The Word of the Lord

Jesus bore His cross on His back to carry it to Golgotha before He was nailed to it. At one point He was so weak that a Cyrenian by the name of Simon was compelled by the soldiers to carry it when it was evident Jesus could not any longer. Think how God felt when Simon died and came before Him. How glad Simon must have been that he had been singled out that day to carry the cross for the very Son of God and now this God was looking on him. I think there were many blessed words over Simon that day. A common man doing a big job for God and His Son. We can do great works also. Maybe not carry His cross but we can help others to carry their’s. Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, "that in as much as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

So the way of the cross was what God demanded from Jesus to pay for our sins and the cross was what Jesus was willing to partake of to make the payment. DEATH CAME TO THE SON OF GOD. He fulfilled many scriptures from His birth to His death. Even to being buried in the grave of the rich.

But the story does not end there for the prophecies won’t let it. Psalm 49:15, "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me." Psalm 16:10, "For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

Yes, there had to be the cross. After the cross had to come His death. After His death had to come His burial. BUT AFTER THIS MUST COME THE RESURRECTION. GLORY!

Matthew 28:2 tells us of a great earthquake: for an angel descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. There had been the great earthquake at His death and a great earthquake now at His resurrection. I am convinced God doesn’t do things too quietly when it comes to His only begotten Son. He wants the world to know His Son and what He has done for mankind. Imagine the astonishment of the women who had come to finish the burial ritual when they saw the angel.

Here is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Matthew 28:6, The angel spoke to the women and said, "He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." In John 19 we read where the women tell Peter and John about the angel and the Lord not being in the tomb. When the two men arrive they find the grave clothes intact and the napkin that had been about His head in a separate place to the clothes. BUT NO BODY OF JESUS.

When Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb after he had been dead for four days the grave clothes were wrapped about him and the napkin was about his face. Jesus had to tell the people to loose him and let him go. What a difference at Jesus’ resurrection. His body not even in the grave clothes and the napkin in a totally separate place. We don’t know exactly why the head napkin was elsewhere, but maybe it was one of those small points that God does just to show He is God.

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Now follow me here, in verse 23, "Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming." Christ died and rose from the dead, a proven fact that was witnessed many times after His resurrection and by over 500 at one time. Because we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we will be resurrected as well. Some will go by way of the grave and some will remain until His return. Either way, we will be resurrected unto eternal life by Jesus. Yes, after the cross comes the Resurrection. First His and then His children. The sad part of this story is the ones who don’t receive Him will be resurrected also but unto damnation.