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He's Risen Indeed
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by Joni Ames
joniames@aol.com
Most of us are familiar with story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ because of our celebration of Easter. The life and death of Jesus was dramatic in itself. However, it’s His resurrection that gives to us the faith and hope that we, one day too, will rule and reign with Him in Glory.
Many of us have had a time in our life where we have felt as if we, too, have been singled out and falsely accused. Perhaps even as if we were “crucified” for all to see. But it’s Jesus that it REALLY happened to. Not only that, but He was buried in a tomb. Then the amazing part of the story, and the one that gives us such hope, is that wasn’t the end of the story. He didn’t stay there. On the third day, He rose again. He came back to life and emerged from the grave for all the world to see.
If you can imagine it, what a shocker it must have been that a woman – Mary Magdalene – was the first one to see Him alive again, and to tell the rest.
Let’s just stop there for a moment, because we are not talking about just any ordinary woman. We are talking about a woman who had a bad reputation. Why on earth would she see Him first?
The answer could be as simple as the word “desperation.” Or “availability.” She was the one who was weeping at His tomb when He came out. There was no one else to be found.
I believe therein is a very strong prophetic message for us.
There have been times in my life when I have felt as if all of my dreams had died. In my desperation, I simply crumbled and wept. Not knowing that, all along, God had a plan to resurrect it all.
I can only imagine how the disciples and Mary, as well as Mary the mother of Jesus felt, seeing Jesus die and be put into that tomb. He had given them many “clues” as to the fact that it would happen and He would rise again, but they didn’t “get it” until after the fact.
So imagine their shock as Mary Magdalene ran into the city, reporting that she had seen and spoken to Jesus.
I personally would probably have thought she was delirious or nutts. Although I would admittedly have gone to check it out for myself. Even if only to debunk her craziness. Because, after all, who ever heard of that happening before?
However, as the sightings became more numerous, I would not be able to ignore my accelerating hope. I would have been sleeplessly roaming the streets, looking everywhere for my risen Savior.
We all have need of hope. We also have need of proof that will let us know that there is cause for that hope. Mary and the disciples got it. Not just for themselves, but for all of us for all time to come who now read of their eyewitness accounts.
Who can help but read those accounts over and over and over? He rose again. Death couldn’t hold Him. What Satan meant for evil, God had used for good. For all of mankind, forever.
Try as one might, there’s no other religion that can beat that. Everybody else’s God is dead. You can rub the belly of a cute little statue all you want, but it will never come to life and laugh out loud, let alone rise to the right hand of God.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ proved that He was who He claimed to be. The Son of God. It also validated the fact that God had the power over life and death. Something no other little “g” god can attach to their resume.
What happened proved all of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah totally true. Just as was promised, every jot and tittle was fulfilled regarding the prophecies of His life, death, and resurrection.
Jesus promised that He was the resurrection and the life, and that He had come so that we all could have life and have it more abundantly as well.
His death upon the cross proved God’s great love for us, that He would give His only begotten son for us. His resurrection totally proved God’s power and who Jesus was for all of eternity, and gave us all who serve Him the satisfaction and hope of knowing that we, too, would rise again to rule and reign with Him.
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is fundamental to our faith. All of our beliefs in Christianity hinges on it. It is the proof that, once we believe in Him, our old man with all of its sin has died, and we can emerge as a new, resurrected creature in Christ.
I remember Good Friday as a child as being a very solemn time. We were made to be very quiet and reverent between the hours of noon and 3pm, because we were told that is when Jesus hung on the cross. No laughing or playing was allowed. I don’t know if anyone else observed the day in that way, but that’s what my mother had us do.
I remember we had a large crucifix on our wall with Jesus on it, dripping with blood. It was emphasized to us that He suffered that pain because of how “bad” we could be. Therefore He deserved for us to remember Him for those three house of solemnity.
For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why such a terrible event would be called “Good” Friday. I was just a child, you know. So having such a visual of someone who was tortured and died in that way due to false accusations didn’t calculate in my mind. It was only time and knowledge, as well as the breath of the Holy Spirit upon my mind that brought understanding.
As I began to understand “the rest of the story,” complete with the resurrection, my heart was able to grow from bemoaning His crucifixion and eulogizing Him to great joy and glorifying His Name.
The symbolism of the cross denotes that all of our sins, sickness, and disease were placed there and put to death on Jesus. They became covered by the blood of Jesus, nevermore to follow us. We see the power of God’s great love and forgiveness.
John 3:16 let’s us know that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believes on Him will have everlasting life.”
“Whosoever” is literally “whosoever.” Not just one nationality of color. But all of mankind.
That God would so love the entire world that much is beyond any human ability to understand. Because, to be honest, I wouldn’t want to give up my son for anyone.
