Easter hymns get posted at Easter-time… unless I want to post one now.
Here’s an old Sunday school favorite, sung by the Voice of Eden: Up from the Grave He Arose. It’s one of those things we must remember. And rejoice in.
Tag: Christ’s Resurrection
The Biggest News of All
I will not post nooze on Easter Sunday. I have a duty to watch: so, yes, I see some of those abominable things that are going on, even today. Rest assured God sees them, too.
The real news is “Death cannot keep its prey,” Jesus Christ has left His tomb, the stone is rolled away–and He will return. In the meantime, “Occupy until I come.”
You have no idea how I long to burst out in indignation over certain nooze that surfaced this weekend. But I hold back because Our Lord’s Resurrection is more important, infinitely more important; and this other is not fit to be mentioned on this day. I don’t know if it will ever be worthy to mention in print, on any day.
But rest assured: God sees, God hears, God knows. In the long run this earth is still the LORD’s, the tomb is empty… and as He is risen, so shall we be risen.
What Does This Bible Verse Mean?
Erlene mentioned this yesterday, Matthew 27: 52-53.
And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Whoa! Did that say what I think it said? Uh… yeah. It did.
Erlene sees that as a sign of Christ’s being “the first fruits” of the resurrection of the dead, in which all of us who believe in Him will share.
Who were these resurrected saints? How many people saw them? Where did they go after they entered the holy city? Plenty of food for thought here!
And yet these two verses don’t seem to get much attention. I’m sure I’ve never heard a sermon about them–just as I’m sure that this is the first time I’ve really noticed them. And now I doubt I’ll ever forget them.
Jesus died on the cross. There can be no doubt of that. But He did say to one of the thieves who was crucified with Him, “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Which must mean that the moment He died in the flesh, His spirit went to paradise. His body would be resurrected on the third day.
People in those days did believe in ghosts, and were exceedingly troubled if they thought they saw one. Jesus had to reassure His disciples that He was not a ghost: He sat down and ate with them to prove it. So I don’t think Matthew was talking about ghosts. These saints must have been resurrected, as He was. And they must have soon ascended into Heaven. Very soon–or it would have been a sensation in the city, and Matthew would have told us so.
Think, think, think! It surely must be important or it wouldn’t be there.
Bonus Hymn, ‘Time With You’
‘Luke 24–Christ Is Risen’ (Christian Blogger)
Is this what Peter saw?
When they heard the women say Jesus’ tomb was empty, Peter and “another disciple” ran on ahead to see for themselves. For the rest of the story, see Luke, Chapter 24. Here it’s been set up for us on the Unashamed of Jesus blog:
Jesus had told them He would rise; but when they actually saw the empty tomb, did they believe? Luke describes them as “perplexed.” Well, who wouldn’t be?
They didn’t know they were living out the very first Easter morning. Nothing like it had ever happened in the world before. And they all understood that, by and by; but not right away. Not right away. Even for them it took some time.
‘Mary Magdalene on Easter Morning’ (2015)
No! No nooze today. Let it be drowned out by the Good News–the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can you imagine what Mary Magdalene experienced, that very first Easter morning?
She knew He was dead; she’d seen Him die. She was at the tomb to minister to the body. The ministry, the message, the miracles–it was all over. No more.
Then they found the stone rolled away, and the tomb empty. At that moment the world changed. It would never be the same again. Sin and Death are dethroned. Christ shall reign forever.
And then she saw Him, and He spoke to her…
An Encouraging Word
In this Easter essay by Mark Rushdoony, “The Hope of the Believer,” we find encouragement that comes from God’s word. We need all the encouragement we can get, as we witness “the self-destructive paths our culture is currently pursuing.” Thankfully, he Lord never runs out of it.
https://chalcedon.edu/blog/the-hope-of-the-believer
We need to study Christ’s Resurrection not as just a historical event that’s over and done with, Mark writes, but as having urgent relevance to our lives now and in the future; because “our Lord is now at work, as He has been, and that ‘the gates of hell’ will not prevail against Him or His Kingdom.”
We really do need to keep that in mind.
‘Mary Magdalene, on Easter Morning’ (2015)
I like to post this every Easter.
Imagine deepest sorrow turned to highest joy–can you? Imagine the worst wrong you ever saw, suddenly put right. Can you? Have you ever seen something that really was too good to be true, impossibly good–and yet there it was, before your eyes?
The Bible tells us Mary followed Jesus, as a disciple, after he cast seven devils out of her: so she already knew a thing or two about horror, pain, and misery.
Now she is about to learn about joy.
‘The Lesson of the Empty Tomb’
Scanning the nooze this afternoon, trying to decide what stories I ought to mention on this blog, actually began to nauseate me. Is there any price the Democrats won’t make our country pay, if it gets them back into power? (Hint: I don’t think so. Do you?)
This new piece by Mark Rushdoony on the Chalcedon blog provided me with a valuable course correction.
https://chalcedon.edu/blog/the-lesson-of-the-empty-tomb
One quote pretty much says it all: “It is easy to be concerned about the events that swirl around us rather than the larger picture that we serve a victorious lord.”
That’s the point of Easter. That’s the lesson of the empty tomb. Jesus Christ is risen. Jesus Christ is Lord. And nothing sinful men can do can prevent His victory.
We have the honor to serve Him until He establishes His throne upon the earth.
‘An Easter Message’ (2014)
I probably should have posted this yesterday, but there’s only so many posts you can make on one day, even if it’s Easter Sunday.
Besides–how long would it have taken, back then, for word to get out that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead? How long before all Jerusalem had heard it? How long before it was heard in Rome?
We need to hear it. Every day. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.