SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Luke 24:49) "] And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
(John 20:19-20) [19] "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." [20] "And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."
(John 20:21-23) [21] "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." [22] "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:" [23] "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
(John 20:21-25) [24] "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came." [25] "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."
(John 20:26-29) [26] "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." [27] "Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." [28] "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." [29] "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
PREFACE SUMMARY
Dear reader, the event of Jesus's crucifixion is considered a significant moment in the Christian faith, marked by deep sorrow and despair. The death of their beloved leader left his disciples shattered and confused, and they retreated to an upper room to mourn their loss.
The disciples were hopeless, not knowing what the future held for them. It was a time of great uncertainty and fear as they grappled with the reality of Jesus's death and what it meant for their faith. Despite the darkness that enveloped them, the disciples would soon find hope and renewed strength in the resurrection of Jesus.
After Jesus was crucified and buried, his disciples were filled with grief and despair. However, their sorrow turned into immense joy when they saw their Lord and Savior alive again—their moments of despair turned into joy and excitement when Jesus appeared before them after his miraculous resurrection. This miraculous event reaffirmed their faith in Jesus and gave them hope that death was not the end.
This historical event marked a turning point in the Christian faith, signifying that Jesus had triumphed over death and that his teachings were actual. The disciples' experience of seeing Jesus resurrected gave them a renewed sense of purpose and conviction in their mission to spread his message.
This inspirational message is one of hope for all who will call upon his name. When God raised him victorious over death, hell, and the grave, the church of the living God was borne, fulfilling the scripture in Hebrews, the ninth chapter, and the fourteenth verse. (Hebrews 9:14), "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
"GOD'S PLAN IS UNVEILED."
Jesus began His Earthly ministry at age thirty after being baptized by John in the river of Jordan. We see this same Jesus do unexplained miracles as he went about the Father's business doing good and healing all that was oppressed by the enemy of our souls. Here, we see Him as a prophet like Moses and a teacher as He trained and equipped twelve disciples that God handpicked.
Beloved, the unapproachable God thundering with an iron fist in times past, was now revealed through His Son (Jesus) as an approachable God who wanted a relationship with man, his most incredible creation. His chosen disciples ate with him and witnessed God's unseen love for them.
Three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, were on the Mount of Transfiguration and saw Moses and Elijah speaking with Him about His destiny to bear the world's sins on an old, rugged cross outside Jerusalem. They witnessed His appearance change and saw Him in His true glory as the almighty God, who is immutable and never changes.
Saints, after three and one-half years of ministry, we see Him arrested by an angry mob in the garden of Gethsemane, but not before all were knocked down by an unseen power to give us insight that no man had power over Him unless it was granted from His Father above.
Here, we find Christ in his office being our protector as he would not allow the mob to arrest the others with Him to fulfill the scriptures that all had forsaken Him, but of his sheep, he had lost none. Soon after his arrest, he was taken to the high priest, where He was mocked, spit on, and beaten.
Later, He was taken to Pilots Hall, where He was questioned and later taken to a whipping post and beaten beyond recognition. Here, we see Him (Jesus) in his office as our model sufferer as He received the thirty-nine stripes for our healing.
Next, we see Him crucified on an old rugged cross hanging between the heavens and the Earth, experiencing excruciating pain with words of love and forgiveness, bearing the sins of humanity, and restoring the fellowship between God and man. Here, we see Him (Jesus) in His office as our redeemer.
Here me saints of God and hear me well; in this setting and plan of God, Christ was spilling His life's blood, fulfilling the scriptures in John 14th chapter, stating I go to prepare you a place meaning I go to prepare you a place. If I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also.
Beloved, if you examine the references in these verses, you will discover that he is not speaking of returning to heaven to begin building mansions. Still, he is speaking of going to the cross to remove the sin barrier so that man, his most incredible creation, can find his way back to God.
Beloved, did you know that the blood that flowed from his body was priceless, and did you know that It was shed in seven different places; and everyone of those places played a role in our redemption?
Dear reader, the first Adam gave in to the woman and ate the forbidden fruit, causing a barrier between God and man. Still, the second Adam won the battle in the garden when he prayed until his sweat became drops of blood, saying, Father, let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but thy will be done.
Beloved, the second Adam (Jesus) fulfilled the requirement that our sins be paid in full, for man's life is in the blood. After six hours on the cross, we find Him placing His (human) Spirit in the Father's hands as He paid the final debt of sin: death.