How great and how incredibly perfect God must be. And quite obviously. You and I are not.
Because God is true to His Word, all sin must be judged. The death of His Son on the cross bought for us forgiveness and redemption from our sins. For that, He is entirely deserving of our reverence and thankfulness.
The joyful part is that it didn’t end there. Jesus rose again. He’s alive forevermore. The power of God was able to forgive all of those sins that each and every human being could ever commit, then bury them, and resurrect perfection.
It is an on-going process for us, because human beings continue to sin. But, because of the cross, when we sin we have the ability to repent and be forgiven.
The resurrection of Jesus lets us know that He truly was the Son of God, just as He said He was. Not only was He raised from the dead, but He now was nevermore able to be put to death again. In so doing, He gained eternal life for all who would follow and believe on Him.
As we go through the stores at Easter time, we can see many symbols that identify the season of Spring as well as signifying new life, which is the essential message of the cross.
There are those who have studied how it is marketed, who focus on it as representing pagan rituals, and totally freak out about it.
To me, and all of those Christians I know, the pagan marketing thing fails if it is trying to make us think of those pagan rituals. That’s not what those symbols mean to us. Therefore I don’t consider their marketing a threat. Instead, I laugh because the world is actually paying to market the message of Jesus Christ.
To those of us of pure heart, Easter eggs, bunnies, baby chicks, grass in the Easter baskets, and flowers all signify new life. The egg is also a symbol of the tomb from which Jesus emerged. The lamb represents Jesus, the Lamb of God. Easter is the most attended holiday of the year (93%), next Christmas (84%), then Mother’s Day (59%).
As I read the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus in the Bible, my heart gets stirred within me to want to visit the Holy Land and walk where Jesus walked. How amazing to look at the city He looked at, and the sea where He was baptized and walked on water. How incredible to look towards the Eastern Gate and see the spot where He will, on that great day, appear once again.
One morning as I was getting ready for my day, I began to ponder on Jesus and His life as a carpenter. I thought about what all He may have made in his shop. A chair, a table, all sorts of furniture. I wondered if anyone ever found something He had made. I got so excited! Would He have signed it by carving “Made by JC” in the corner of it or what?
What power that item might have, having been designed by Jesus! How I’d love to have something made by Him. If it was a chair and I sat on it, I’d surely be healed.
At that very moment I passed by my mirror and saw my reflection, and the Lord spoke to me and said, “You have something He made already. It’s YOU.”
When I read the accounts of those who saw and spoke to Jesus in person following His resurrection, my heart is stirred with thankfulness. How I would have loved to have been one of those that did. But there’s joy in my heart in knowing that one day I, too, will be able to walk alongside of Him and hear Him speak.
I don’t quite understand why the disciples at first didn’t know that it was Jesus who was speaking to them. Yet once they realized it had been Him, spoke of how their hearts had been stirred within them as they heard Him speak.
I pray that I will know it’s Him when I have that opportunity.
Nobody alive today really knows what He looks like. There are all sorts of paintings that were done many years after He walked the earth. There is the shroud of Turin, which some claim is almost a photograph of Jesus, due to the chemicals used to embalm Him and the high power reaction His resurrection had on the cloth that was on His face. But no one knows for sure if that was real. Now there is some crazy computer generated picture going around the internet that, to me, is a reasonable facsimile of a comedian I’ve seen on TV. I do not bear witness at all that it is my Jesus. I have a feeling I will “know,” just as the disciples finally knew, when it is truly Him.
It is exciting to know that we will one day see Him coming in the clouds in great Glory as He breaks through all of Eternity to return as He has promised. What a post resurrection appearance that will be!
Joni Ames
joniames@aol.com
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IMPORTANT NOTE & NEED
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Last year when my van died a friend simultaneously was moving to Israel and needed someone to take over payments on her car. I did so. However she's returned to the states much sooner than she expected to and either needs me to pay it off (Almost $8,000 and totally worth it) or return it to her by April 15th as she now needs a vehicle and can't get another with a current outstanding loan. Totally understandable. So I've basically leased it and it's been a blessing. But now I need to do something about it.
So my prayer request is that those who can help towards paying it off or towards a different very low mileage vehicle as I return this one to her on approximately April 15th.
Please also pray for anointing for my meetings and writing.
Thanks!
Love and blessings,
Joni
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If my life and ministry are a blessing to you and you'd like to sow a financial gift at this time, you may do so any of the ways listed below. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you! Bless you!
Thank you for your prayers!
Love & blessings,
Joni
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JONI AMES
P.O. Box 36667
Rock Hill, SC 29732
JoniAmes@aol.com
Main: http://www.http/://http://joniames.org//
Newsletters: http://www.http/://http://joniames.net//
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