On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, Salome, and Luke includes Joanna, had gone to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. As they were on their way, they began to ask among themselves, “Who is going to roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb because it was very big and very heavy?” They had come with spices to anoint the body of Jesus in order to keep his body from decaying and stinking so quickly. But when they got to the tomb, they saw that the stone door had already been rolled aside and an angel of the Lord whose appearance was as bright as lightning, wearing a robe that was as white as snow, was sitting upon the stone. “Don’t be afraid,” he told them, “because I know that you are looking for Jesus who was buried here. He is not here. He has risen, just as He told you He would. In fact, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, you will find Him there. Now go and tell the disciples and Peter He has risen from the grave, for I have told you so!” And the Bible says that they quickly ran and told the disciples the good news.
The Message of Easter is the Message for all time! “He is not here. He has risen from the grave, just like He told you He would! Now, go and tell others what you know.”
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life”, John 11:25. Luke tells us at the beginning of his account of the church that “Jesus showed himself alive by many infallible proofs,” Acts 1:3. Let’s look at those “infallible proofs”. Surely someone who had died is still dead, isn’t He? The Bible, which is a book of history, a book of true accounts as well as teachings, lets us know from twelve different eye-witness accounts that Jesus is indeed alive from the grave! First, there was His appearance to Mary Magdalene, a woman from whom He had cast out seven demons! When He spoke her name, “Mary”, there was no mistake on her part that she didn’t recognize His voice (John 20:1118). Then He appeared to the women that I referred to above, Matthew 28:7. Next, He appeared to Peter, Luke 24:34. He appeared also and walked with and talked with two believers on the Emmaus Road, Luke 24:13-34. Next He appeared to His apostles who were in hiding for fear of their own lives in the upper room, only without Thomas being present, Luke 24:36-43. And then again to the apostles but this time Thomas was there, John 20:24-29. He appeared to seven of the apostles on the Sea of Tiberias, John 21:1-23. He even appeared to over 500 on the day of His ascension, 1 Corinthians 15:6. He was seen by James, Jesus’ earthly brother and author of the book of James, 1 Corinthians 15:7. Once again He appeared to the eleven apostles (remember that His betrayer, Judas, had hung himself), Matthew 28: 16, 20, and Acts 1:3-12. He was seen by Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Acts 7:55. And last of all, He was seen by Paul on his way to Damascus, Acts 9:36, and 1 Corinthians 15:8. Twelve different times did He appear to His followers, proving that He had indeed arisen from the grave.
