Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
Jason had hidden in the bushes just outside the area where they laid this Jesus. He was just 12 years old when he snuck away from his house because he couldn't sleep. The images of what they did to him on that hillside were too much for his imagination.
He stood on the hillside the evening they watched this Jesus being laid on this cross. He watched as the guards nailed these stakes into his feet and hands and tied this very prickly rope around his arms to the cross.
Then, he remembers watching them lift this cross into the hole and drop it in with a thump that he knew must have sent slivers of pain throughout this man's body. He hadn't done anything worthy of this type of death.
He couldn't help but feel the humiliation of what this Jesus was going through as some in the crowd were casting insults toward him. He remembered walking across this courtyard when this woman was about to be stoned- when Jesus seemed to have the right words for the right time. He remembers those words: " “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he watched one by one, as each person in that angry mob threw their stone to the ground and walked away.
Jason also remembered being with his parents on the hillside listening to this Jesus talk about great truths on many subjects. He remembers how intrigue his parents were as they sat all day listening to this man. He also remembered how hungry he was as the day grew and witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fishes as he lifted the two trays and witnessing an abundance of food to feed the thousands, like him, who sat on that hillside.
Jason could see that this heavy stone had been rolled away from the entrance of the cave where his body was laid. In the corner of his eye, he saw one of Jesus's followers, Mary standing by the stone when he thought he heard a voice saying to her. "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
Jason remembered when he saw this man Jesus, angry at the merchants on the temple steps when he overturned their tables because they were trying to profit from the people. Then he recalled Jesus saying, " "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." At the time, Jason didn't really know what he meant but standing here the truth of what Jesus said meant the resurrection of his body.
What Jason had witnessed was good news- Jesus was the savior of the world!
Over the course of time, there have been millions of people positively impacted by the truths of God's word, just as they were during his brief ministry before and after his return.
Jason could see that this heavy stone had been rolled away from the entrance of the cave where his body was laid. In the corner of his eye, he saw one of Jesus's followers, Mary standing by the stone when he thought he heard a voice saying to her. "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
Jason remembered when he saw this man Jesus, angry at the merchants on the temple steps when he overturned their tables because they were trying to profit from the people. Then he recalled Jesus saying, " "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." At the time, Jason didn't really know what he meant but standing here the truth of what Jesus said meant the resurrection of his body.
What Jason had witnessed was good news- Jesus was the savior of the world!
Over the course of time, there have been millions of people positively impacted by the truths of God's word, just as they were during his brief ministry before and after his return.
He has quite literally taken the sting out of death by giving us the assurances of God's word and giving us the hope as we grieve.
Jesus has risen, He has risen, He has risen indeed!
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