Resurrection Sunday

Life From the Dead

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He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 ESV

(I have probably posted this in the past, but since it is one of my favorite personal stories that link with Easter, I am republishing for some of you to reread and for my newer followers to discover for the first time. )

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As I was driving home from work one day, I saw a turtle crawling across the road. “What a great thing to show our boys!” I thought. So, I pulled over, scooped Him up and gently placed him on the passenger seat and drove home. As I walked in the door that afternoon, cradling the little turtle in my hands, our two young sons rushed over to see what I was holding. They were out of their minds with excitement as we made up a box for him, complete with water and grass. But our turtle wasn’t happy. He wouldn’t eat or drink anything and as the days passed we realized that Mr. Turtle needed to be set free. The next day we drove to the outskirts of town, where I had found him. I found a good spot and pulled over. Then I gently took the turtle out of his box and put him on the ground. At first he remained motionless, and I began to wonder if he had died. But as we walked away, he slowly eased one foot, out of his shell and then another. Then, he poked out his head, took one look back and raced away as fast as his stubby legs could carry him! Mr. Turtle’s surprising revival reminded me of Jesus. His friends wept and walked away without hope on Good Friday. But that was not the end of His story. Very early, on Easter Sunday morning, Jesus sat up, placed first one foot and then the other on the ground, and then walked out of that grave to give us life from the dead with Him!

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Three Short Days

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Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb John 20:1 ESV

With snow seemingly falling everywhere except Florida this year, I am reminded of the year before we moved here and Scranton was buried under twenty four inches of snow. Cars were completely covered, our street was closed for two days and everyone’s schedule came to a screeching halt! But then just three weeks later, with the temperatures reaching almost 80 degrees, the snow vanished. What a difference those three short weeks made!

Yup that’s my car (I think!)

One Sunday morning 2000 years ago just think what a difference three short days made. On Friday the disciples fled in fear. When Joseph and Nicodemus put Jesus into the tomb it seemed that all their hopes lay cold and dead in the grave. But on that dark morning of the third day, when Mary came she discovered in astonishment that the stone had been rolled back and the grave stood empty!  Then Jesus Himself drew near. Mary mistook Him for a simple gardener, until He called her name and then she was filled with joy. Not much has changed in 2000 years. We may think of Jesus as a great teacher, a loving healer or a simple carpenter, but we only know Him when He comes and calls our name! What a difference those three short days have made!

So What Exactly is Lent?

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Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.  John 20:18 ESV

This is NOT a full theological or historical explanation of Lent but in general Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday to either the Wednesday before Easter, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. Since there is no record of anyone in the Bible observing this roughly 40 day period why should we? Great question!

For starters my own take is that it is never a bad idea to set special times for seeking God’s will and purpose. Some people may choose to fast certain foods or commit to special acts of service, during these weeks. However you choose to honor the season, the most important thing of all is to focus on Jesus. For me personally it brings me back to  the excitement of my first months of faith in Jesus (Which just happened to be on Easter Sunday!)

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I come to each morning’s quiet time with an open heart asking Jesus for a brand new insight into His word and for His will for that day. Instead of racing ahead or lagging behind in my devotional readings I need to slow down so I can hear what God is saying. Walking with Jesus will lead us along the path that He has chosen. Following the path He chooses will bring us to His destination for our life. My prayer is that during these weeks of Lent we will see with fresh eyes the miracles of Jesus, the table of His Last Supper, the Cross, the empty grave and most of all our Risen Lord!