As we look at the basis of the Greatest Event in Human History - The Resurrection of The Creator of all things (Colossians 1) - we find ourselves in a paradigm pregnant with Expectation. The incredible PROVEN event of God (Who became Man), rising out of a grave would have been a stand-alone miracle in itself, were it not for the fact that this ONE single act gave us the assurance of similar rising expectations on the Glorious (yet fearsome) Day of the Lord!
This basis of my entire being- all I believe, see, feel, touch eat and sleep - is absolutely mind-blowing! The Righteous Branch of the Godly Trinity was prophesied to rise up from the dead in Psalm 16:10 but it was Hosea 6:1-2 which prophesies OUR revival or restoration into the Heavenly realms with Abba Father! Peter confirmed it in Acts 2:25-28. Can you imagine what it would be like to look forward to the day when we sit with Isaiah; Daniel; Jeremiah and Hosea and Amos and Ezekiel and talk about the Lord and His goodness? Wow!
It is one thing to read, comprehend and believe our great prophet brothers. It is quite another to prove it by walking it out in authenticity. It was recorded that Jesus appeared to 500 men at the same time before He ascended into heaven! In Biblical terms, you can correctly assume it was then thousands because most of these men had wives and large families! Then Jesus appeared to His chief persecutor - Saul - and Jesus' own half-brother James, who doubted the Savior for most of his life growing up under Mary and Joseph! SEE 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-8 ESV
The secular historian Josephus was a good friend of this same James, the half-brother of Jesus and recorded that in his history book, which the conquering Romans instructed him to write. Josephus, a non-believer in the Way, has no axe to grind when he wrote the following in "Antiquities" ("Testimonium Flavianum"...Ant. 18.63-64)
“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man [if indeed one ought to call him a man.] For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. [He was the Christ.] When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. [On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him.] And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”
Still, even without all this evidence, I still would have believed in the Resurrection...and it is because of the greatest gift God can give anyone (along with Salvation, of course). That gift is Faith! The concise yet powerful meaning of Faith is described here in Hebrews 11:1 ""Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"
Therefore, in light of the prophesy; the actual death on the Cross of the Savior and His final victory over the death and hell...and then His resurrection from His own grave, I re-affirm my expectation on rising with my fellow believing brethren. I stand with yearning and hopeful eyes looking skyward because it is that Empty Tomb, which guarantees my eternal position in the family of the Faithful, in Jesus' Name - amen - Glory to His Name!
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