Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Risen Indeed!

"Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still 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.’” (Luke 24:1-7 NKJV - my emphasis)

Simon Peter loved Jesus very much. However, on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, in fear and weakness, Peter denied his Lord three times even with oaths. The Lord had warned Peter earlier in the night about this coming temptation and had encouraged him to watch and pray in order to withstand it. Peter did not heed this warning. However, the Lord prayed for him so that his 'faith would not fail' and would be restored. This prayer was answered and Peter repented with bitter tears (see Matthew 26: 31-35, 69-74; Mark 14:27-31, 66-72; Luke 22:31-34, 54-62; John 18:15-18, 25-26). However, he remained in confusion and sorrow during those few days of darkness and doubt, wondering whether he could be accepted again after this dreadful betrayal...Jesus, however, tenderly drew him in and restored him. In the Gospel of St. Mark we read that when the angels appeared to the women at the tomb, they instructed them to '"...go tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”' (16:7 - my emphasis). The Lord singled him out in tenderness and love to reassure him that he was still one of His disciples and 'brethren' and that he has been forgiven. In Luke we also read of Jesus' private and personal appearance to him: '...“The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”' (Luke 24:34 NKJV). The following song tells of this story...Peter's sorrow, pain, and confusion...and the moment He came! I love songs that tell a story and this one is really special. I pray it blesses you on this Resurrection Day! Remember that Jesus died, but that He is now risen and that makes all the difference in all the world...He is the same, unchanged, yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). 

"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes."(John 20:1-10 NKJV)

He's Alive 

by Don Francisco 

The gates and doors were barred

And all the windows fastened down

I spent the night in sleeplessness

And rose at every sound

Half in hopeless sorrow

And half in fear the day

Would find the soldiers breakin' through

To drag us all away

And just before the sunrise

I heard something at the wall

The gate began to rattle

And a voice began to call

I hurried to the window

Looked down into the street

Expecting swords and torches

And the sound of soldiers' feet

But there was no one there but Mary

So I went down to let her in

John stood there beside me

As she told me where she'd been

She said they might have moved Him in the night

And none of us knows where

The stone's been rolled away

And now His body isn't there

We both ran toward the garden

Then John ran on ahead

We found the stone and empty tomb

Just the way that Mary said

But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in

Was just an empty shell

And how or where they'd taken Him

Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there

Just what I did not know

John believed a miracle

But I just turned to go

Circumstance and speculation

Couldn't lift me very high

'Cause I'd seen them crucify him

Then I saw him die

Back inside the house again

The guilt and anguish came

Everything I'd promised Him

Just added to my shame

When at last it came to choices

I denied I knew His name

And even if He was alive

It wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled

With a strange and sweet perfume

Light that came from everywhere

Drove the shadows from the room

And Jesus stood before me

With his arms held open wide

And I fell down on my knees

And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet

And as I looked into His eyes

The love was shining out from Him

Like sunlight from the skies

Guilt in my confusion

Disappeared in sweet release

And every fear I'd ever had

Just melted into peace

He's alive yes He's alive

Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven

Heaven's gates are open wide

He's alive yes He's alive

Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven

Heaven's gates are open wide

He's alive yes He's alive

Hallelujah He's alive

He's alive and I'm forgiven

Heaven's gates are open wide

He's alive He's alive He's alive

I believe it He's alive

Sweet Jesus

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In closing, I'd like to share a quote from Perter Marshall's book, The First Easter (1959),

"...you, too, may have that fellowship with the Risen Christ. Indeed you will not believe the fact of the Resurrection for yourself until the living Christ lives in your own heart. When you  have in your own life that sense of His nearness and His power - ah, then you too will know!
"Your life today may be guided by Christ...Your problems may be solved by His wisdom...Your weakness may be turned to strength by His help...Your struggles may become victories by His grace...Your sorrows may be turned into joy by His comfort.
"To you there may come the same wonderful changes that have come to other men and women all down through the years.
"This is the reality that can be yours - this comradeship with the Resurrected Christ through His Sprit is available now... to the man in the street... to the government clerk... to the anxious mother... to the confused school boy or girl.
"This is the real meaning of Easter. Forget the bunny rabbit and the coloured eggs. Forget the the symbols of spring that so often confuse and conceal the real meaning of what we celebrate on that day.
"No tabloid will ever print the startling news that the mummified body of Jesus of Nazareth has been discovered in old Jerusalem. Christians have no carefully embalmed body enclosed in a glass case to worship. Thank God, we have an empty tomb.
"The glorious fact that the empty tomb proclaims to us is that life for us does not stop when death comes. Death is not  a wall, but a door. And eternal life which may be ours now, by faith in Christ, is not interrupted when the soul leaves the body, for we live on...and on.
"...Because the Resurrection is true, it is the most significant thing in our world today...'Because I live, ye shall live also.' This is the message of Easter." (pp. 91-93)

AMEN!

HALLELUJAH!