The Word Offered (and still offers) Hope!

“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”

Matthew 27:62-66

 

The order was to “…make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

It was an order given by Pilate himself.

So a seal was placed on the tomb and a guard was posted.

The authority of Rome (and nothing less!) insuring the tomb as a final resting place for Jesus.

That was that, they thought.

No more need to worry about Jesus!

We go on from here to read of the wonderful story of the Resurrection of Jesus.

It is the glorious hope of every believer throughout the ages.

We like to say – that no power in the earth or in hell could keep Jesus in the grave.

That is true.

But do we sometimes behave like the disciples did those three days that Jesus was in the tomb?

Do we act like the world has succeeded; sin triumphs and God didn’t come through?

Or worse yet, God couldn’t come through!

So great was the one-two punch of religion and Rome that they lost all hope?

I’ll be the first to admit that the headlines, on a daily basis, certainly don’t give us cause for rejoicing.

So what to do?

Get your mind out of the daily news and into the Book!

Just as surely as the Law and the Prophets pointed to Jesus’ death AND resurrection; the Word of God points to a glorious church, victorious through the same power that raised Christ from the dead.

Don’t let the world try to seal your victory in a tomb of despair and doubt.

Allow that same resurrection power to raise your testimony from the dead (as it were) praising Him who alone is worthy!

Have a blessed Resurrection Day!

 

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?  

He is not here; he has risen!”