HE IS RISEN

PROCLAMATION

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said.  ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.’”  Mark 16:5-6 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to Mark, a companion Simon Peter.  After Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged and crucified, they scourged Him, and then the soldiers led Him away. (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15-16, and John 19:1-2)  The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head, hit Him, spit on Him, and mocked Him. (Mark 16:17-19)   Afterwards they led Him to the place called Golgotha, and they forced Simon, from Cyrene, to carry the cross for Jesus. (Mark 15:21-22)  There they crucified Him.  Jesus hung on the cross from nine in the morning (Mark 15:25) until three in the afternoon when He gave up His spirit and died. (Mark 15:33-37)  Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in linen, placed it in his new unused tomb, and sealed the entrance with a large stone. (Mark 15:43-46)  After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus.  When they got there, they found that the stone had been rolled away and there was an angel sitting in the tomb.  The angel told them that Jesus was not there, “He is risen!” (Mark 16:1-6)

 

APPLICATION

The crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, is recorded in all four of the gospels. (Matthew 27:26 to 28:8; Mark 15:15 to 16:8; Luke 23:23 to 24:9 and John 19:16 to 20:10)  It was predicted more than four hundred years earlier by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 53:5-6)  The resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, was not witnessed; it must be believed.  Thomas believed after he saw for himself and touched the wounds in His hands and side.  Blessed are those of us that have not seen and yet believe. (John 20:27-29)  However, after He rose from the grave, He appeared for man to see Him on more than forty different times before He ascended to heaven. (Matthew 28:9-10 and 28:11-20; Mark 16:9-20; Luke 24:13-50; and John 20:11-29 and 21:1-23)  For forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3) Jesus appeared to His disciples, spoke to them, touched Him, and at times He ate with them.  His ascension to heaven from a mountain in Galilee was witnessed by the disciples. (Acts 1:9)  The Word of God says it and that settles it.  He is risen.  Today, those of us who believe it will be blessed.

HE IS RISEN DO YOU BELIEVE IT

Proclamation:

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said.  ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.’”  Mark 16:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark as he received it from the apostle Peter.  Mark begins this sixteenth and final chapter describing the events which occurred after the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.  The women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus were afraid and alarmed at what the saw. (Mark 16:1-8)  After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene who did not recognize Him at first, (Mark 16:9-11 and John 20:11-18) but when she did, she went and told the disciples who did not believe her.  Jesus later appeared the disciples while they were eating and He rebuked them for their lack of faith and disbelief. (Mark 16:14)  Jesus told Thomas, who said that he would not believe it unless he saw for himself and touched the nail prints in His hands, (John 20:25) because you have seen you have believed, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Application:

The basis of our Christian faith is the belief in the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.  He predicted His death and resurrection and told His disciples several times beforehand. (Matthew 17:22-23, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:33, and Luke 24:7)  They did not believe until He appeared to them after His resurrection and they saw Him for themselves.  Jesus said blessed are those of us who believe in Him and His resurrection without having seen Him. (John 20:29)  He rose from the dead on the third day just as He said that He would do. (Matthew 12:40)  The question is: “Do you believe?”

HE IS RISEN

Proclamation:

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come see the place where The Lord lay.”  Matthew 28:6 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the apostle Matthew.  When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James, arrived at the tomb where the body of Jesus had been placed, they encountered an angel who was sitting on the rock which had sealed the door of the tomb. (Matthew 28:2)  The angel told them that he knew that they were looking for Jesus, who had been crucified, but He was not there. (Matthew 28:5-6)  The angel said, “He is not here; He is risen, as He said.” (Matthew 28:6)  The angel said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; He has risen!  Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”  Then they remembered. (Luke 24:1-8)

Application:

All four of the gospels give an account of the post crucifixion resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. (Matthew 28:6, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:6, and John 20:11-12)  Belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is essential for salvation of our lost soul. (Romans 10:9)  There are recorded witnesses to His death on the cross and the placing of His body in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathema.  There are also many witnesses to His resurrection.  He appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9 and John 20:14-18), then to two of His disciples as they walked towards the village called Emmaus. (Mark 16:12 and Luke 24:13-32)  He appeared to His disciples in the upper room as they ate without Thomas, (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:35-51, and John 20:19-22) again in the upper room with Thomas present, (John 20:26-29) and at the sea of Tiberias. (John 21:1-14)  For forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3) Jesus appeared to His disciples, spoke to them, and at times He ate with them.  His disciples also witnessed His ascension from a mountain in Galilee. (Matthew 28:16-17 and Acts 1:9)  This happened and there are multiple witnesses to verify it.  His crucifixion was predicted more than four hundred years earlier by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 53:5-12)  The only thing left for us to do today is to accept or reject the account of the resurrection as presented in The Bible, The Holy Word of God.  The question is do you believe it?  He is risen.  Have a blessed celebration of His resurrection.  To God be the glory!!!

