Some people only think about Jesus at Christmas. Perhaps they are inspired by sweet paintings of a mother and child and promises of peace on earth and good will to men.
But Jesus is no longer in the manger.
He grew up to be a man, led a righteous life, kept all of God's law in our place, and died on the cross for our sins. His death on the cross canceled our sin debt, demonstrated His love, reconciled us to God, took the punishment for our sins, made it possible for us to be saved, and more.
But Jesus is no longer on the cross.
Some of His last words were "It is finished." He had done everything necessary to make it possible for people to be saved.
He was taken down from the cross and buried in a borrowed tomb.
But Jesus is no longer in the tomb.
When friends came to care for His body, instead they found an angelic messenger declaring, "He is not here; He is risen, just as He said." "God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death" (Acts 2:24, CSB).
Jesus' resurrection testifies that Jesus is the Son of God, validates His claims, removes death's sting, gives hope in sorrow, show's God's power, and so much more.
Now Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, praying for us, and preparing a place for us to be with Him. Yet He also dwells in our hearts through faith. "Christ in us" is "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
The manger, the cross, and the tomb are all empty---that we might be filled with His presence, pardon, power, and peace.
Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no pow'r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command.
Witnessing Thy pow'r to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou who boughtest to possess me,
In Thy fullness, Lord, come in.
Mary E. Maxwell, "Channels Only"
"If you come to seek His face, not in the empty sepulchre, but in the living power of His presence, as indeed realizing that He has finished His glorious work, and is alive for evermore, then your hearts will be full of true Easter joy, and that joy will shed itself abroad in your homes. And let your joy not end with the hymns and the prayers and the communions in His house. Take with you the joy of Easter to the home, and make that home bright with more unselfish love, more hearty service; take it into your work, and do all in the name of the Lord Jesus; take it to your heart, and let that heart rise anew on Easter wings to a higher, a gladder, a fuller life; take it to the dear grave-side and say there the two words 'Jesus lives!' and find in them the secret of calm expectation, the hope of eternal reunion." ---John Ellerton
This post was inspired by a short piece written by Terry Rayburn.
I often link up with some of these bloggers.
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