Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 3-30-18

Good News: He Lives! Luke 24:1-12; 30-35
Jesus’ resurrection, and in fact, did not recognize Jesus when he was walking beside them. These disciples knew the tomb was empty, but did not understand that Jesus had risen, so they were filled with sadness and confusion. To compound the problem, they were walking in the wrong di- rection.
They could not understand why God did not intervene to
save Jesus from the cross. They were so caught up in the world’s admiration of power and military might that they were unprepared for the rever- sal of values of God’s King- dom—- that the last will be first, and that grows out of death.
We likely miss Jesus too, and withdraw from the strength found in other believ- ers when we become preoccu-
pied with our own lives and frustrations.
Only when we look for Jesus in our midst will we ex- perience the power and help He brings.
Don’t question or be baffled when you hear the ‘Good News’.
Be the light and let the en- ergy of the Resurrection lift you to new dimensions of love and kindness.
The lesson background is clear. Jesus was crucified and buried on the day of prepara- tion (Friday), the day before the Sabbath (Saturday). Luke 23:56 indicates that the women prepared ‘spices and ointments’ on the day of Preparation as not to violate the Sabbath.
Ordinarily a body was em- balmed at burial and not a day and a half later, but Jesus died only a few hours before sun- down on Friday, when the Sab- bath began. By the time Joseph received Pilate’s per- mission to take the body and had put it in his tomb, there was no longer time for em- balming. The women went home and kept Sabbath as the Law required, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, before returning to the tomb. The women brought spices to the tomb as we would bring flowers — as a sign of love and respect.
Then two angels appeared and asked the women why they were looking in a tomb for someone who was alive.
The angels reminded the women that Jesus had pre- dicted all that had happened to him (Luke 9:22, 44, Luke 18:31-33).
The Scripture reads:
Luke 24:1 But very early on Sun- day morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?
6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee,
7 that the Son of Man must be be- trayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
8 Then they remembered that he had said this.
9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened.
10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened.
11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.
12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stoop- ing, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them.
31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disap- peared!
32 They said to each other, “Did- n’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and ex- plained the Scriptures to us?”
33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disci- ples and the others who had gath- ered with them,
34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”
35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had ap- peared to them as they were walk- ing along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.
Why is the Resurrection of Jesus important?
Because Christ was raised from the dead, we know God’s mighty power is at work de- stroying sin, creating new lives, and preparing us for Jesus’ return; (2) Because of the Resurrection, we believe that death has been conquered and we too will be raised from the dead to live forever with Christ; (3) The Resurrection helps us find meaning even in great tragedy. No matter what happens to us as we walk with the Lord, the resurrection gives us hope for the future.
From John 20:3, 4 we learn that another disciple ran to the tomb with Peter. The other disciple was John, the author of the fourth Gospel.
Peter and John upon re- turning to Emmaus first missed the significance of
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