PEOPLE WILL TRY TO DISCREDIT BELIEVERS BY LYING ON US

Proclamation:

“… I went up to Jerusalem to worship.  My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city.  And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me.”  Acts 24:11-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

The apostle Paul was arrested and escorted to the governor for a hearing.  After the elders and their lawyer, Tertullus, had presented their case against him to Felix, the governor, Paul was allowed to speak. (Acts 24:1-10)  Paul basically said that the charges against him were false.  He said that he was in the temple when they seized him but that he did nothing wrong.  He said that he was on trial because he publicly declared that he believed in the resurrection of the dead. (Acts 24:17-21)  When Felix had heard Paul he sent him back to prison, but he called for him frequently and talked with him, and yet still kept him in prison for two years as a favor to the Jews. (Acts 24:25-27)

Application:

As believers we are encouraged to share The Word of God and to tell others about Jesus, The Christ.  However, when we tell some people, especially non-believers, about The Lord Jesus we will offend some of them.  In an effort to keep us quiet and to keep others from believing us, some people will lie on us or about us in order to discredit us.  The Bible says when men persecute us and say all manner of evil against us falsely that we should rejoice because great will be our reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-12)  So, let us keep on spreading the gospel.

SOME PEOPLE WILL NOT LIKE YOU IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION

Proclamation:

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees.  I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’”  Acts 23:6 (NIV) 

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke recorded that when Paul addressed the Sanhedrin council he knew that some of them were Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, angels, or spirits, and some of them were Pharisees, who believed in all these things. (Acts 23:7-8)  This created a great disturbance among the Sanhedrin which spilled over into the city.  Some of the Jews took an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. (Acts 23:9-15)  But the commander of the Roman army found out about the plot and had Paul taken out of town at night under heavy guard. (Acts 23:16-24)

Application:

The Christian faith is based upon belief in the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.  There are many people in this world who hate believers.  Some of those people even want to kill all Christian believers because of their religious beliefs.  Jesus said that the world would hate believers because they hated Him. (John 15:18)  Not everybody believes that Jesus is The Christ and the promised Messiah.  However unpopular it may be, as believers we need to stand by our beliefs.  Jesus said if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before His Heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:33)  The Lord God is all powerful and all knowing.  He was raised from the dead with all power of heaven and earth in His hands. (Matthew 28:18)  To God be the glory!

HE IS NOT HERE HE HAS RISEN

Proclamation:

“… Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; He has risen!  Remember how He told you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be risen again.’”  Luke 24:5-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Three days after His death on the cross, (Luke 23:42) and His burial in Joseph’s tomb, (Luke 23:50-53) Jesus, The Christ, rose from the dead.  Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb with spices to anoint His body but He had already risen. (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-7, and John 20:1-10)  Two angels appeared in the form of men in shining garments and told the women that Jesus was not there.  He had risen. (Luke 24:6)

Application:

The basis for our Christian faith is the belief in the virgin birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.  Our very salvation depends upon that belief. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9)  The Bible documents that Jesus appeared to a number of individuals during the forty days after His resurrection before His ascension to heaven.  He appeared to Mary Magdalene, (Mark 16:9 and John 20:11-18) to the women as they left the tomb, (Matthew 28:8-10) to Cleopas one of the two men as they walked in the country, (Mark 16:12) to His disciples without Thomas, (John 20:19-23) to His disciples with Thomas present a week later, (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:36-49, and John 20:26-29) to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee, (John 21:1-25) and to His disciples on the mountain just before He ascended to heaven. (Matthew 28:16-17, Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9)  

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY - HE IS RISEN

Proclamation:

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come see the place where The Lord lay.”  Matthew 28:6 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the apostle Matthew.  When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James, arrived at the tomb where the body of Jesus had been placed, they encountered an angel who was sitting on the rock which had sealed the door of the tomb. (Matthew 28:2)  The angel told them that he knew that they were looking for Jesus who had been crucified, but He was not there. (Matthew 28:5-6)  The angel said that He is risen. (Matthew 28:6)

Application:

All four gospels give an account of the post crucifixion resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. (Matthew 28:6, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:6, and John 20:11-12)  Belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is essential for salvation of our lost soul. (Romans 10:9)  There are recorded witnesses to His death on the cross and the placing of His body in the tomb.  There are also many witnesses to His resurrection.  He appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9 and John 20:14-18), then to two of His disciples as they walked towards the village called Emmaus. (Mark 16:12 and Luke 24:13-32)  He appeared to His disciples in the upper room as they ate without Thomas, (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:35-51, and John 20:19-22) again in the upper room with Thomas present, (John 20:26-29) and at the sea of Tiberias. (John 21:1-14)  For forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3) Jesus appeared to His disciples, spoke to them, and at times He ate with them.  His disciples also witnessed His ascension from a mountain in Galilee. (Matthew 28:16-17 and Acts 1:9)  This happened and there are multiple witnesses to verify it.  The question is do you believe it?

