He Has Risen

October 11

(Luke 24:1-6a NIV) ““On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. {2} They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, {3} but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. {4} While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. {5} In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? {6} He is not here; he has risen!””

(Acts 2:29-36 NIV) ““Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. {30} But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. {31} Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. {32} God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. {33} Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. {34} For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand {35} until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' {36} "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.””

The empty tomb is one of the greatest miracles ever performed by God. Christ’s resurrection from the dead gives hope to billions of people, and it is the heartbeat of Christianity. If the women lied or were somehow deceived, the foundation for faith crumbles, and we who believe are fools. When the Spirit bears witness, and the resurrection of Jesus becomes truth in our hearts, we join the women in bowing down with our faces to the ground. A God so powerful as to command angels and bring the dead back to life, cannot be approached flippantly. The stone has been rolled away. The tomb is empty. Jesus is not there. He is no longer confined by Earth and flesh. He has risen, and we waste our time looking for the living among the dead. Give up the search for “life” in the stuff of this world. Look for life in Christ. Jesus is Lord and He lives! We serve a risen Savior. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day