The Tomb

 Monday, April 21, 2014

 "That if the resurrection of Christ is not true, then we Christians are of all men most miserable" (1 Corinthians 15:19).  "Joseph brought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock, and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb" (Mark 16:46).

 Hey Gang:  I need to add one morning message to the Easter messages of the past several weeks. I don't apologize for that because I believe we should not celebrate Easter/Resurrection Day only one day a year, but each and every day.  The horrendous price Jesus paid for our redemption deserves your honoring Him every moment of every day.  What happened on that hill outside of Jerusalem that day, when they crucified our Lord, is the very essence of where we will spend eternity.

 I have mentioned before, we, my bride and I, have been to Israel several times and hope to return again next year. Yes, we do have favorite spots that tend to warm the cockles of our hearts.  There is no greater joy than standing on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Kidron Valley and seeing  Gethsemane on one side and the Eastern Gate on the other.   As I look beyond the Eastern Gate I allow my mind to dream a little and see the Temple begin to rise out of the dust- the Temple Mount and the Eastern Gate where Christ will enter when He returns to take back what is rightfully His.

 But there is another place that warms the cockles of my heart, the Garden Tomb best known as Gordon's Calvary.  There is a great deal of controversy between the various schools of thoughts as to whether this is the right place where they laid Jesus body or perhaps at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Hey folks, we have stood inside both and excitedly report to you, they are both empty!

 Of all the miracles and acts of God in the Bible, the Virgin Birth and Resurrection have, through the centuries, been the most attacked and denied and vilified.     In recent years "creation" has been added to that list, but the Resurrection continues to take first place.  The Resurrection is the foundational doctrine of the New Testament.  It is the miracle on which all other miracles rise and fall. 

 The Resurrection makes Christianity the only major religion in the world with a living originator.  Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, etc, all had their originators and founders, but they are all long since very dead!   Only Christianity has a living founder!

 

 Sooo, my friends, we are a generation that tends to take things for granted and not get too serious about the deep meanings and implications of what Jesus really did for us that day on Calvary’s Hill.  It is recorded that when Jesus was hung on the cross, he was totally unrecognizable; the beatings that he endured were beyond description. I wonder what went through the minds of Caiaphas and the other members of the Sanhedrin that night. I have spent much time thinking about His suffering, sacrifice, passion, love and grace.  Thank you Jesus!!!

Blessings,

Gramps