THE POST RESURRECTION BREAKFAST MESSAGE

Proclamation:

“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.… When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’  Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is it to you?  You must follow me.’” John 21:20-22 (NIV)

Explanation:

After the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, Peter and four of the other disciples went fishing but did not catch anything. (John 21:3-5)  Jesus appeared on the shore and told them to cast their nets on the other side. (John 21:6)  They did as He said and they caught so many fish that the boat almost sank.  Jesus told them to bring some of the fish which they had just caught and He prepared a meal for them. (John 21:12)  After they had eaten, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him and then three times He told him to “Feed My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)  Then He told Peter to follow Him and Peter noticed that John was following them.  When Peter asked Jesus about John, He replied, “What is it to you?”  Then Jesus told him you just follow me.

Application:

The disciples who saw Jesus after the resurrection then went back to doing what they were doing before they met Him.  Jesus again appeared and gave these experienced fishermen instructions on how to catch fish.  When they followed His directions they caught more fish than they ever had before.  Jesus fed them with some of the fish which they had just caught then He told them to feed His sheep.  Jesus also made it clear that they were to follow Him and do as He had told them.  They were not to worry about what the others were doing.  The first point here is, after we accept Jesus as our Savior we are not to return to doing the same exact things that we used to do.  Second point, even experienced, knowledgeable, successful people can do better by following the instructions of Jesus.  Third point, ghosts, visions, and aberrations do not eat.  This is proof that Jesus did physically appear to them after the resurrection.  Fourth point, Jesus has work assignments for each of us to do with respect to kingdom building.  Fifth and final point, we are not to worry about what others are doing because that is not our business.  We are to mind our own business and to make sure that we follow Jesus.

HE IS RISEN

Proclamation:

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of The Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; He has risen!  Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  Then they remembered His words." Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

After His death by crucifixion, the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross, wrapped in a clean linen cloth and placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathema.  The entrance to the sepulcher was closed with a large stone and a Roman guard was posted there as ordered by Pilate, to prevent the disciples from stealing the body of Christ. (Matthew 27:57-66)  When the women came with spices to anoint the body of Jesus, He was not there, for He had risen.  His earthly body had been resurrected.

Application:

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!" (Luke 24:5-6)  The only thing for us to do today is to accept or reject the account of the resurrection as presented in The Bible, The Holy Word of God.  The crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ, is recorded in all four of the gospels. (Matthew 27:26 to 28:8; Mark 15:15 to 15:8; Luke 23:23 to 24:9 and John 19:16 to 20:10)  It was predicted more than four hundred years earlier by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 53:5-6)  After His resurrection He appeared for man to see Him on more than forty different times before He ascended to heaven. (Matthew 28:9-10 and 28:11-20; Mark 16:9-20; Luke 24:13-50; and John 20:11-29 and 21:1-23)  His ascension to heaven was witnessed by the disciples. (Acts 1:9)  The Word of God says it and that settles it.  He is risen.

Death Is A Temporary Process Life Is Eternal

"So then, death is at work in us, but ... because we know that The One who raised The Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus ... Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day ... For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:12-18 (NIV)

This message was written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in The Church in Corinth to encourage them to keep the faith and not be led astray by false prophets. (2 Corinthians 4:13)  He told them that although they were dying a little each day, and would eventually see physical death, their spirit was being renewed each day, and it is eternal.

From the day that we are born we began to die.  It is just that, while we are young, we were growing at a faster rate than we were dying, so the net result was that we grew.  However, at some point in our life the rate at which we were dying exceeded the rate of growth and we began to notice that we were aging, decaying, wasting away, and slowing dying.  As Paul put it, "...death is at work in us..." from the very beginning.  But when the process is complete and death overtakes us, as believers we know that The God who raised up our Lord and Savior Jesus, The Christ, will also raise us up from the dead.  Christ said that, "he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25)  We know that when the body dies physically, the spirit returns to God, for when we are absent from the body, we are present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  We know that the dead in Christ shall rise, and they will meet The Lord God first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  Our spiritual selves will live throughout eternity. (Matthew 25:46, John 3:15, Romans 6:23, and 1 John 5:11)  Death and dying is a temporary process, but spiritual life is eternal.  In this we can find comfort at the death of a loved one.

Believe In The Resurrection

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  Romans 10:9 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in Rome, the Apostle Paul taught them that if they confessed openly that Jesus Christ is Lord, and if they truly believed that God had raised Him from the dead, then they would be saved.  Paul said that their salvation was based upon their belief in the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.

