What Did You Expect? - THE THIRD DAY | EASTER MORNING - Lesson for 4/20/2014

This review is brought to you by the Hope Temple Church of God in Christ Sunday School Department.  

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday 2014!

Hosea 6:1-3| King James Version (KJV)

1 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Luke 24: 1-12| King James Version (KJV)

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?

6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.

10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

This very important event that has changed our destiny forever, is widely celebrated once a year in a well-known holiday called “Easter”. Let’s take a moment and unravel each piece of this story, just in case it’s your first time discovering it!

Scenario: Three days ago, Jesus was crucified on a cross. He took on the sins of the entire world. He gave up the ghost and said, “It is finished”.

Joseph of Arimathea received special permission from Governor Pilate to “handle” Jesus’ body. He took him off the cross and wrapped him, according to the Jewish tradition, and placed him in his own tomb. Jesus hadn’t purchased a tomb for himself, so this was truly a borrowed tomb, as it belonged to Joseph of Arimathea.

One thing that is not written in today’s lesson, but is interesting, is the reaction of the priests and guards. The guards who were appointed by the priests fainted when the stone was rolled away and Jesus came gloriously from the tomb. They were terrified and ran. The priests found them and paid them to say that the disciples stole Jesus’ body from the tomb. Find out more in Matthew 28:11-15.

So now, we see that three days have passed and a dead body would have begun decomposing by now. The ladies of faith go down with their perfume to care for the body and to show respect to Jesus. Only, when they get there, they get the surprise of their lives! Jesus isn't there! Angels appeared and asked them, “Why are you looking for Jesus amongst the dead? He said He’d be raised on the 3^rd day? Don’t you remember?

Side note: The angels had to remind the women of something that Jesus said over and over again to His followers, “I will die, but rise again in three days; the temple will be destroyed, but rebuilt in three days…” Whenever he predicted his death, he always added…life again in three days. The women remembered, once the angels pointed it out to them. This is important to note because even one of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, was super skeptical and had to have iron-clad proof to really believe the miracle of the resurrection. That’s okay. Our God can handle all levels of faith!

All of the ladies with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, James’ mom, go to the bretheren to share the news. These men thought that the women were confused or possibly mistaken. But, it must have been convincing enough to make Peter and John and a few others go down to the tomb to check it out for themselves.

Side note: I love this! Sometimes, hear good news isn’t good enough. Experiencing it for yourself is always best! So many times, we live in what “Mama said…” and “Grandma said…” when they tell us God is good, God is a healer, He’s a mind regulator, He’s a heart-fixer…Get excited enough to run to Jesus yourself and experience all of His goodness and heart-riches first hand!

John 20:5-7 declares that John got to the tomb, bent down and looked in. He couldn't believe it! But, Peter had to do more than look, he went in! He saw the burial clothes in the shape of the body it used to hold, the head wrapping was still molded that of Christ, but He was not there.

Are you living in expectation? God has laced the pages of the Bible with practical instructions on how we should live our lives and the blessings that await us, based upon our level of discipleship and obedience. If he says, “Tithes and I’ll pour you out a blessing.” What should you expect? If he says, “Pray and fast to overcome habits”. What should you expect? If he says, “Go tarry until I fill you with the Holy Ghost”. What should you expect? The disciples didn't have what we have today, the Holy Ghost living within us. They took some time to really grasp the level of faith the Jesus was pushing them towards, but we have no excuse.

He said he would rise in three days, and He did! Now, you and I have a right to the Tree of Life! We have an inheritance amongst those who are sanctified. We have a new home, over in Zion! We are living to live again! What did you expect?

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