The Resurrection of Jesus and you

The Resurrection of Jesus and you
To day is Easter Monday. The day after what Christians consider the most important three day in human history.
Matthew’s gospel records,
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  
The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  
Suddenly Jesus met them.“Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.  
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10.
Here we have the account of the Resurrection of Jesus. The women coming to the tomb to find it empty and an angel telling them that Jesus is risen.
This as I noted is the most important moment in all of history as far as Christians are concerned. Jesus rose from the dead. It is because of this we have a way to heaven,
 The Apostle Paul writing to the Romans states,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:9-13. 
This offer of Salvation is a free gift of God. The apostle Paul writing,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  

not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

                                                                                 Ephesians 2:8,9.
     All anyone needs to do to get to heaven is simply believe this and accept the Saving Grace God offers through Jesus.
 The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians also notes,
“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.  
More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.  
For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Put simply if Christians are wrong and Christ is not risen from the dead then our faith is to no avail. What we believe is useless.
The fact however is Jesus did rise from the dead. He did provide purification for our sins. He did provide a way for us to enter Heaven.
As a Christian I believe what John’s Gospel records Jesus as saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” John 3:16,17.
I believe Jesus is the Son of God.
C. S. Lewis once wrote,
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
My question to you the reader is do you believe this?
         Are you willing to risk where you will spend Eternity on what you believe?
Please think about it.

Jesus and You

Jesus and You
The Writer of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
The apostle John writes,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
Christians believe Jesus is “The Word” mentioned by John. That He God incarnate, God in the flesh. That he came to earth to purify individuals of their sins.
The Apostle Paul states,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Romans 5:6-9
What Christians believe I know in some circles is controversial but it is what we believe. It is what we ask the people of the world to believe.
 The apostles creed while not written by an apostle of Jesus expresses what Christians ask people to believe it states,

I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth

I believe in Jesus Christ God’s one and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.

I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary

I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; 

That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.

 I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.

I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost

I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,

I believe in the forgiveness of sin.

I believe in the resurrection of the body.

I believe in life everlasting. 

As I write this it is Easter. It is one of the holiest date on the Christian calendar. The weekend when Christians celebrate the death burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
A time for Christians to celebrate our faith. For we as Christians believe that while Jesus died on the cross. That he was buried, and descended into hell. He did not stay their. Instead he rose from the dead walked briefly on this earth and ascended into heaven. From where he will judge the world.
The question however is not what I as a Christian believe. It is what you the reader believe.
I believe that if I am wrong in my beliefs I have nothing to fear for I would have lived a good and interesting life.
That being said if I am right those who do not agree with me have a great deal to fear.
C. S. Lewis once wrote,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C. S. Lewis.
It is so important to my mind that what you believe about Jesus, I believe has eternal consequences.
Please take some time to read at least the New Testament, and even if you are sceptical, pray and ask God to show you the truth.
Please think about it.

Jesus and You

Jesus and You
Matthews gospel records,
“At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.  
Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Matthew 11:25,26.
Many wise and intelligent men and women around the world do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That Jesus is God incarnate. They quite often say “why would God choose to come into his creation” or “Why would God want to send His Son to die for those he created? It doesn’t make sense.”
I as a Christian believe anyone who thinks that way is putting God in a box. They are defining God by human standards. God is not obligated to do things the way man thinks He should.
In the gospel of John Jesus is recorded as saying,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,  but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” John 10:24-32
Jesus claims to be one with God. God incarnate. He tells the crowd he is one with God. Something considered blasphemy in his day. Something that was punishable by death. In fact John records that the people he spoke to wanted to stone him for what he had said.
Jesus was aware of that claiming to be one with God could have got him put to death. Yet he still claimed to be one with God.  He did so because it was true, whether the people he spoke to believed it or not.
C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity states,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
The claims of Jesus are admittedly hard to accept. The apostle Paul even said,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 
Simply put as I said, God does not do things the way man thinks he should do things.
God could have come with his angels and shown himself to all mankind at the same time. But God knows that would not make true followers. True followers are those who believe in Him even if they have not seen Him the writer of Hebrews stating,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

Hebrews 11:6

As Jesus said,
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
Sometimes we have to be like little children who accept things by faith. Something we as adults many times find hard to do.
God loves His creation. God loves each individual and wants us to truly believe in Him. That is why God came to earth in the form of Jesus, His one and Only Son.
C. S. Lewis points out.
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
Yes it defies mans logic. But God is not man. God wants men and women who have faith in Him because God knows people of faith are the strongest of followers.
Thus the question is, do you believe in God?
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, The Saviour of mankind?
Please think about it.