It is essential for the salvation of our souls that we recognize that Jesus, The Christ, is The Lord of lords, and we must confess that He is our Lord and Savior.  We must truly believe, with all of our heart, that He died, was buried, and that He rose from the dead by the grace of God, in order for us to be saved.  Our salvation is based upon belief in Jesus Christ, The Son of God, and in His earthly life and His death, burial, and resurrection.  Without belief in the resurrection of Jesus, there can be no salvation for a lost soul.  Jesus raised several people from the dead, Lazarus (John 11:11-44), the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue (Matthew 9:18-25, Mark 5:35-42, Luke 8:49-55), and the widow's son (Luke 7:12-15).  But these miracles were done so that God would be glorified, and so that the people would believe that Jesus was The Son of God.  Each of these three people were still limited by time, space, and matter, and they each died again.  After His resurrection, Jesus appeared and disappeared at will, to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9), to the disciples (Matthew 28:16-17 and John 21:1), to Thomas (John 20:26-29), and to Cloepas (Luke 24:15-32).  Jesus did not die a second time, He ascended to heaven on a cloud. (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-51, Acts 1:2, and Acts 1:9)  Only Jesus, The Christ, was resurrected from the dead with all of the power of heaven and earth given to Him. (Matthew 28:16-18)  For this reason we give Him all praise, honor, and glory.  He is worthy of our worship.  Our salvation only requires confession and belief.

Know Why You Have Hope

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect ..." 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers the Apostle Peter said that they should always be ready to answer anyone who asks them why they have the faith and hope that they have.  

We need to be sure of what we believe, and we need to be prepared to explain our reason to anyone who asks us about it.  "Praise be to The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ..." (1 Peter 1:3)  "Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:21)  This is what we believe, and this is why we believe it.  It is not about what we can get out of it, it's all about Jesus and what He did for us.

The Resurrection And The Life

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies;"  John 11:25 (NIV)

The Apostle John captured the words of Jesus, The Christ, as He spoke to Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus.  This is the fifth of the seven great "I AM" statements which Jesus spoke.  He said "I AM the resurrection and the life".  Jesus basically said that He is life, He is the giver of life, and He has the power of life over death.  He said that all who have faith in Him will have eternal life after the physical death.

Like Martha and her sister Mary, most Christians today believe in spiritual life after physical death on judgement day.  However, what we do not recognize is that The Lord God is the power of life.  The breath of life is His, it came from Him (Genesis 2:7), it belongs to Him, and it will return to Him.  Many have died for short periods of time and come back to life, none were dead as long as Lazarus, but they were miracles of God none the less.  It was not modern medicine, if it were, then no one who could afford health care would die.  Each night we sleep in the very image of death, and it is God that wakes us up each day.  But, the power of the resurrection is unique unto Christ.  Lazarus did not get up from the dead on his own, it was the power of God that raised him from the dead. (John 11:42-44)  When Jesus died, He laid down His life and He picked it back up again as He said that He would. (John 10:17)  Jesus said "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)  That included the power of life and the power over death.  All who believe in Him, although we may die, we will live again.

Go And Make Disciples Teach Them

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' "  Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

After His resurrection, Jesus, The Christ, told His disciples that He had been given all power in heaven and on earth.  Then He gave them the command, which is referred to as "the great commission", to go teach and preach to all the people in the world the things which He had taught them.  So that they would also become His disciples and be baptized.  Jesus also promised them that He would always be with them.

This final command of Jesus to His disciples, and to us as His present day disciples, to teach the gospel is recorded in all four of the gospels.  (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, & John 21:15-17)  We all are to tell others about salvation through belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not just the preachers and pastors.  We talk to a lot of people each day, but do we tell any of them about Christ?  It is time for us to make a commitment to obey the great commission and tell others about the gospel, in order to help non-believers become disciples of Christ.  Our job is to tell them about it.  The Holy Spirit's job is convict them, convince them, convert them, and consecrate them. 

We Are Blessed For Believing Without Seeing

"Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' " John 20:24-29 (NIV)

The disciple Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection. He said that unless he saw nail marks and put his finger in them, he would not believe that Jesus had appeared to them. A week later Jesus reappeared to His disciples and this time Thomas was with them. Thomas saw for himself and he believed.

There is a blessing for those of us who were not there to see it for ourselves, but still believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. Those of us who believe are walking by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6) We are blessed in many ways and for many things, one of those is being blessed for believing that He is who He says He is without having to see the proof for ourselves.

He Is Not Here He Is Risen

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of The Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered His words." Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)

After His death by crucifixion, the body of Jesus was wrapped in a clean linen cloth and placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathema. The entrance to the sepulchre was closed with a large stone and a guard was posted as ordered by Pilate, to prevent the disciples from stealing the body. (Matthew 27:57-66) When the women came with spices to anoint the body of Jesus, He was not there, for He had risen.

"Why do you look for the living among the dead. He is not here; He is risen!"