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It's Saturday. The disciples' leader is dead. The disciples hide in fear and shock - their hopes
and dreams for their Messiah and God's Kingdom shattered like broken glass. 

The Jewish leaders are scared too - with all the supernatural activity involved in Jesus' death, maybe there is some truth to what He said. They meet with Pilate to alleviate their fears and say, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore, order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples go and steal Him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.'”

Our Savior is in the tomb ... but Sunday is coming! ______________________________________________________

It’s Sunday, an angel of the Lord has come from heaven and removed the stone from the tomb where Jesus was buried. The Roman guards are petrified with fear and flee to the high priests – Pilate would have killed them. The priests ask the guards to spread a rumor that the disciples stole the body of Jesus and they promise to protect the guards from Pilate. The rumor remains among the Jews to this day. 

Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome are headed to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body – there was no time to give Him proper burial rites. They encounter the angels (Luke and John mention two angels). One angel declares, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The ladies are terrified! They eventually overcome their fear and go tell the disciples what has happened. On the way they encounter Jesus and worship Him (He does not refuse their worship – He is, after all, the LIVING GOD). They also touch the feet of His resurrected, physical body.

The ladies go to the disciples, but they dismiss their story. However, Peter and John must go and see, so they race one another to the tomb. John wins the race, but Peter goes in first: “He saw the linen cloth lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead.” Had grave robbers' raided the tomb, they would not have left the valuable clothing and spices, nor would they have left the garments nicely folded (having to carry Jesus’ body out of the tomb naked). 

Mary returns to the tomb a second time and Jesus asks her why she is crying and whom she is looking for. She assumes He is the gardener responsible for supervising the tombs and, thinking that He may have removed the body, perhaps because Jesus had been buried in the tomb of a wealthy family, she asks Him where the body has been taken. When Jesus says her name, she knows … it is the LORD, risen from the dead!

Later in the day Jesus meets two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They do not recognize Him, and they tell Him all that has happened to Jesus and how they thought He was the Messiah. Jesus then explains the Scriptures to them (Old Testament). Jesus stays and eats with them. When He “breaks the bread” their eyes are opened, and they know it is their Messiah.

It's Sunday evening and the disciples are hiding behind locked doors. The two disciples who had encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus had recently arrived and are discussing having met Him earlier. Jesus suddenly appears and seeks to remove their fears by saying, “Peace to you!” The disciples assume He is a spirit and He tells them to touch His hands and feet, He also asks for food to eat – He is resurrected (ghosts do not eat food). 

Jesus commissions them saying, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” He then breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." As they proclaim the good news (gospel) those who believe in Him will be forgiven of their sins.

Thank you church for making Resurrection week a wonderful time of celebration!!! Jesus truly is risen from the dead ... neither sin, nor death, nor Satan, nor hell can contain the POWER of the LIVING GOD!!