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History records that English people wept over the message. However, as the fog had closed in, after a while it lifted in similar fashion and the communication continued with two additional words: “the enemy.” The English who were in mourning now turned to rejoicing as they celebrated the victory. “Wellington Defeated the Enemy.” There was great sorrow when the body of Jesus was carried from the cross to the tomb. The signal seemed to say, “Jesus Christ defeated.” Can you imagine the scene … Just three days earlier, the disciples and Jesus’ closest friends stood and watched their teacher, and friend being nailed to a cross. They witnessed His agony and watched as His body was taken from the cross and buried. As far as they were concerned all of their hopes and dreams were being buried with Him. They mourned on Friday evening; they grieved all day Saturday, and then finally, on "the first day of the week, early in the morning," the scripture says, that some women made their way along the path that led to His tomb. However, when they arrived, they found that the stone had been rolled away and standing by the tomb was an angel who relayed the most powerful message that the word has ever heard … “He is not dead. He is alive.”
The angel at the tomb told the women, “He is not here: for He is risen” (v. 6). If Easter means anything, it means
Jesus Christ is Lord. He has authority over life, death and salvation.
The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity unique and radically different from all other religions such as
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism, and Islam. Not one of their leaders ever claimed they had power over life and
death. Likewise, none of them experienced a physical resurrection. Therefore, the validity of Christianity hinges on the
proof of the resurrection of Jesus. If the resurrection never took place, then the Christian faith is based on a lie and
people have no true hope for life after they die. But if it is true, then we can do nothing else but accept Jesus as Saviour
and Lord and receive his gift of love and forgiveness.
Jesus is alive for He arose from the dead. The empty tomb convinced Jesus’ disciples of His lordship, for He was
“declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). Furthermore, the apostle
Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 listed 500 people who saw Christ after the crucifixion as proof of the resurrection. If His
body had remained in Joseph’s family plot, another prophet would have simply passed this way, but no Saviour.
The message of this Easter is that Jesus is Alive. Christ is the living Lord and He has the power to resurrect men and
women from “death unto life” because He wants to be their Lord and Saviour. Is He your Lord and Saviour today?
Those first visitors to the tomb were instructed by the angel to, “Go quickly and tell His disciples” (v. 7).
The disciples were sad, they were in mourning. The men had forgotten the promise that Jesus had given them that He would
be raised again on the third day! Therefore, the Angel commanded the ladies at the tomb to go to the disheartened disciples
and tell them that Christ was alive!
There are many in the world today who are disheartened and feel like they have no purpose and hope for living. They are
living in fear as they are trapped in their sin. Easter means Evangelism for the angel said, “Go quickly and tell!”
Are you telling people that Jesus is Alive and He has the power to redeem, restore and resurrect broken lives today!
Jesus came to bring new life to all who believed in Him. His resurrection is both a promise and provision for, to know
Christ means to be resurrected with Him. Easter means that any person may become a child of God through the resurrection
power of Christ and the message of Easter calls his disciples to, “Go quickly and tell!”
To the ladies who gathered at the tomb, the risen Lord said, “go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there
shall they see me.” These are beautiful words for the disciples were going to see their Master again.
Just as the disciples met the risen Lord in Galilee, those who are saved today will one day see Him face to face in Heaven.
Because of Easter, life has purpose!
The song writer said,
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16/12/07 A Christmas Carol. |