Good morning!
He is risen! Happy Easter!
When we meet together, we take some time to share our weeks, and any prayer requests we may have. If you have any prayer requests you would like to share, please add them as a comment below. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started.
Heavenly Father, forgive me for too often taking for granted all that Christ’s substitutionary death and glorious Resurrection means to me. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die on the Cross to pay the price for my sins. Thank You that He rose again so that I could receive His resurrected life. May I grow in grace and in a knowledge of my risen and glorified Saviour Jesus Christ, until His life is lived through me and I can say with the apostle Paul, "It is not I that live, but Christ that lives in me." To You be all praise and glory, forever and ever, AMEN.
This week's lesson is on Mark 16:1-8.
Resurrection is amazing. It is still something we can’t comprehend. The standard dictionary defines it as raising from the dead or returning to life. Thanks to medical science, we all know that is possible. Most public service employees are required to know CPR. Hotels, airports, schools and large public buildings have defibrillators hanging on their walls, ready for use, with easy to follow instructions. If you can read, you can restart a heart. Medical science is amazing. We can fix a cardiac arrest -- we can transplant organs.
All of that is simply returning to life; if the process isn’t begun within minutes of death, that person can suffer brain damage because cells begin to deteriorate. Jesus returned to life after 3 days - not five minutes. That is absolutely impossible. We are very proud of our technology. We can do wonderful things, if started in that magic window. Resurrection is supernatural. Resurrection belongs to God. Ancient Romans believed that death extinguished life. Physical existence after death known from fables was laughable. We still struggle with the concept. Jesus raised people from the dead as a sign of God’s power over sin. The resurrection of Jesus is the key victory over death and the beginning of the new creation. His resurrection is witness to the immense power of God. It validates his deity as well as Old Testament prophecies. There is no resurrection apart from Christ. It is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John make it clear that Jesus arose on the first day of the week. Jesus died as a substitute for sin. All who believe in Him receive His righteousness and are redeemed from death. One day, Jesus will be revealed in glory, and we will be revealed in glory with Him (Colossians 3:4). Easter is God’s remembrance expressed in resurrection. Jesus is the new covenant. And Easter faith trusts that what God has done with Christ Jesus, God will remember to do with us. Easter faith as John calls it, is about resurrection. Resurrection is supernatural. Resurrection belongs to God. We can’t explain it. It scares us. Evangelist Dwight D Moody said: that which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the spirit will live forever.
Conclusion
Today's scripture abruptly ends with a declaration of the women's fear. If this were all we knew of the story, we would wonder what happened next. Praise God that we know that conclusion to this story -- a story that continued with Jesus' ascension to Heaven and will culminate with his promised return to Earth.
Prayer
God of resurrection, where there is death, you bring life. We hope for the day when we will experience resurrection and new life. In the meantime, encourage us when we feel we cannot proclaim this good news. When fear overtakes us, keep us from forgetting that you are the source of life. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Questions for Discussion
Benediction
Today's benediction is from the King James Version.
Next week's lesson will be on Luke 5:17-26.
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