New Life

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. (Luke 24:1-12)

Thought For Today:
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-3). The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been a source of confusion for many of His followers, both in the past and present. Many people, like Mary, questioned how someone could be raised from the dead. To most, it was considered a miraculous and impossible event. However, Jesus explained to Martha that He had the power to bring people back to life, and He demonstrated this power to all of us. He told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). In other words, I am the one who renews and restores life." When Jesus raised Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, and the woman's son from Nain back to life, it was a demonstration of His power to resurrect and give life. His own resurrection from the dead completed the requirement to establish the New Testament Church. One must die to self, but one must also be raised to walk in newness of life ( Romans 6:1-5). Jesus died, was buried, and then rose again, revealing that He had conquered death and brought new life. As believers, we must also go through a similar process of dying to our old selves through repentance, being buried through baptism, and being filled with the Holy Spirit to experience a spiritual resurrection. This new life should be reflected in the way we walk and live. While Easter symbolizes death through the Passover, the Resurrection signifies standing up to new life. David said: "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright" (Psalms 20:7-8).