Dear reader, while on the cross, the Father turned his back on his son, which means "the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God had left him, " meaning he had a human soul and spirit like you and me. It is his personal soul and spirit that he is offering to God, fulfilling the scriptures in (Isaiah 53:10), which states that God has made his soul an offering for sin, and in another place, the scriptures state that he that knew no sin was made sin for us.
The Holy Scriptures state in (2 Corinthians 5:19) that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. We can think of this in two ways: reconciling a debt into one payment or recolonizing, which will fit well in this setting.
Beloved, when Jesus said, "It is finished," and physically died on that ole Roman cross, the word found in the book of (Matthew 27:51) states that the veil at the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. Some say that the veil was 4 inches thick, 60 feet high, and 20 feet wide in Jesus's time, but there is some speculation on these measurements.
Beloved, when Jesus died, the scriptures speak of him going to hell or Hades and liberating the souls of the saints that had passed, who died trusting in the Lord to provide a redeemer that they might one day be with Him. The scriptures in (Matthew 27:52) state that after the resurrection of Jesus, many of the saints arose and went into the Holy City, appearing to many people.
We can look at (Matthew 12:40) and find Jesus stating, "As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth.”
(1 Peter 3:19-20) speaks of Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison, some for disobedience, and some scholars even mention the fallen Angels that had fallen from grace.
Beloved, our God is a Holy and just God in all his ways in dealing with man's most incredible creation. Satan challenged him before all creation of not being a just God, which caused a third of the Holy Angels to join his rebellion.
(2 Corinthians 5:21) says that Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin for us, and Isaiah 53:10) states how it pleased God to make his soul an offering for sin. The scriptures speak of Jesus descending into the lowest part of the Earth and preaching to the souls who died in Noah’s flood.
Beloved, if we look at this carefully, we will conclude that this would include those who had died since Adam which clearly shows God's mercy and justice as he gave everyone a chance to believe and be saved. The scriptures also teach that when God saw the travail of his soul and the reward of his sufferings, he was satisfied.
When God's plan had been fulfilled, and his wrath was satisfied, He raised Jesus from the dead and gave him a name above every name known, making him both Lord and Christ. The scriptures teach that when Christ arose, he took the Old Testament saints from the lowest parts of the Earth to Heaven so they might live in the presence of his loving Father.
Peter informs us that after Jesus's death and resurrection, paradise was moved to heaven, and we find Paul, in his out-of-body experience, speaking of being in the third heaven and later referring to it as paradise.
Saints, the fallen spirits in hell, did not know who he was and probably thought they had stopped a vital prophet, but on that third day and night, when God’s plan was complete, the scriptures speak of him throwing off different ranks of fallen angels, which had once been in God's presence and making a show of them openly before all that he had conquered death, hell and the grave.
Saints, to better look at this, we can study the different ranks of Angels in heaven, like the Cherubim, which means covering or protectors, such as the ones guarding the entrance to the garden when the man was cast out. The Seraphim had six wings and flew in the presence of God; then we have Lucifer the Archangel, who was the first created and one of the highest-ranking Angels before God.
In this setting, when God’s plan, which was secret in the Godhead, is completed, we find Christ as Lord taking the keys (the authority) of death, hell, and the grave away from the deceiver Satan, who had tricked our ancestors Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and caused man to lose fellowship with his creator.
"Through the ages, humanity has wondered about the purpose of our existence and the meaning of life, but now, with God's plan unveiled, we can finally understand the grand design of the universe and our place within it.
Beloved, with God's plan now unveiled, we can excitedly now embark on a journey of spiritual enlightenment and discover the true meaning of our existence as his eternal Spirit guides us toward fulfillment, purpose, and everlasting joy.
"YOUR SUNDAY EXPERIENCE IS COMING."
Dear reader, the resurrection of Jesus is considered one of the most significant events in Christian history. Christians worldwide celebrate it as a symbol of hope and new beginnings. It represents the triumph of good over evil and the promise of eternal life for all who believe God's record of his son and to all who will call upon his name.
Beloved, as we continue gleaning from this message, let us use our imagination and place ourselves in the disciples' shoes with Jesus. They had just witnessed his arrest, trial, and crucifixion, and they were filled with fear and uncertainty about what the future held for them.
During the time of Jesus, the Romans were feared for their practice of hunting down entire clans if they had killed their leader. This was known as the "decimation" and was meant to ensure that no one would dare to raise arms against the Roman Empire. The practice involved executing every tenth person in a clan as punishment for the crime committed by one of their own.
