My brothers, I am so late writing to you this night that the dawn is soon approaching, but all I must tell has so filled this day. My hand shakes with such excitement that it is all I can do to write to you these words. Because with two words, two words that I cannot shout enough, the greatest of hope has come to this world. He lives!
The excitement that I see around me is unlike anything I have ever seen. It is every word that is being talked about, and you cannot even walk out the door without hearing it being talked about and discussed by everyone you see.
As the body of Jesus had to be rushed into the tomb, and with yesterday being the Sabbath, women went to further prepare the body(Matthew 28:1-8). I learned that another prominent member of the Sanhedrin had also helped Joseph of Arimathea, bringing a large amount of myrrh and aloes to anoint the body. But in their rush to have Him placed in the tomb before the Sabbath, they were unable to fully anoint Him(John 19:39-40). It seems these women went to the tomb earlier this morning in the hope they would be allowed to complete his anointing.
As they arrived at the tomb, an earthquake suddenly shook the land again(Matthew 28:1-3). And as the land quaked, these women and the soldiers guarding the tomb suddenly saw an angel from Heaven descended, and rolled away the stone from the door. As all this happened, the soldiers became terrified with fear to the point they all fainted, lying on the ground before the angel just like they were dead(Matthew 28:4-6). As the soldiers laid passed out, these women said the angel spoke to them, telling them to not be afraid, that although they had come to seek Jesus, He was not there, but had risen, that He had been resurrected. The angel then invited them into the tomb, so they could see for themselves where the body of Jesus had laid. And as the angel continued to speak, he told them to hurry and tell the disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead, and that He will go ahead of the disciples and meet them in Galilee, where He will spend time with them again(Matthew 28:7-8).
Think about what this tells us, my brothers. We have been told of examples in the Scripture where the Lord resuscitated people, brought them back from death into their same bodies(1 Kings 17:17-24, John 11:38-44). But nowhere have we ever seen before a resurrection, where one is raised from the dead to be given a new and eternal body. He has risen, He has ascended to Heaven. And in this we see the promise that He will still have a real relationship with us. What proof, my brothers, that this is truly the Son of God! Jesus having risen stands as proof that His death has made right our sin, and that the Father has accepted it(1 John 2:2). Oh, my brothers, the Cross now stands as payment, and His resurrection places in our hand the receipt!
But my brothers, this story is far from being finished! As these women made their way to the disciples, they saw Jesus(Matthew 28:9-10). And as they ran up to Him, they fell at His feet. What they thought was lost, they now had found! He then confirms to them what the angel had said, telling them to go tell the disciples that He will spend time with them in Galilee. You have read my words right, my brothers, they actually saw our Lord!
As the women made their way to the disciples, we learned that the soldiers awakened, and quickly reported to the religious leaders, telling them all they had just witnessed(Matthew 28:11-15). Fearful that all might know the truth, the religious leaders looked to bribe those guarding the tomb with a large sum of money. Telling the soldiers to make it known that while they were all sleeping, the disciples came and stole the body of Jesus. They also told the soldiers not to worry about Pilate, they would win him over and keep all of them out of trouble. But as we know, my brothers, bribery has a slippery tongue, and the word of what happened soon began to get out even as these soldiers were filling their pockets full. And think about the foolishness of this cover-up. To believe this, we would have to believe that all the soldiers had gone to sleep, That they would violate strict Roman rules by sleeping while on watch, knowing they would be put to death if they were caught doing so. And to believe this would mean that these soldiers were in such a deep sleep that they were not awakened by the loud noise anyone would have heard as that huge burial stone was rolled away, and the body was carried out. What they are saying has become a running joke by all, and was not even believed as they first spoke the words.
As the women made their way to where the disciples were, they quickly told them all they had seen, and what the angel had told them(Luke 24:10-12, John 20:3-10)). But as the disciples heard the words, they could not believe them, and refused to believe that what they were being told was the truth. But as two of the disciples heard this, one named Peter, and the other named John, who was standing by the mother of Jesus at His death, ran to the tomb. And as they entered the tomb, they saw that the body was no longer there, only the grave clothes, and the cloth that covered His face had been rolled up and placed to the side. As they saw it, they believed. In leaving, one of the women remained behind, and as she looked into the tomb, she saw two angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the feet, of where the body of Jesus had been placed. I know how hard this must be to believe, but I promise all I am telling you is the truth, and has been heard by so many throughout all of the area of Jerusalem today. You can go nowhere without hearing countless talking about all that has happened with Jesus!
