Going On To Perfection

Luke 24:1-12  Luke 24:1 But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  2 They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside.  3 So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.  4 They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.  5 The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive?  6 He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee,  7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?”  8 Then they remembered that he had said this.  9 So they rushed back to tell his eleven disciples– and everyone else– what had happened.  10 The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened,  11 but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it.  12 However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

IT’S EASTER!!  What an exciting day!  Jesus is risen and life is changed!  Amazed!  Confused?  Excited!  Life changes forever on Easter!  Jesus is risen, and with Him comes hope for eternal life.  PRAISE GOD FOR EASTER!!

Luke 23:50-56   50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council,  51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he had been waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.  52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.  54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation for the Sabbath.  55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body.  56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law.

To me, the Saturday had to be the hardest.  Jesus had died and it was starting to sink in.  The hope that it was all a dream was gone.  The chance that he would raise up like he had talked about was growing dim.  How would life go on without Him?  Saturday was that day of darkest doubt.  Still, Sunday was coming.  Even in the darkest days of our lives, God has a Sunday coming.

Luke 23:33-43  33 Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there– Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.  34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people, because they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.  35 The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Chosen One, the Messiah.”  36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.  37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”  38 A signboard was nailed to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”  39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself– and us, too, while you’re at it!”  40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you are dying?  41 We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”  43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

It takes great faith to believe in Jesus on the cross.  How else would one believe that Jesus was going to come into His kingdom?  In the darkest of days, the one criminal saw beyond life and into the blessing of God.  In our darkest days, may we have the strength of faith to trust that God will have victory even when it seems hopeless!