He ascended
Matthew 28:1-7 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
I have been struggling with what to write this morning……my mind is going down so many roads that I want to take you……. I imagine the good news of today, the celebration of our Lord rising from the dead, conquering death, providing eternal life, all for you and me. I could go down the road of the unthinkable sacrifice; of the pain of sin and death of His creation placed on His back. But that was Friday; this is Sunday, and He is Risen; He is risen indeed! Surely you understand you are going to die someday. Most likely you believe there is a life after this one. Even at your core you must believe their is either punishment or reward awaiting you. Christ conquered death at the Cross, and provided you the pathway to eternal paradise with Him in heaven. He rose from the grave by His own power, conquering death forever. 1 Corinthians 15:55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the Good News!
You must understand today is the hinge of which the door of Christianity opens; Christ rose from the dead to ascend back to sit at the right hand of the Father. Paul spoke directly to this in 1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Do you believe? Do you believe that He was placed in that tomb a dead physical man, and arose from the dead an eternal living king? Do you believe that He was the only perfect sacrifice that could atone for your sins? He died a physical death, and arose an eternal Savior and Lord. He appeared to many before ascending back to sit at the right hand of God. There were many recorded proofs of His resurrection that are found in the New Testament. If today does not represent the foundation of your faith, you will pay for eternity for your mistake.
My heart rejoices today for I understand what today truly represents. My heart also hurts for those that have not heard this Good News, or worse those that reject it. In the same joy I feel in celebration, I feel pain in the lost. We are living in a world that defines self-centeredness. We are living in a world thinking all paths lead to God, and they do not. I pray that this Easter morning that God places a burden on your heart for the depth of what He has done for you. I pray that you are obedient to that burden He placed on your heart and respond to Him as your Savior, or even as to becoming a disciple. Don’t you want to stand at His feet and thank him for today?
He came. He died. He arose. He ascended. He is coming back.
Are you ready to meet Him?
oneminuteministry 