called to be Wowed… Yet
full of His Word to speak boldly to all the world and all those God gives to
you each and every day. This is the Resurrection of Jesus. He lives!
Jesus
comes to us and prepares a place for us. He comes to us in flesh and Spirit. He
comes to us humble. He comes to us as one of the poor people. Jesus comes to us
not in the power of what this world recognizes, but in the strength and power
out of eternity, to give Himself for us and to die for our sins and to forgive
our sins.
Just
last week, after years in ministry, teaching, healing and challenging the world
to see Him as God, Jesus’ rode into Jerusalem, humble yet proclaimed as a King.
But Jesus wasn’t the King the people expected Him to be. Very few actually
recognized Jesus as God. They rather wanted, in their hearts, to recognize Him
as a ruler that would straighten out their lives on this earth. Well, Jesus can
certainly do exactly that, but that’s peanuts. Jesus came to rescue us and save
us, from the sin that set this world away from God, with Adam in the Garden of
Eden. Jesus, as God, had other plans for the gardens of this world, to lead all
who can’t help but to believe in Him as Savior, to an eternal Garden in the
presence of God and all the faithful believers.
Then Jesus
upset the tables of the sinful, money hungry people to set something straight. God’s
Kingdom is NOT about the riches of this world, God’s Kingdom is NOT about
taking advantage of people to your own gain. God’s Kingdom IS about serving God
and serving neighbor in humble adoration of BOTH God and neighbor. God’s Kingdom
is NOT about casting out those who we deem to not belong. God’s Kingdom IS
about welcoming, loving and serving the neediest, the sickest, those who are far
away from the power hungry, selfish, proud leaders.
Jesus
showed this passion He has for the people by offering His body and blood, in
with and under the bread and wine. Jesus shows his love by washing the feet of
those He has chosen to serve. Jesus IS an example for us to follow, not just to
talk about.
Jesus
goes to the Garden to pray for us. To heal those who we try to overpower with
swords and weapons and maybe the drones and bombs of today.
Jesus
willingly stands trial and takes the beatings that our sin deserves.
Jesus
goes on to welcome a thief who turns to God in faith and repentance and carries
that criminal into Paradise, in His arms, that very day, and so many days since,
as He carries all of us who deserve nothing better than Hell and eternal
damnation for our sinful behavior against the God that created us and loves us.
Jesus, from
that black cross of sin, death and the darkness of evil, speaks to all eternity
a forgiveness that is so full of Love that we can never understand. Yet it is a
forgiveness that springs forth hope and joy, as we turn to God each day to
start anew, out of the waters of our Baptism to serve and love God and
neighbor.
How many
people need to turn to God? All! Yet, as we see here in this passage, God spins
us around and shows us the Wow! God, once again comes to us to help us
REMEMBER!
So, did
the women go to the wrong tomb? That is a very unlikely mistake.
Are the
bones of Jesus, perhaps laying around somewhere else as He was gone from the
tomb?
These
are doubter’s questions. But there is more than enough evidence to bring these
questions to trial.
These
women had seen where Jesus’ body was laid. REMEMBER…
Luke
23:54-55 NIV
54 It was Preparation
Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from
Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.
This
passage of scripture was written around 25 years after the resurrection. Paul
describes the witness details of proof in 1 Corinthians…
1
Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV
3 For what I (Paul),
received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to
Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that,
he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same
time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then
he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and
last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Jesus’
victory over death and His resurrection are soundly based on appearances of the
risen Jesus. So, many witnesses, it IS FACT! Too many witnesses to deny, even
in court. Jesus bones aren’t laying around in the dust somewhere. The women
weren’t confused and so sad that they went to the wrong tomb. This stuff IS
real. You can choose to NOT believe. Yes, you can, if you want. But why would
you choose to NOT believe?
This is
a NEW beginning. From Adam to the coming of Jesus, the world was looking for a
Messiah. Well, here He IS!
Galilee
was where Jesus taught. And then Jesus walked, and rode into Jerusalem,
commonly known as where the Temple of God’s very presence was, at the time of
Jesus. And it’s here, once again, that something new takes place. The mission
of the Church begins.
Look at
the passage…
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.
Do these
two men sound familiar? Perhaps from a few past episodes of “Pointing to Jesus”
--- or maybe readings from the Daily Reflections Blog?
Luke
9:28-31 NIV
28 About eight days after Jesus said this (Jesus’ prediction of
His coming death), he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto
a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the
appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of
lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah,
appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his
departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
The brightness usually
shows us something of God. Maybe these two at the tomb, were not Moses and
Elijah… Law and Prophet.
Probably most think of strong
angels. That’s what I think, but who am I?
It’s a significant moment
in God’s place in this world of ours. Inside the tomb the confused women meet two
men. Reminds me of the Transfiguration mentions above or even the two men at
Jesus’ Ascension…
Acts
1:6-11 NIV
6 Then they gathered around
him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the
kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know
the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken
up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the
sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside
them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do
you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from
you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into
heaven.”
In my
humble opinion, if you see a couple of beings in gleaming white, if Angel or
man… then… pay attention!
Pay attention
because you are about to become a disciple of Jesus and also a messenger. God
has come to you. God has gifted you. God has called you to Speak NOW, not, as
in last week’s reflection remain speechless.
So, the
women witness two men. The resurrection made the women’s lives AND our lives
infinite. So, it’s time! It’s time to be brave, courageous Children of God who
are One in Jesus. Luke more than implies, here, that the women are disciples of
Jesus.
And this
next part, I absolutely love and am inspired by…
8 Then they remembered his words.
Yes! Then
they remembered! Clear out your mind of the sin that you and I, and these very
same women have, and remember the whole story of Jesus. The Word made flesh
throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Letters and all the words
of faithful believers throughout time.
Pull
that Word so graciously given to us through time close. Look at it every day. Marvel
in how Jesus is in all of the text. Read it… read it… yes, even as so many
people have throughout time… internalize it. Make the Word One with you. Turn
to the Word. Turn to God each and every day. REMEMBER!
You see,
Jesus didn’t come to cure our flesh, or make our lives profitable, or grant us
all the power of this world. Jesus came to take us with Him into His Kingdom.
All of this “stuff” here is nothing as compared to being with Jesus, in His
Kingdom, in eternity.
In this
Resurrection of Jesus, which we now see; death is now the Truth that changes
life. God gives us ALL we ever need. And what God gives to each and all of us
IS IMPORTANT.
REMEMBER
that!
In FACT,
Christ was raised from death. The path of Life is through Jesus. AND there is eternal
Joy in Christ’s Kingdom.
REMEMBER…
Christ has
risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia!
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