22/09/10

Jesus is no longer in tombs He has risen

Luke 24:22,23 - Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.


The women who were with Jesus during His ministry stuck with Him even after He was crucified and put in the tomb. When they went there in the early morning of the third day they did not find the body of Jesus in the tomb. There were Angels there who told them that He was no longer there in the tomb but had risen.

Today as I was reading this scripture, I wondered 'what is the fresh manna the Lord is giving us today'. I just looked up the Greek word translated as sepulcher or tomb and was surprised that it came from the root word meaning 'memorial'.

You would say so what is surprising about tomb being a memorial?

The surprising factor is that many of our Christian brothers and sisters still go tombs to worship Jesus.

When we make statues of Jesus or put up photograph of Jesus or even put up a crucifix, it is a memorial for us to remind us of Jesus. But today's message tells us that Jesus has risen and is no longer in the memorial. Making memorial and worshiping at them, including an altar (not the table of service) is like declaring Jesus has not risen.

Jesus is not found in memorials but is with you and me. We will only come to know Him when you break bread.

At the last supper Jesus took bread broke it and gave it to his disciples saying 'this is my body, take eat' and. He also said 'do this in remembrance of me'. We too have to take our body break it and give it unto others in remembrance of Jesus, to be like Jesus and await His return.

Breaking our body does not mean physical but our spiritual body, which is our desires, our understandings, our will, who we are, etc. We need to break them and making Jesus' desire our desire we share this Jesus with others. It is only when we share Jesus with others, will we ourselves come to know Jesus. So as we share the little Jesus we know, we come to know more of Jesus and when we share this more, we come to know even more and thus keep growing in Jesus Christ.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, You are not dead but alive. You defeat the gates of Hell and gave us victory and life. Lord, there are many among us who still do not know You have risen and no longer in the tomb, they worship You in memorials. Lord, like the Angels spoke to the women who were with You, speak to the hearts of these people and let them find You and know You when the share You with others. You have risen and we declare You as King of all the world...

This prayer we make in your Mighty Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
Luke 24:24-31
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Matthew 26:26
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it [give praise], and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

Luke 22:19
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)