(Photo Courtesy: Pastor Greg Laurie via X)
Churches all across America reported that this Resurrection Day (Easter) was special and saw larger crowds than usual for their Easter Sunday services.
Some churches even saw manifestations of revival breaking out with thousands coming to Christ. Read the following article from CBN:
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
May You and your family have a wonderful Easter. The Resurrection of Jesus should give us all hope regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Happy Resurrection Day!
When the women went to the tomb on Easter morning the rock was rolled away and the tomb was empty. Not only that but an angel met them there and said:
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come see the place where he lay.”
…And behold Jesus met them and said, “Greetings! Do not be afraid…” –Matt.28:5-10
Another good scripture to remember–this is what Jesus told Martha before he raised her brother Lazarus from the grave:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? –John 11:25-26
The good question for each one of us today—Do you believe this?
Happy Resurrection Day! Here’s a great article for today: “Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?” by William Lane Craig, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. His answer to the question is obviously yes!
Dr. Craig takes a look at all the facts surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. This is probably the best and most concise summary of the event that I have ever read:
“To answer the question of Jesus’ resurrection from a historical standpoint, we must first determine what facts concerning the fate of Jesus of Nazareth can be credibly established on the basis of the evidence and second consider what the best explanation of those facts is. At least four facts about the fate of the historical Jesus are widely accepted by New Testament historians today.”
Here’s my favorite message for Good Friday. It has become a tradition to post it every year on this day:
“It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming” by Dr. Tony Campolo.
Here’s a link to where the famous tape can be downloaded.
The whole tape is great but the best part is toward the end when Tony Campolo recalls one Sunday when he had a little preaching competition with the head pastor at the church where he was attending.
Dr. Campolo tells how he preached the perfect sermon in every way and had taken the congregation to ‘the heights of glory’. As he sat down beside his pastor, Dr. Tony patted him on the knee and simply said, “Top that.” The older black pastor looked at him and said, “Boy, watch the master.” Then Dr. Campolo recalls for us the very brilliant message which followed.
The following is just a taste of what the climax is like in the 45 minute tape/sermon. it doesn’t really do justice to the original but this printed abbreviated version is inspirational none the less:
It’s Friday But Sunday’s Coming—
It was a simple sermon, starting softly, building in volume and intensity until the entire congregation was completely involved, repeating the phrases in unison. The sermon went something like this:
It’s Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peter’s denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones and glass and metal, tearing at his flesh. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. The Son of man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into his brow. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. See Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. It’s Friday; but Sunday’s a coming.
It’s Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, “Father, forgive them.” It’s Friday; but Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. The sky grows dark, the earth begins to tremble, and He who knew no sin became sin for us. Holy God who will not abide with sin pours out His wrath on that perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, “My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?” What a horrible cry. But Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God was torn from the top to the bottom because Sunday’s coming.
It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that’s because it’s Friday, and they don’t know it, but Sunday’s a coming.
And on that horrible day 2000 years ago, Jesus the Christ, the Lord of glory, the only begotten Son of God, the only perfect man died on the cross of Calvary. Satan thought that he had won the victory. Surely he had destroyed the Son of God. Finally he had disproved the prophecy God had uttered in the Garden and the one who was to crush his head had been destroyed. But that was Friday.
Now it’s Sunday. And just about dawn on that first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But that wasn’t the only thing that was shaking because now it’s Sunday. And the angel of the Lord is coming down out of heaven and rolling the stone away from the door of the tomb.
Yes, it’s Sunday, and the angel of the Lord is sitting on that stone and the guards posted at the tomb to keep the body from disappearing were shaking in their boots because it’s Sunday, and the lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah, for He is not here, the angel says. He is risen indeed.
It’s Sunday, and the crucified and resurrected Christ has defeated death, hell, sin and the grave.
It’s Sunday. And now everything has changed. It’s the age of grace, God’s grace poured out on all who would look to that crucified lamb of Calvary. Grace freely given to all who would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary was buried and rose again. All because it’s Sunday.
At the end of the message the pastor shouts out:
It’s Friiidaaaay!
And the whole congregation responds:
But Sunday’s Coming!
“…so we killed him.”
All of a sudden I was undone and tears were flowing down my cheeks. Yes, I was responsible for his death. All of a sudden I could see that in a way I never understood it before.
I had begun the morning in my easy chair with a tall cup of strong coffee enjoying my latest sci-fi read when unexpectedly there was a reference to Jesus and how humanity had killed him because he didn’t meet our ‘religious expectations’:
“…so we killed him.”
Intellectually I knew it was true. After all, I majored in theology in seminary. But this was different and personal, the Holy Spirit had just knocked me down and I was on my knees. I was just as responsible for the death of Jesus as the ones who nailed him to the cross or the crowd who shouted- “Crucify him!.” What a surprise and I couldn’t stop crying.
Fact is, everyone who has ever sinned is ultimately responsible for his death but I always self-righteously held special contempt for those religious leaders who planned it. But he did personally die for my sins and now I could no longer deny the implication. In a moment I could see my own part in his death.
But the story doesn’t end there does it! Jesus rose from the dead and everyone who believes on his name will also.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…John 11:25-26 -ESV
–Michael G. Davis
What is so ‘Good’ about ‘Good Friday? One would think it would be called ‘Bad’ Friday instead considering that the innocent Son of God-Jesus of Nazareth was misjudged, tortured, and crucified that day.
But what happened that day was ‘Good’ for us:
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV):
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
It was the culmination of God’s plan for our salvation:
John 3:16-17 (ESV):
“For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
When Jesus said; “It is finished” on the cross, it became possible for all who believe on his name and sacrifice to be forgiven of all of their sins and be reconciled to Father God for all eternity. On Resurrection Sunday (Easter), the Son of God demonstrated the destiny of all believers when he was resurrected from the dead:
John 11:25-26 (ESV):
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Now that is ‘Good News’ for all who believe!
