Luke 24:9-12

Luke 24:9-12 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 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.

I love the Bible's description of the empty tomb. We do not see any super spiritual people, people with special insight into what has just happened. We do not hear the disciples say, "Well, of course He isn't there; remember what He said about his resurrection: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40) No, Luke writes that the apostles thought the women spoke nonsense. Peter, future leader of the church, ran to investigate the scene, but even he did not initially comprehend the situation: He went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Without sugarcoating the principals in this scene, the Bible depicts them as ignorant of the spiritual significance of the empty tomb--dismayed and pondering, but not understanding or believing. As finite human beings, they accepted death's finality; therefore, the empty tomb bewildered them, despite three year's of interactions with the miracle-working Jesus. If the Bible were just a script or an attempt to perpetuate a fraudulent religion, I am sure we would read how these pillars of the nascent church quickly and fully understood the significance of the empty tomb. We might read about Peter leaving the scene with proclamations of Christ's resurrection. But Luke admits they did not easily understand that Jesus had arisen. In their human eyes, Jesus was too much of a man, one who ate, drank, slept, and performed normal bodily functions. To them, Jesus was more of a man of the flesh than a Son of God who died for their sins. Soon they would realize the man they knew in the flesh had indeed defeated death; this revelation changed their lives forever.

As finite people, we Christians sometimes live as if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead. Our attachment to this world and awareness of the vicissitudes of life dims the reality of the resurrection. Often we live as unbelievers rather than believers. Except for our most spiritual moments, we talk and act as the world does, worry about life as they do. We spend much of our time and thought life on the temporal, not the eternal. However, if Jesus is truly resurrected, and He is, He has a claim on our everyday lives. The book of Acts reveals the effects of the resurrection on the early believers. Encountering the risen Christ, they counted their lives as nothing compared with spreading this good news. They wanted everyone to know that the Christ, the Son of God, is risen indeed. He was no longer just a good, loving man who performed a few miracles, not merely a spiritual teacher with much wisdom. They knew him as the Son God for He was risen. Their acclamation, faith, and trust in Jesus and his works gave them a new life, filled with the Holy Spirit. They were no longer powerless, for they worshipped God in truth and in faith. Mighty miracles happened in their lives and the lives of those around them, for they knew Jesus had conquered death. They also knew the Holy Spirit resided in them, giving them resurrection power and strength. They were no longer just men and women pondering, wondering, about the resurrection; they became soldiers of the cross, alive in Christ, for He lived in them.

My friend, has the Daystar arisen in your life? Is He real to you, alive in you? I am sure the answer is yes, but we must keep faith burning in our souls as we allow for the reality of his presence and power in our lives. Every day, we should live as if He has risen in victory and authority over sin and death. As we grow in Christ and our attachments to Earth lessen, the things of this world should grow strangely dim. Our focus: be all that we can be for him. Our proclamation to family, friends, and neighbors: He has risen in my life, and He will arise in yours. We must ask ourselves if we have allowed the world to creep in and to dominate our living. Are our Friday and Saturday nights different from the unsaved? Where do we turn in times of trouble? Do we run to Jesus or seek comfort in destructive choices and defeating behaviors? Are we filling the air with songs of praise and living in an attitude of prayer, or are our days focused on ourselves, our needs and problems? With Christ in control of our lives, we can offer others an alternative to their empty lives. In contrast with a dying world, WE ARE ALIVE IN HIM FOR HE HAS RISIN AND LIVES FOREVERMORE. Because He lives, we live also to share his love.