EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Have you heard the news?! It is spreading everywhere! Jesus Christ lives! There have been multiple people who say they have seen His tomb empty and who claim they actually saw Jesus of Nazareth Himself! First we have the guards that were stationed at the tomb. They claim that there was a violent earthquake, then a man whose appearance was that of a god rolled the stone away and just sat upon it! The guards say that the godlike man had the appearance like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were terrified at such an appearance that they became like dead men.
The guards then hurried off to tell all this to the chief priests. Supposedly the chief priests paid the guards a large sum of money to keep them quiet about what they had seen, and then told the guards to tell everyone that the disciples came in the middle of the night and stolen the Jesus’ body while they were sleeping. Of course they were afraid of Pontius Pilot finding out that they were sleeping on post, but the chief priests told them that they would “satisfy” Pontius Pilot if he were to find out so that they would be kept out of trouble. So, they began the rumor that Jesus’ disciples stole His body. This rumor is still being spread by the Jews.
The next set of eyewitnesses come from a very unlikely source. A group of women who’s names are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. They arrived at the tomb and found that the great stone that was placed and sealed by Pontius Pilot had been rolled away. The women were mystified. Who could have rolled away such a great stone? Where are the guards? As they went into the tomb suddenly two men appeared to them. According to their statements these men gleamed like lightning. These men also spoke to them asking, “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 in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” At this the women remembered all that Jesus had told them. They then ran to the disciples to tell them all that they had seen, but the disciples, seeing that they were mere women, did not believe them because their testimony seemed ridiculous. However, two of the disciples were filled with hope from the women’s words and ran to the tomb to check it out for themselves.
These are the next witnesses. Their names were Peter and John. John was able to outrun Peter and arrived at the scene first. John stooped down to look into the tomb and saw the linen wrappings just lying where the body had lain, then Peter also came upon the scene and (in his fashion) went right inside of the tomb. At this point both disciples believed what the women had told them, that Jesus was in fact alive. They then went back to the other disciples to tell them what they had witnessed, but most of the disciples wouldn’t believe them either.
It has been said that Mary Magdalene was the first to actually see Jesus Himself. It has been said from the Apostle John that Mary was standing outside of the tomb weeping because she thought that someone had stolen the body of Jesus. Then two white-robed angles appeared to her and asked her why she was crying. So she told them that she was crying because someone stole the body. Then, another person saw her crying and asked her why she was crying. Thinking that he was the gardener she told him that if he had removed the body to tell her where the body is and she would retrieve it. Mary reported that the gardener spoke her name. She said it was the sweetest voice ever and recognized that it was Jesus Himself. Oh, how excited she was. She just clung to Him. She didn’t want to let Him go ever, but she had to because Jesus told her that she must and that she must go and tell His disciples that He was going to meet with them. She couldn’t run fast enough. She felt so alive!
There has been another report that Jesus met two people walking on a road heading to Emmaus which is roughly seven miles from Jerusalem. One of them is Cleopas. As they were walking they were discussing everything that had happened. They said that as they were discussing these matters amongst themselves this stranger appears and starts to walk with them. They will never forget what this stranger asks them because it was so odd. The stranger asks them what they are discussing. Now, this is odd because all of Jerusalem is talking about what took place on Friday, the crucifixion of Jesus, and what was happened that morning. There were reports that some of the women (the women that were mentioned earlier) went to the tomb early in the morning, but didn’t find His body. These women even mentioned that they saw angles who said that He was alive! These two also reported to Luke, who took down their testimony, that they told the stranger that some of their companions even went to the tomb and found it just the way the women described it. So as they continued on their seven mile walk to Emmaus the stranger told them all that had been written of the Messiah from Moses through all the Prophets. When they approached Emmaus it was getting dark and they invited the stranger to stay with them. The stranger took the invite and as they were sitting at their table the stranger took bread and gave thanks for it and broke the bread and gave it to them. That was when they realized that the stranger was Jesus Himself! As soon as they realized it was Jesus, He disappeared! Poof, gone! They realized that even while Jesus was discussing the scriptures with them on the road that their hearts were burning within them. So, they left for Jerusalem that same night! They had no fear about traveling at night and their strength was renewed. They had to hurry back to tell the other disciples what had happened. Absolutely incredible!
Well, as Cleopas and the other were telling the disciples all that had happened to them, Jesus suddenly appears to them. It has to be mentioned that they were in a room with the door closed. Jesus never opened the door, but just appeared! John tells us that the door was actually locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Some of the disciples were still doubtful and thought that Jesus was a ghost. Jesus then rebukes them for their disbelief and shows them His hands and feet and shows that He has flesh and bone. Jesus tells them that a ghost would not have flesh and bone as He clearly does. Jesus then further demonstrates that He is flesh and bone by eating some fish in their presence. Jesus then opens their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures! Talk about a great study of the Scriptures! Luke then tells us that Jesus told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Now the Apostle John tells us that one of the disciples was not there that evening when Jesus appeared to them. This disciple’s name was Thomas. Even though they all told Thomas about them seeing Jesus and what Jesus had said, he would not believe. He had to see Him for himself. John tells us that Thomas was very adamant about this and even said, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.” Well, eight days later Thomas got his wish when Jesus appeared to him. This time all the disciples were gathered together when Jesus appeared to them. Then Jesus told Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” Which Thomas then says, “My Lord and my God!” John tells us that then Jesus said these profound words, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” Truly this is what true faith is!
Saul (later became known as the Apostle Paul), who was once a very zealous Pharisee and persecutor of the early Christians, even became a witness to Jesus himself. He was on the road to Damascus when a great blinding light appeared and a voice from heaven could be heard saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul then asked, “Who are you, Lord?” Which then the voice says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Well, Saul was deeply troubled by this. What could this possibly mean? When Saul got up he realized that he was completely blind. The other people that he was with had to take him by the hand and lead him into the city. He fasted for three days pondering all that took place. As soon as Ananias, who was a disciple of Jesus, laid his hands on Saul, he regained his eyesight and was filled with the Holy Spirit. He immediately was baptized and ate and began preaching about Jesus being the Son of God.
What a remarkable story! Stories like this one keep flooding in as well. Many are coming to believe that Jesus was truly the Son of God and that He is truly alive. With all these accounts the evidence is too great to deny that this Jesus is surely alive and well. That He was once dead, but now lives! Just absolutely remarkable! How can one raise himself from the dead? This is just so unheard of and goes against nature itself, but to disregard so many eyewitnesses would just be foolish. Even though it doesn’t make sense, I must say that I am convinced that this is true. Jesus of Nazareth lives!
By Michael Vander Lugt
