HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
It shouldn’t have been a surprise. In fact the resurrection should have been anticipated but it wasn’t. Jesus had clearly spoken of his rising from the dead, “Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” (Matthew 16:21) There were other clear statements about Jesus rising from the dead. There were also times when the resurrection was alluded to; the sign of Jonah and the rebuilding of the Temple in three days.
One would have thought that an overflowing crowd would have been present at the tomb on that Sunday morning ready to celebrate and cheer Jesus rising from the dead. That wasn’t the case. No one was there but some soldiers guarding the tomb of a dead man of all things. Even after the disciples found the tomb empty their first conclusion was not that Jesus had risen but that someone had stolen His body. The Apostle John confesses that the disciples did not understand the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. (John 20:9)
Women who had followed Jesus were the first to arrive at the tomb. They had come to embalm the dead body of Jesus, but what they found was not His body but angels with the glorious message of the resurrection. One angel asked them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here but He has risen.” (Luke 24:5-6)
That is the message we declare on this day, the day of resurrection. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

The ordeal was over, or so everyone thought. It was the Sabbath, a day for rest but because of the events of the previous day, rest was not on the agenda.

The person who was probably the happiest to see Saturday arrive was the governor, Pilate. He had presided over crucifixions before but none like the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. But the prisoner was dead and buried in a tomb. It was the Jewish Sabbath and surely he would not be bothered by the Jews on this day. He was wrong. The chief priests and the Pharisees came asking for a guard to guard the tomb of a dead man. He granted it.

The Jewish leaders who had planned and carried out their murderous plot were still nervous. They reasoned it would be just like Jesus’ disciples to steal the body, claim that He had risen from the dead and continue to make life miserable for them.

And the disciples! What a range of emotions. The women who had followed Jesus were convinced he was dead and began to assemble items to embalm His body. Certainly there was disappointment. Two men on the road to Emmaus said they had hope Jesus was the Messiah but obviously he was not.

And the eleven disciples what were they thinking? John tells us they were afraid of the Jews and there can be no doubt many wondered what was next. These men had invested three years of their lives with Jesus and now he was dead and in a tomb. That Saturday must have been the longest Saturday they had ever experienced. What was next?

What was next was the most glorious day the world would ever know.

The crucifixion of Jesus actually began late Thursday night when Jesus was arrested. He endured a sham of a trial which included an interview with the Jewish High Priest, a mockery of a trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, an appearance before Pilate the Roman governor, an appearance before Herod Antipas the ruler of Galilee and a final appearance before Pilate where the death sentence was declared.
After a humiliating journey through Jerusalem carrying His own cross, Jesus was nailed to this instrument of torture and death about 9:00 on Friday morning where He endured the taunting and derision of his enemies. Jesus hung there for six hours before He said the words, “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit.” John says that he bowed His head and died. (John 19:30)
It was on the cross that Jesus completed what he had come to do; to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world, to pay the debt our sins incurred, death. It was finished.
It was now late Friday afternoon. The sabbath would soon begin. A man named Joseph from the town of Arimathea enters the picture. He is described as a rich man, a member of the Jewish council and one who had become a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and begged for Jesus’ body. Pilate granted his request and Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in Joseph’s own tomb. Embalming would have to wait until after the Sabbath so Joseph rolled a rock in front of the entrance and left.
Little did Joseph know his tomb was only on loan. He would get it back in three days, empty, when Jesus rose from the dead. “God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:24)

Jesus had spent three years teaching his 12 disciples. Surely, by this time they knew everything they needed to know in order to continue following Jesus. Yet on Thursday before His crucifixion, He probably surprised them when he told them, “I still have many things to tell you…” (John 16:12). It was going to be an evening of information.

Beginning that evening at the Passover meal Jesus informed His disciples that there was coming a new covenant, a covenant not based on the blood of an animal. How the disciples must have been shocked when Jesus informed them this new covenant was established by His very own blood. “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” (Luke 22:20)

Jesus also informed His disciples of an act that would remind them of His sacrificial death. We call it communion or the Lord’s Supper. We eat unleavened bread reminding us of His broken body and we drink grape juice which reminds us of His shed blood. He told them, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (I Corinthians 11:23-26)

As Jesus and His disciples made their way from the Passover meal to Gethsemane, Jesus informed them about how they would be treated by being His disciple. That certainly would have been challenging, but then He also told them about the help the Holy Spirit, that He had promised them, would give them and how the Spirit would be with them just as Jesus had been with them these past three years.