This brutal and ruthless approach struck fear into the hearts of the disciples of Jesus, who were already living in a time of great political turmoil and social unrest. They worried that the Roman government might also come after them and subject them to a similar fate if they were perceived as a threat to the stability of the Empire. This fear was not unfounded, as later, many early Christians were indeed persecuted and killed by the Roman authorities for their beliefs.
Beloved, imagine for a moment that we could travel back to the first century and speak to these disciples. What could we say to them to get their eyes off of their despair and get them focusing on the words he spoke to them of how he must be arrested, tried and put to death at the hands of the Romans, and how on the third day he would be raised from the dead? Could we with joy reassure them that they need not fear because Jesus' death on Friday was not the end of the story?
We could remind them that it might be Friday, but Sunday is coming and Jesus will rise from the dead and bring them messages of hope and love. We could tell them that they will see Jesus again and that he will be with them always, even to the end of the age. We could encourage and assure them that they will never be alone despite their trials and persecution, for Jesus will be with them at every step. With these thoughts in mind, let us remember the disciples' fear and uncertainty and be grateful to live in the knowledge of Jesus' resurrection and the hope and love he brings for us all.
My dear friend, with all that we are facing in our confused troubled world today, "Have you ever wondered what it would be like if some of the great witnesses of faith from the past could return to our 21st-century world and give us messages of hope?"
Beloved, sometimes, we need to be assured and reminded that the Fridays which could be used as a metaphor to describe the dark times in our lives, are only temporary because the God of heaven planned our lives to end from the beginning before the foundation of the world.
This witness may say things like, "You may be living in a seemingly godless society that seems to be trying to remove God from every aspect of life, where school shootings and acts of terrorism have become all too common, and where danger and uncertainty seem to be lurking around every corner, but you can take hope in recognizing that God has a plan to prosper you and bring you to a good end.
Beloved, their words of wisdom and hope would be like a soothing balm to our anxious souls. They would remind us that God is still sovereign, even amid chaos and darkness, and that his love and grace will ultimately triumph over evil. These men and women of faith may tell us to remember the words of the Psalmist, who wrote the verse, "Even though I walk through the valley of death (the darkest valley), I will fear no evil, for thou (You) art with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)
Beloved, they may tell us that the Psalmist's words are a statement of unwavering faith and trust in God's protection and guidance, informing us that even in complex and challenging times, the Psalmist expressed confidence in God's presence, who provides comfort and reassurance through his rod and staff.
These witnesses may tell us that much of the pressures of life today come from both good and evil influences such as other human beings or satanic influences. These witnesses may tell us things like, "How we handle the trials that come upon us will determine our trust in God, and if we channel the pressure just right, we can allow the pressure to lead us to a place of sincere prayer, which will bring us to a place of power."
Beloved, do you not know and understand that the trials in our lives produce patience, which is the crowning glory of grace in our Christian life, and when we have patience in a trial, and God delivers us out of it in his time, this pressing will produce godly character in us?
Dear reader, this gives us more courage to be examples to others by showing what Christ can do for his children, and I believe that is why those chosen before the foundation of the world to be leaders in the end-time revival are usually the ones who have had to brave the most complex trials.
Beloved saints, please know and understand that there my be times in our life when we feel surrounded by darkness with no end in sight, and we may even feel like we are being pushed to our limits, but we can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone, because the same Lord who came to show us the way to eternal life, became the way; "The Great I Am."
Dear saints, life can be challenging, and the truth is, "We all at some time or another may face trials at some point in our journey which may seem unbearable sometimes, but as we persevere through these trials, we begin to realize that God uses them to mature us and build our character for His service.
Our struggles equip us with valuable life lessons, and we through them learn to trust God's plan. These trials help us to become more compassionate and understanding towards others facing similar trials and they condition us to develop an unwavering faith in God that can only come through experiencing these challenges.
In summary, while the trials we endure may be challenging, they ultimately have a purpose in shaping us into the people that God wants us to be, and because of the empty tomb, God can begin his work of grace within us to enlighten us that the power of God that lives within us is stronger than the power and influences of the world.
Beloved, because we were chosen and predestined in Christ before the foundation of the world, when he was buried, so were we buried with him, and when he arose from the dead, we also arose with him to become his church which represents his body on earth.
We were predestined to be adopted as sons and daughters of the most-high God, which means that when Christ was buried, we were also buried with him, and when we follow him in water baptism, we are symbolizing the death of our old self and the beginning of a new life in Christ.
When he arose from the dead, he made away for the church to be borne, this spiritual union with Christ enables us to have a close and intimate relationship with him and live by his teachings and example, reaching out to touch the world around us with the most significant news on earth, "God loves and saves wretched sinners from their sins."
