Jesus Rising from the Dead (Easter)

Here are some things I was reminded of by the Spirit when it comes to Easter.

·      Jesus saying he had the power to lay down his life and the power to pick it up again.  John 10:18

·      Jesus telling Martha, Lazarus’s sister, “I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25

·      And he/she that believes in him and dies in him (they trust in Jesus) shall live- have eternal life in heaven.  John 11:25

·      When Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved.  Matthew 17:23 

·      From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.  Matthew 16:21 

·      When Jesus said tear down this temple (meaning Himself) and I will rebuild it in three days.  John 2:19

·      When Jesus appeared to the Mary and Mary in the Garden after they went to the empty tomb and saw the two angels who told them to tell the disciples what they saw and to remind them to meet Jesus in Galilee.  John 20, Luke 24, Mark 16, Matthew 28

·      There would be no Christianity today if Jesus did not rise from the dead.  Jesus would had just been another good godly man who died on the cross. My life and countless other lives would had not changed and the Holy Spirit would not be ministering to me and to you right now.  God's amazing transforming love would not have been manifested in our life. Because of Christ's resurrection, we have God's Spirit- The Holy Spirit.  We have been given spiritual gifts from the victor over death- Jesus Christ.  We have been given a seal of redemption because of Jesus' death and resurrection. (Who is shouting now!)      

·      AND the disciples... They and others saw Jesus resurrected and spoke to him and touched him, and this propelled them and encouraged them greatly to share and do what Jesus asked them to do which changed their life and other peoples life with the life changing and saving news of Jesus. God's Spirit guided them and they had power to heal, cast out demons, minister in power beyond their understanding, and even suffer and die for this good news. Death was not the end of life but a door to eternity in heaven.  And Jesus now propels us to be salt and light to the world and share what JESUS has personally done in our life.