Todays Lesson is taken from Luke 24:6 Luke 24:6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: LUKE 24~A BRIGHT DAY DAWNS We look forward to a happy event with almost impatient expectancy, whether it’s a graduation, a promotion, a wedding, or the birth of a longed-for child. The happiest event of all history was about to occur. It had been promised, even to the timing, but nobody really expected it to happen! Jesus had told his disciples that he would die and that in three days he would rise from the dead. But after his death and burial, who stood outside the tomb in a countdown to be an eyewitness to his coming alive again? Nobody!!! All his followers were so confused and depressed, so crushed by grief, that they could not imagine how soon their mourning could be turned to joy. Luke, in the closing chapter of his gospel, gives a factual account of individuals who had firsthand experiences of meeting the risen Christ. Luke 24:1-3 Rising Up Observing the Sabbath law of rest must have been an ordeal for the women who were determined to express their love for Jesus by placing fragrant spices around his body. They couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to be over. They may have rushed around Friday gathering ingredients or mixing potions. It was the least they could do! Finally, Sunday came. They got up while it was still dark. As dawn broke they were making their way to the tomb, worrying about how they would move the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb. Imagine their amazement as they approached the tomb and found the stone rolled away. Imagine their shock and consternation at finding no body inside!!! Soldiers who were guarding the tomb’s sealed entrance reported that while they were sleeping, Jesus’s disciples came and stole his body. But the soldiers weren’t telling the truth. Any soldier who fell asleep while on guard duty was executed. So why would these soldiers openly confess that they had fallen asleep? Further, if they were asleep, how could they report convincingly that they knew Jesus’s disciples had broken the seal, rolled back the stone, and removed the body? IF they knew this to be a fact, how could they explain that they did not do their duty in preventing the theft? The only reasonable answer is that the soldiers’ report was pure fiction, a tale they were bribed to tell (Matthew 27:62-66; 28:11-15). Matthew 28:2-4 gives the true account of how the tomb was opened. The ground was shaken and an angel rolled back the heavy stone that covered the entrance so that Jesus’s followers could see for themselves that Jesus body was not there. The guards who were charged with keeping the tomb sealed saw the angel and were terrified. Luke 24:4-8 Astonished by Two Angels Suddenly two angels appeared, filling the astonished women with fear. The heavenly messengers reminded them of what Jesus had clearly told them. Their understanding had been clouded then, so that they had not really understood his promise that he could be raised from the dead on the third day. The angels made an excellent point. To understand what God is doing and to have our questions answered, we need to remember what Jesus has said. There may be much we do not understand in the Bible, but Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth and to clarify what Jesus had said. Understanding grows through careful study of the Bible and obedience to what it is shown to us. ANSWER TO TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH QUESTION: They asked the women why they were seeking the living among the dead. (Luke 24:5). TODAY’S QUESTION: What did the men remind the women about? (Read Luke 24:6) ANSWER TOMORROW! HAVE A GREAT DAY IN THE LORD!
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 17:08:14 +0000
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