Sunday, March 31, 2024

Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!!

 from the Common Cents family.  We celebrate Easter as the day that Jesus rose from the dead almost 2000 years ago.  Two readings from the Gospels document this:

First from Matthew Chapter 28:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week,a Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

2Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.

5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.b 7Then 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.’ See, I have told you.”

8So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 9Suddenlyc Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him. 10“Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.”

And a slightly different version from the Book of John:

1Early on the first day of the week,a while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,” she said, “and we do not know where they have put Him!”

3Then Peter and the other disciple set out for the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down and looked in at the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

6Simon Peter arrived just after him. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7The clothb that had been around Jesus’ head was rolled up, lying separate from the linen cloths. 8Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. And he saw and believed. 9For they still did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

(Mark 16:9–11)

10Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb, 12and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet.

13“Woman, why are you weeping?” they asked.

“Because they have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I do not know where they have put Him.”

14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not recognize that it was Jesus.

15“Woman, why are you weeping?” Jesus asked. “Whom are you seeking?”

Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him off, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to Him in Hebrew,c “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17“Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’

18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what He had said to her.

Remember what Easter is truly all about today!

The Passion of the Christ - Last Scene 

No comments: