The Best News I Could Hear All Day!

^{Matthew 27:59- 28:7 (NIV)}

⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 28 Jesus Has Risen

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

In the scripture above taken from the Gospel of Matthew chapters 27 & 28, are right on time. These chapters contain the best news  that I could hear all day: that Jesus is Risen! Thank God that Jesus has already conquered life, death and sin on our behalf. Therefore despite the physical weather and chill outside or the spiritual warfare we face in our daily lives, we that believe in God have already attained victory! 

In today's text we see that Jesus has died on the cross and his body was laid in a tomb. The tomb was sealed and heavily guarded. However somehow despite the huge bolder placed in-front of the tomb, somehow despite the tomb being made as secure as the Pharisees could make it complete with guards placed all around. Somehow Jesus was not there when the women arrived to anoint the body. In Jesus place was the angelic presence of God saying EXTRA EXTRA the Jesus that you seek is not here HE IS RISEN, go and tell all who follow him! 

The best news that you and I could hear in-spite of our worries and problems of this day, is EXTRA EXTRA the Jesus we serve HE IS RISEN! Extra Extra! We serve a God who is more than a conqueror therefore take heart and be encouraged that the same God who died, was dead and buried; but rose again can help you do the same in the deadly situation that you are currently facing right now! So EXTRA EXTRA, turn to God today with a radical praise of thanksgiving because we know that God is already working and providing on our behalf, we know that somehow God will make a way for us also.

Dear God, all around your earth people are searching to answers and solutions  for things beyond our control. So now we turn to you on our behalf and theirs asking that you would work miracles in all of our lives just like you did when you got up out of that tomb over 2000 years ago.We are praying seeking a direct and divine word from you that will help us through and past our problems, so that we too can go and shout extra extra come and hear all bout what God has done for me today. O God hear our prayer in Jesus name. Amen.

Be Well, Love Pastor Sirchester.