The Tomb Is Empty

"The Angel Said To The Women, "Do Not Be Afraid, For I Know That You Are Looking For Jesus, Who Was Crucified. He Is Not Here; He Has Risen, Just As He Said. Come And See The Place Where He Lay."

Matthew 28:5-6 

Easter is almost upon us, the time for chocolate bunnies and jelly beans and egg hunts.

Most of us will get up on Sunday and make sure the basket is filled for the kids with all kinds of goodies.

We will watch their eyes light up, as they realize that the Easter Bunny has paid a visit to them, while they were sleeping.

Never before this year, have I truly looked at Easter other than just another holiday where I had to go shop in a store filled with pastel colors *shudders*, plunk down money for things not needed, but do so anyway, just to keep up with the "masses."

Now, I know that this Sunday, is the most important event of all time, yes, even more important than His birth.

His birth (which was of course very important) occured, so Resurrection Sunday could happen.

Resurrection is defined as: The act of rising from the dead.

The week leading up to Sunday is called "Holy Week", which contains, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday (the mass of the Lord's Supper), Good Friday, (the day His crucifixion/death took place) Holy (or sometimes Silent) Saturday and Resurrection (or Easter) Sunday which is also the end of Lent.

The days between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday are known as Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday.

I remember when I used to live in Italy, on Palm Sunday, we would always have an olive branch placed on our front door, never knowing who it came from or what it was meant to represent, on Good Friday, the town would almost shut down and people would walk for miles in the streets carrying huge wooden crosses, at the time I figured these were Roman Catholic traditions, now I know they did it to mourn His death.

I try to avoid anything that has to do with the crucifixion, I will admit it and I am sorry to say it.

I know the story, yet I won't read it in the Bible.

A couple of weeks ago at Bible Study, we were studying it, where the nails were placed, (some say hands, some say wrists) and we had some paperwork showing where the whip hit, where the crown of thorns was placed etc...

I had to turn it over because I couldn't even look at it.

John 20:25 "So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them,“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

I won't watch a movie that depicts what happened, it saddens me beyond words.

However, last Sunday, one of the TV networks here was showing "The Passion of the Christ" in its entirety, without commercial interruption, and since I have never seen it, I set my TV to record it.

2 nights later, I sat down to watch it...

I wanted to make sure I could watch it without anyone needing anything from me, so I waited til it was late at night and the house was quiet.

2 and a half hours later, I was a weeping mess!

It was so graphic and so very heart-breaking to me.

To sit here and know that each lash He took, each tear of His skin, each anguishing moment He was beaten, each horrific step He took carrying the cross, each nail, each thorn in His head, each drop of blood He shed, each tear that fell down His face was for me, for you.

He did that with me in His mind.

He did that with you in His mind.

On Sunday, as you get up and celebrate Easter with your family, pause a moment to truly reflect on what this day means.

He was born for us.

He was crucified for us.

The tomb is empty for us.

Happy Easter my friends.

MERCYME
And I Know I Don't Have Much To Give
But I Promise You I Will Give You All There Is
Can I Possibly Do Less
When Through Your Own Death I Live?