He is Risen…

 28 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.The Women Worship the Risen Lord9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” Matthew 28:1-10

Luke 24:13-33

The Road to Emmaus

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

19 And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

The Disciples’ Eyes Opened

28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 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 stay with them.

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,

Luke 23:44-56

Jesus Dies on the Cross

44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Paid in full…a debt payment of infinite significance had been transacted.

With “It is finished,” Jesus Christ ended the agony of bearing the punishment for the debt of the world on a Roman execution cross – mine and your sins included. “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. “ 2 Corinthians 5:21

Ben Fredericson (xjrlokix) / Foter / CC BY

At this moment, all God asks is that you acknowledge the debt and accept the payment – that’s “believing in Christ” for salvation.

It’s so simple and yet so difficult for humans to accept. Our debt to God was so great that we could never pay it off. AND God offered to pay for us in FULL if only we will ACCEPT it.

God’s promise for all who believe is that He will declare their debt PAID IN FULL, and He will also credit their account with Christ’s sinless righteousness and give them eternal life. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household’ Acts 16:30-31

“but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Romans 4:24,25

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“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18

Only God can save us from the thing we really must fear – eternal condemnation.

God sent His Son to pay for our pardon.

To ‘believe’ is more than intellectual assent that Jesus is LORD. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19

Believe means to put our trust, confidence and conviction in Christ Jesus that He alone can save us. Believing is both trusting His words as reliable and relying on Him for the power to change.

This life on earth is just the introduction to eternity. Receive this eternal life by faith in Christ.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17

Pic painted by Cheong Yoke Kum

“..Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  2 Corinthians 6:2 The most central of all CHOICES is before you…

The first photo of Earth from the moon’s orbit, taken Aug. 23, 1966. (NASA)

God offers salvation to all people. Many people postpone  a DECISION – The CHOICE for Christ, thinking & rationalising that there will be another opportunity, a better time,– but there could easily miss, relinquish & forgo the greatest opportunity altogether and thereto REGRET for all ETERNITY. 

Bumper sticker = “Many who seek God at the 11th hour die at 10:30” If one were to procrastinate, to wait until tomorrow – the last possible moment to turn to God  to receive Christ, then one may have waited too late, if tomorrow never comes. “Carpe’ Diem” not only means to seize life at the moment…but to answer the call of faith in Christ now as well. There is no time like the present to obtain God’s forgiveness. 

The time for action is now!!! “.

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  2 Corinthians 6:2 

The most central of all CHOICES is before you…

Click here for galaxies slideshow:

http://youtu.be/LoTRmNywU6A

God who gave us the seeds of greatness and LIFE also gives us the liberty to choose our eternal destiny, and no other choice can be more important than this. Thus with this choice comes the greatest of responsibility for one’s own soul.

Human beings are given the inalienable rights to choose – you may choose to receive GOD into your life & reject Him. However you cannot choose the CONSEQUENCES that follows your decision. For instance, you do not harvest grapes from thorn bushes if you had chosen to sow seeds of thorn bushes BUT remember you DO have the full LIBERTY to choose the type of seeds you want to sow in the first place.

Likewise you have total freedom to either commit a crime or not to commit a crime, if you so decide to commit a crime, you cannot choose the consequences arising from this choice – expect the enforcement of the law of the land. If we who are imperfect, do demand retribution for those who make evil choices, what more would you expect from a PERFECT & HOLY GOD who cannot tolerate sin. The payment for sin is eternity in hell fire.

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:8 “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”Matthew 25:46

Why would you want to pay for your penalty of sin and not accept the gift of God instead?

God said “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) … For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32)

God has made a way for us to escape the ultimate punishment of sin – the choice is yours to accept or not to accept His way of salvation which is found in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:17-18

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

 

mareeshastar / Foter / CC BY-SA