[NFBF-Melbourne] Weekend Devotion: (Sun., April 12, 2020) THE RESURRECTION!

[Joyce Taylor]

Hello Everyone!  Rise, shine and Give God the Glory!  Jesus rose, and we too
shall rise again  Happy Resurrection Sunday!  I must confess, this is the
first Easter Sunday that I have not dressed up and went to Church.  I would
dress myself and two boys in their new suits , shoes and hats and off to
Church we went.  That is the way I was raised and tradition is hard to
break; however, after pondering over what is going on with Covid 19 and not
being able to assemble ourselves together in a Church building, I
acknowledged that it is and never was about dressing up and meeting at the
Church because we are the Church!  Our bodies are the temple of the Holy
Ghost.  Of course, nothing is wrong with looking good, I do believe that the
Lord would be glad that we enhance our appearances, but first and foremost,
we must clean up our hearts.  God looks at the heart.  

 

So on this Resurrection Sunday, let us examine ourselves, take a look on the
inside and not the outside and see if God is pleased with us.  For what does
it profit me to look good and lose my soul.  

 

On this Resurrection Sunday, God has the full attention of the whole wide
world!  He has put everything on pause, shut us all in and has given us
another opportunity to remember what He created us for in the first place -
To Worship and Praise Him!

I pray that you will be encouraged as well as inspired by my Greek
Professor, Elder Joseph Barrett's message below on "The Resurrection".

 

 

God bless,

 

Dr. Joyce Taylor, VP, MSCC

Communities of Faith Committee Member

 

THE RESURRECTION 

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up...But he spake of the temple of his body" (John 2:19, 21.)

 

>From the standpoint of medical science, once an individual dies, there is no
hope whatsoever of him or her living again. Although the literary
masterpiece

named "Frankenstein" written by Mary Shelley and published in 1821 told the
story of a scientist who gave life to a nonliving corpse, life from death
remains

limited to the imagination and fiction novels. But believers have a hope
that transcends medical science and human experience. Jesus conquered both
death

and the grave. He rose. His future resurrection was not kept secret either.
He told His enemies and disciples that He would rise from the dead if/when

killed (destroyed.) He foretold the following to His disciples. "And shall
deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and

the third day he shall rise again" (Matthew 20:19.) To His enemies He said
"...Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19.)

 

Resurrection is a raising from the dead. Medical science defines death as
"...the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living
organism."

However, the Scriptures define death as the departure of the spirit and soul
from the physical body. The Old Testament calls it "giving up the ghost."

Death is the result of sin. Romans 5:12 reads "Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,

for that all have sinned." It was impossible for Jesus to have remained dead
because sin had no claim on Him. Acts 2:24 reads "Whom God hath raised up,

having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should
be holden of it." Jesus was born without a sin nature and hence was
incapable

of sinning. 

Let us look into the human drama that occurred between Jesus' death and His
inevitable resurrection. Having heard Jesus predicting His resurrection, the

religious leaders approached Pilate so that they could procure security for
Jesus' tomb. "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation,
the

chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we
remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I
will

rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the
third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say
unto the

people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the
first" (Matthew 27:62-64.) Pilate gave them the requested security detail

(verses 65-66.) 

What Pilate, the religious leaders, and the security detail did not realize
was that nothing on earth could have prevented Jesus' resurrection. After
three

days and three nights, He rose. Because Jesus was completely human and
without sin, His soul went to the paradise compartment of Hades (hell)
located in

the bowels of the earth. His resurrection involved His spirit and soul
reentering His dead body. The security detail did see an angel come down and
roll

away the stone at the mouth of the tomb. "And, behold, there was a great
earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and
rolled

back the stone from the door, and sat upon it" (Matthew 28:2.) Verse 3
describes his appearance (countenance.) "His countenance was like lightning,
and

his raiment white as snow." This is reminiscent of Jesus' appearance on the
Mount of Transfiguration. Security was terrified. "And for fear of him the

keepers did shake, and became as dead men" (verse 4.) I can identify with
this reaction. I remember once as a child I and a friend were at railroad
tracks

at the time of an approaching train. My friend crossed the tracks because
the train was moving very slowly. He called for me to follow but I was
petrified.

I literally could not move until the train had gone by! 

Jesus rose in a glorified body. "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (1
Corinthians

15:44.) 1 John 3:2 reads "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth
not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we

shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Jesus' resurrection body
is incorruptible and immortal although He retains the wounds He received on

Calvary. Speaking to Thomas, He said "... Reach hither thy finger, and
behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and
be not

faithless, but believing" (John 20:27.) 

God has taken up permanent residence in this glorified, resurrection body.
Matthew 28:18 reads "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power
is

given unto me in heaven and in earth." John actually saw Jesus'
post-resurrection body as related in Revelation 4:2. "And immediately I was
in the spirit:

and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne."
Believers will see Jesus just as His disciples, the women at His tomb, and
over five

hundred brethren saw Him after He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:5-8.)

 

Elder Joseph Barrett

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