But even with all this, my brothers, my story of this day is still not over yet! Earlier today, two followers of Jesus were making their way back home from Jerusalem to Emmaus. As they made their way home to the small village, they talked about what they had seen while walking the short trip(Luke 24:13-16). As they talked, another one started walking with them, asking them about all they were discussing, all they had witnessed(Luke 24:16-17). One of them, who they say is named Cleopas, answered him, asking if he was somehow unaware of all that had just taken place in Jerusalem with Jesus(Luke 24:17-18). As they described to this man all that had happened, they told him how they had been hoping that Jesus would be the Promised Messiah, but that their hope was now left in disappointment. They had heard the reports that these women had found the tomb empty, and what Peter and John had also seen, but they were slow to believe that all this could possibly be true.
As the man travelling with them heard these things, he began to speak, telling them how foolish and slow of heart they were(Matthew 24:25-27). He asked these two men if the prophets had not told them the Messiah would endure all they had seen before He entered into His glory?(Isaiah 50:5-7,53:5-7, Daniel 9:26, Zechariah 12:10). Had not they heard all the Messiah must fulfill from Moses to John the Baptist?
They soon all approached the village of Emmaus, and evening was coming on us this day. These two men invited this man in to eat with them, and to stay with them(Luke 24:28-32). As this man sat down to eat with them, he took the bread and blessed it, breaking it and handing it to them. Seeing this, they suddenly knew who the man who had been travelling with them was. The one who had taught them about the Messiah, was the Promised Messiah himself. It had been Jesus who had spent the evening with them. I have heard no one say how they suddenly knew it was Him, but I cannot help but think they saw the holes in his wrists as He handed the bread to them. But however they came to know it was Him, He was suddenly gone as they looked up again. And as they thought of the words He had spoken to them, they realized their heart had been set ablaze by the truth of the words they had heard spoken, and realized that what they had heard could have only been revealed to them by Jesus.
Immediately, they got up from the table, and hurried back to Jerusalem, to tell the disciples about what they had just witnessed(Luke 24:33-35). They excitedly told the disciples that the Lord had risen indeed, as they told them about all that had happened on their way home to Emmaus from Jerusalem. As they spoke, all there suddenly looked up to see Jesus standing in the room with them(Matthew 24:36-43). As Jesus greeted them, they were shocked and in fear, as they were in a locked and secured room, hiding from those who had persecuted Jesus(John 20:19-23). I was told that although they now believed that Jesus had indeed risen, they thought what they were seeing was a spirit. And as I think of it, my brothers, if Jesus suddenly appeared in this room with me, I would probably be startled to. But Jesus calmed their fears, and assured them of any doubts they might have. He showed them the piercings in His hands, His feet, and in His side, as they bore the wounds of the crucifixion. Each scar He showed them had to stand as evidence of the truth He was telling them. And as they looked at those scars, I cannot help but think, my brothers, that all He had told them that would happen, came rushing back to them. Hands and feet that must have shown each this was the very same Jesus that had hung on that cross.
As He did this, they said He called on them to touch Him, and He even ate with them. In that time He showed them that His resurrected body was truly different, yet so much the same. Both physical and spiritual. A body of flesh and bone, but yet one that could pass through walls and barriers. One moment He could be present, and the next moment He could be absent. And as I hear about what they saw, my brothers, I praise the Lord in thought that one day I will have the same body for all eternity because I believe in Him( 1 John 3:2, Philippians 3:20-21).
Oh, my brothers. In all that I am able to write about to you this day, I do not know if I am filled with more hope or filled with more joy! But through this all, the one thing I do now, I am now filled with a purpose. A purpose greater than overthrowing Rome, and a purpose far greater than myself. Because I know that I am now filled with Christ. And each day, my brothers, I now know that I am no longer a warrior for Israel, but I am a warrior in spirit for Him(Ephesians 6). I am sorry if it might seem I am abandoning our cause, my brothers, but I have now found a true cause that is greater than all of us. A cause that will fill each of my days, as I will now be staying here, doing anything I can to better serve Him(Colossians 3:23-24). And my brothers, with each thought, with each prayer, I ask the Lord to also show you this truth. As I pray, with every ounce of my now Christ filled heart, that He will bring to you the peace, the joy, and the hope that this relationship is now bringing each day to me.
Your brother in Jesus Christ
Meshach
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