Resurrection Morn

Today brings us remembrance of the most holy of Christian holidays.  No, not His birth, for that was very ordinary.  His conception was not, but His birth was.  His life was very ordinary, too, until He was 30.  Well, there was that time at twelve when He astounded the priests in Jerusalem, but that was not of great interest and went almost unnoted.

His baptism was ordinary, except for the dove that lit upon Him, and the words from heaven.  His going from town to town speaking of God was ordinary, and even the miracles He performed had been done before, though not by one many over such a short length of time.

His death was ordinary for common criminals and those who preached sedition against Rome.  The earthquake and rending of the temple curtain was not, but few noticed that and it affected no lives.

So poor that He was placed in a borrowed tomb, and His followers so distrusted that a large stone was rolled in front of it and Roman soldiers were set to guard it.  Doesn’t speak well of those who called Him Lord.  You know, the ones that spent the next hours crushed by Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ death.  All they had looked forward to, destroyed in one day.

Nothing left to do but remain hidden, after they anointed His body, making His burial complete. Their future ceased when He was arrested, tried, convicted and killed.

How quickly they (and we) forgot the first verse, remembering only the second:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15 KJV)

Did they not hear of fulfilled scripture:

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:21 KJV)

So we come to the third day, as He mentioned:

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40 KJV)

They should have known what to expect, that first day of the week:

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6 KJV)

He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, (Luke 24:6 KJV)

We don’t remember, either.  Well, maybe on this day, once a year, we think of the sacrifice He made (for us) but most of us don’t let that interfere with our daily lives.  Some make this special Sunday a day to attend church, while others do that weekly.  This is truly a most special day.  Without it, we would not be worshipping.

Without the resurrection, our religion is in vain.

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 KJV)

My hope is built on nothing than less than Jesus, Christ, risen.