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!

Luke 22:66 – 23:25  66 At daybreak all the leaders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council,  67 and they said, “Tell us if you are the Messiah.” But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me.  68 And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer.  69 But the time is soon coming when I, the Son of Man, will be sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power.”  70 They all shouted, “Then you claim you are the Son of God?” And he replied, “You are right in saying that I am.”  71 “What need do we have for other witnesses?” they shouted. “We ourselves heard him say it.”  NLT Luke 23:1 Then the entire council took Jesus over to Pilate, the Roman governor.  2 They began at once to state their case: “This man has been leading our people to ruin by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”  3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.”  4 Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”  5 Then they became desperate. “But he is causing riots everywhere he goes, all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”  6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked.  7 When they answered that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.  8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle.  9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer.  10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.  11 Now Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Then they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.  12 Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.  13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people,  14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.  15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.  16 So I will have him flogged, but then I will release him.”  17   18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!”  19 (Barabbas was in prison for murder and for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government.)  20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus.  21 But they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”  22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. I will therefore flog him and let him go.”  23 But the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus’ death, and their voices prevailed.  24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.  25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he delivered Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

Herod’s reaction to Jesus is a common one.  Some people get excited about Jesus because they think he’s going to do great things for them.  They think Jesus will bring them riches and blessing.  And when they don’t get rich and life doesn’t go the way they think they deserve, they turn on Jesus.  The promise of a life of faith isn’t that it will be easy and filled with blessing, but that we will have peace knowing that God is with us and we have eternal life.  That is the ultimate blessing.