The disciples may have felt an information overload, but Jesus wanted them to know the truth just as He always wants His followers to know it.

"Gotcha journalism" is a term used to describe interviewing methods designed to entrap interviewees into making statements that are damaging to their cause, character, integrity, or reputation. That is how Tuesday turned out to be for Jesus. Luke states that the Jewish leaders sent spies “seeking a way to trap Jesus by asking Him questions, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor.” (Luke 20:20) 
 
They peppered Jesus with questions about His authority, about paying taxes to Caesar, about marriage in heaven and about the greatest commandment. But in each situation Jesus answered their loaded questions flawlessly. On one occasion He delivered His own “Gotcha” question about John the Baptist. Jesus’ question entrapped the Jewish leaders and they finally had to admit they did not know the answer. 

 Jesus never shied away from sincere inquiries that sought truth, but He had no time for questions of any other kind. Following Jesus is still filled with many questions. Things happen that from our perspective just do not make sense. After being asked what was the first thing she planned to say to God, Mother Theresa supposedly said, “You have a lot of explaining to do.” 

No doubt there are “gotcha” question from people today who would like to take their shot at Jesus. Their lack of success would rival that of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.  

There is coming a time when all things will be known, but until that time we are left with the choices of trusting Jesus or trusting something else. All questions will be understood when Jesus returns. Until then we must seek the truth and speak the truth.  

Matthew 21:12-19; Mark 11:12-18; Luke 19:45-48
On Monday morning of Easter week Jesus and His disciples return to Jerusalem from Bethany. Jesus sees a fig tree in full leaf indicating it should have figs. However, upon inspection Jesus discovered there was no fruit to be found. Jesus places a curse upon the tree, saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” (Mark 11:14) The next day the disciples are amazed to discover that the tree had withered. Promise and fulfillment.
There are many lessons learned from this experience, one of which is the warning of promise without fulfillment. While it was not the season for figs, the tree being in full leaf was promising fruit. But while it looked the part it failed. A promise without fulfillment.
The religious leaders of Israel through their words and actions promised that people would find God. Jesus warned the people, “…do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” (Matthew 23:3) Promises without fulfillment.
The previous day, the day of declaration, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people hailed Him as King and the promised Messiah. However, a few days later when it became clear Jesus was not who they wanted Him to be, they called for His crucifixion. Promises without fulfillment.
When you accepted Jesus you made a promise to Him. You promised to make Him the Lord of your life. How are you doing with that? It is so very easy to do the right religious things; go to church, give some money, volunteer occasionally but are you really fulfilling the promise you made to make Jesus Lord? May we always be people who keep the promises we made. Promises with fulfillment.

Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19
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The Sunday before Easter is commonly called Palm Sunday. It gets its name from the palm branches strewn before the donkey upon which Jesus was riding into the city of Jerusalem. Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem alone, The apostle John says that there was a crowd that accompanied Him. Who was in that crowd? Let me suggest three groups.

There were people who hated Jesus for what they thought He was, one that did not conform to the teachings of the law as they interpreted it. There were people who loved Him because of what they hoped He would be. They hoped Jesus would be their political and social savior. Finally, there were people who accepted Him for what and who He was, God’s Son, God’s Messiah who had come to seek and to save the lost.

The crowd that followed Jesus into Jerusalem was not that different from people today. There are still people who despise Christ for what he is. They chafe under his authority. They cannot tolerate the idea someone can dictate to them what is right and wrong.

There are still people who love Christ for what they hope he will be. He is nice to have around in an emergency. He is all right as long as He fits my idea of what He should be.
There are still people who love Christ for what and who He is, their savior and redeemer, the one who died to pay the price of our sin.

On this day of declaration who will you declare Christ to be?