He is Risen!

CRISTOS VOS CREST!
VI ESTNO VOS CREST!

Christ is Risen!
He is Risen indeed!

When we lived and served in the Eastern Europe Territory, every Easter we greeted people with the above phrase. Every conversation on Easter day began with those words.
I really miss this tradition.

Last night at the shelter we had a Bible Study on the Case for Easter. The book outlines the facts that we have to prove the resurrection.

We read in the book of John the account of Mary seeing the risen Lord. I love this portion of scripture.
The Bible study teacher Beth Moore helped me understand this portion better. She believes and I agree with her that we miss some very important body language in these verses.
Let me explain:
Imagine how excited, how devoted, how upset Mary had been and now Jesus was there in front of her!
I imagine that when Jesus said “do not hold on to me” that Mary didn’t reach out to touch him…..but it was more like she tackled him! Grabbed hold of him like she was never going to let go!! She lost him once and she would not loose him again! Jesus was saying “do not hold to me for I have not yet returned to my Father.”
Some synonyms for the word hold are: grasp, clutch, seize, cling to, embrace, and cleave to.
If we read that portion again with any of the synonyms for word hold. We can imagine Her clinging to Him.
He was trying to let her know…..He was not staying. He would have to go back to the Father; she would need to learn how to cope without him there physically.

Jesus gave Mary a task, a responsibility in that moment. He told her to go and tell “the brothers.” (The disciples) So Mary Magdalene the women who had once been filled with 7 demons was the first to share, to proclaim, to preach the good news which is Christ is risen! There is victory over death and sin!
Her message, the first message ever spoken about Jesus “I have seen the risen Lord!
None of the men believed her. They were not ready for her message. But soon they would know that what she saw, what she proclaimed was true.
Ken Greer wrote “It was in garden ages ago that paradise was lost, and it is in a garden that it is regained!”
A woman was the first to give into a word of deceit and a woman was the first to speak the Truth that would restore all mankind who believe the lies of sin and satan.

May this weekend be a celebration of our living Lord who has the power even today to bring life to any situation! We serve a Living Lord!

CRISTOS VOS CREST!
VI ESTNO VOS CREST!