"'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was
crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But
go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There
you will see him, just as he told you.'" Mark 16:6-7
Former White House counsel Charles Colson, convicted for his involvement in the
Watergate scandal as an assistant to President Nixon, is often asked about the
resurrection and if it could be a hoax with a cover-up to make it look like
Christ rose from the dead. He answers: "The Watergate cover-up reveals the true
nature of humanity. Even political zealots at the pinnacle of power will, in the
crunch, save their own necks, even at the expense of the ones they profess to
serve so loyally. But the apostles could not deny Jesus, because they had seen
him face to face, and they knew he had risen from the dead. No, you can take it
from an expert in cover-ups-I've lived through Watergate-that nothing less than
a resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying
whispers that Jesus is alive and is Lord. Two thousand years later, nothing less
than the power of the risen Christ could inspire Christians around the world to
remain faithful-despite prison, torture, and death. Jesus is Lord: That's the
thrilling message of Easter. It's a historic fact, one convincingly established
by the evidence-and one you can bet your life upon."
Christ's resurrection is a historical fact. It happened on the first day of the
week following Passover in the city of Jerusalem. Our faith is grounded in
history, not a philosophy. Today in prayer, thank Christ that He not only
predicted His resurrection, but also fulfilled it so we may have hope in Him.
"Christ himself deliberately staked his who claim to the credit of men upon his
resurrection. When asked for a sign he pointed to this sign as his single and
sufficient credential." - B.B. Warfield
God's Word: "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." - Matthew 28:5-6
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2002, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN MARK
pkennedy@devotional.com
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