"A LETTER FROM PILOT TO CAESAR CONFIRMS THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS."
"THE TOMB IS EMPTY." "HE IS NOT HERE, HE HAS RISEN."
In the early 1990s, my friend Perry Stone Junior gave me a book about Jesus's resurrection. I later loaned the book to a minister friend who did not return it to me. From what I remember, the book was about a letter found in a Turkish monastery that detailed Jesus's burial and resurrection.
Special Note: "Take my advice and be careful who you lend your books and study materials to; I could fill a bookcase with the tapes, videos, and books that never made it back after being loaned to friends." Perry Sone had given me whole sets of videos on the Book of Revelation.
After loaning them to a pastor, I asked for them back, only to be told he had misplaced them. About a month later, I was surprised to see his church's advertisements stating that he would give a series of teachings on the Book of Revelation.
Beloved, the letter was purportedly written by Pilot, a Roman ruler, to Caesar. In it, he recounted a report given to him by Malchus, the man responsible for securing Jesus's tomb with a large, sealed stone. According to the letter, which provides an account of a supernatural event that occurred long ago, over 100 soldiers were stationed to guard the tomb of Jesus. At around 3 a.m., which was referred to as the fourth watch of the night, the soldiers heard some unusual music and saw a mysterious blue light hovering above the tomb.
According to Jewish rabbis, during the annual sacrifice, when the high priest entered the holy of holies, a mystical blue light would appear. This light, known as the Shekhinah, was believed to manifest God's presence and a powerful symbol of spiritual purity and divine illumination. The blue light was said to be so intense that it would fill the entire room, casting a radiant glow on everything in its path.
The appearance of the Shekhinah was a significant event in Jewish history and was considered a sign of God's favor and blessing upon the people. Many Jewish scholars and theologians have written extensively about the Shekhinah and its significance in Jewish tradition, highlighting its importance as a symbol of faith, hope, and divine grace.
The letter stated that the deceased Old Testament saints began walking around in grave clothes when the blue light and the music started. The letter said that suddenly, a mighty shaking ensued, so intense that it caused the soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus to prostrate on the ground. The soldiers were terrified and didn't know what was happening. The letter stated that after the shaking, the soldiers looked up to discover that the massive stone covering the tomb's entrance had been rolled aside, revealing an empty tomb.
Beloved, the letter provided a detailed account of the event that puzzled many people. Upon reading the letter, Caesar was so convinced that Jesus had been resurrected that he declared Jesus one of the many gods revered by the people. Caesar's recognition of Jesus's divinity was a significant moment in the history of Christianity. It marked one of the earliest instances of a non-Christian leader acknowledging the Lord’s resurrection.
Beloved, the letter mentioned Malchus, but it is unclear whether this was the same person whose ear Peter had cut off during Jesus's arrest in the garden. The letter provides no context for the name, making historians speculate whether it is the same person. Nonetheless, mentioning Malchus in the letter adds an element of intrigue to the story and underscores the ambiguous nature of some of the details surrounding Jesus's life and death.
In closing, this letter, discovered in a Turkish monastery, is a significant find as it provides additional historical evidence validating one of Christianity's most fundamental beliefs. The discovery of this letter is a reminder of the power and impact of faith and how it can inspire us even today.
MY CONCLUSION
Dear reader, did you know that Jesus Christ's resurrection is one of Christian history's most significant and celebrated events? The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate proof of the significance of the cross, without which the sacrificial act would have been incomplete and in vain.
The resurrection is a testament to Jesus' divine nature and validates his sacrifice on the cross. Without the resurrection, the cross would have been just another execution, and Jesus would have been just another victim. However, the resurrection changed everything and gave meaning to the cross. It showed that Jesus had conquered death and had the power to offer eternal life to those who believed in him.
The resurrection is pivotal in Christian history, representing the ultimate triumph of good over evil. It symbolizes hope for the faithful and a testament to God's immense power and love for humanity. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a demonstration of God's power over death, and it shows that death is not the end of life, but the beginning of a new one, and we that know him in the power of his resurrection have the assurance us that we will have eternal life after death, just as Jesus did, and we can find comfort in the promise that after this life is over, we will be reunited with our loved ones in heaven.
In conclusion, God extends salvation to everyone who believes in Jesus and his resurrection. As Jesus ever lives to make intercession before the throne of God for us, his children, we can find comfort in his abiding love. No matter how difficult life may be, we can have hope and redemption through faith in Jesus. Therefore, let us never forget the significance of the cross, which symbolizes God's love for humanity and his desire to bring us closer to him.
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse, Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
