A Race to Believe
He is Risen and today we celebrate the greatest miracle, the greatest gift and clearly the single most important act that demonstrates Jesus is the living God. The restoration of a personal relationship with God the Father is accomplished by the resurrection from the dead to a new and uncorrupted body and sinless soul in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus puts right what Adam and Eve did wrong in the Garden of Eden. The curtain to the Holy of Holies is torn open and the door to heaven and eternal life can now be entered by every believer who trusts in the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Death has been swallowed up in victory and only, only Jesus Christ made that possible. For three years the disciples followed Jesus, they were called to follow him. They witnessed miracles, and were taught the truth of Gods word from Gods only begotten son Jesus Christ.
They followed him from town to town and across the Sea of Galilee across the sands of the deserts and the hills of Judea. They followed him to a private room where they spent some quiet moments celebrating the Passover meal but this time Jesus added a small ceremony.
Jesus took bread and broke it and said that the bread was his body broken for us. He then took wine and said this wine represents his blood shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus then told them to do this in memory of him.
That night they went to the Garden to Gethsemane to pray. It was there that one of the twelve betrayed Jesus into the hands of his enemies. For thirty pieces of silver he was sold out to the religious authorities of his day. Then he was accused, interrogated, ridiculed and beaten before being brought before the powers of the Roman state.
The people were given a choice to free one prisoner and they choose to free a murderer named Barabbas instead of the innocent Jesus Christ. The name Barabbas means (son of the father) but they left the Son of God to be handed over for crucifixion and public execution.
His disciples had scattered by this time and were no longer following Jesus as a faithful group. The most outspoken among them and the eldest Peter went so far as to deny he even knew Jesus not once but three times.
Some of them watched from a safe distance the mockery of a trial, the handing out of the death sentence and the humiliating parade that was Jesus carrying his cross to Golgotha. Time passed and the sky grew dark for three hours and then Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do saying the words It is finished he breathed his last and gave up his life dying for all the world.
Jesus body needed to be removed from the cross as the Jewish Religious Celebration of Passover was about to begin and it was unlawful to leave his body there during the Passover Celebration.
Joseph of Aramethia pleaded for and was granted permission to receive the Body of Jesus Christ and he along with Nicodemus who was also a member of the Jewish Council and a secret follower of Jesus prepared the body for burial. Placing Jesus body into a new tomb that belonged to Joseph of Aramethia a large stone would seal its entrance.
The Jewish leaders remembered how Jesus said he would rise after three days. They requested and were granted permission to have guards placed at the tomb to prevent Jesus body from being stolen by his followers and thus prevent a false resurrection.
They did not need to worry about the followers of Jesus; they were all disillusioned having watched Jesus crucifixion. Their faith had been devastated and those who remained spent the time together hiding fearing that the Roman authorities would hunt them down and place them on a cross as well.
On the third day the women, not the men the women ventured to the tomb to discover that the stone had been rolled away. The guards had abandoned their post after experiencing an earthquake and seeing an angel of brilliant light roll back the stone. The guards reported what had happened and they were paid a large sum to say that they had fallen asleep and that Jesus followers stole his body.
When the women arrive at the tomb the angel tells them;
5 The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you.
The women run to tell the news to the disciples who are behind locked doors. Peter is told first and John over hears and the two of them begin a foot race to the tomb A Race to Believe. Just a few short days ago these were faithful followers. Peter even claimed he would be willing to die for Jesus yet Peter denied knowing him three times.
What changed these men, what shook their faith? These men witnessed Jesus walk on the water, they witnessed Jesus raise the dead, they witnessed the lame walking the blind being given back their sight yet here they were behind locked doors after Jesus crucifixion.
Friend has it been some time since you were at church, has it been a struggle for you to put faith in Jesus Christ? Have you found yourself wanting to believe wanting to live like a believer only to surrender your faith behind a locked door? Has there been an event in your life that has shaken your faith and caused you to shrink back in fear?
Well know that even Jesus closest followers went through the same thing. Even Jesus closest friend John went through the same thing. The world is hard and harsh and cruel and unforgiving and can scar and wound us so badly that we can give up. But Jesus is greater than all the hurt of the world Jesus is greater than all the sin of the world and Jesus alone possess the love of God poured out for you. Jesus wants you to believe.
Friend I want you to run with me as together we race to the tomb together we along with Peter and John Race to Believe. It is this empty tomb that assures us that our empty lives can be forever filled changed to lives of hope, happiness and purpose. It is this empty tomb that assures us that we too can know eternal life, the forgiveness of our sins and a personal relationship with our God.
Do not remain behind a locked door. Open the door of your heart today and unlock it to receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Run with us as together we approach the empty tomb and sing He is Risen, he is risen indeed. Jesus resurrection has changed the course of human history for two thousand years. Let it change the course of your life today and join us as we run towards an eternity with him.
