Allelujia! He is RiSon! I love that play on words. I tried today to drag my 45 year old body to attempt to go to sunrise service this morning at 6:15am. What that entails is getting my lovely two daughters out of bed and ready as well. One takes about 45 minutes to get ready and thats if she even comprehends, 'Time to Get Up' when I tell her. More than half the time, I have to go and wake her back up again, because I think she fell asleep thinking she must have been dreaming because it's still dark outside.
My teenager, gotta love her, alone just takes 1 1/2 to get ready and all that is, is showered, dressed, make up, hair done just right, because you just never know who may be there, and that doesn't even include breakfast. That is, if she hears your voice in her dreamland somewhere and even remotely responds to your voice to get up.
Not only that to top it all off, I stayed up way to late, watching, "The Greatest Story Ever Told", which lasted til 12:00am. I personally felt tasked to watch this from start to end, even though my mother made me watch it ever Easter when I was little. So I have seen it a lot, let's just say. I felt like I owed it to Jesus to watch whatever portrayl Hollywood put together during the time when Bible based movies weren't unheard of. I felt like I was watching TV with my Lord and wanted to be with him first thing before anyone in my household on Easter morning. Let me tell you I was, and wide awake. It took me another hour or so to finally fall asleep, but I had some last minute Easter things to take care of as well. I do have a 10 year old that still loves her "Easter Baskets", and I haven't the heart to tell her otherwise just yet.
So you guessed it, I was preparing for Easter morning so we could at least make it to Easter service at church, even if it was the later morning service. We were glad we did. The morning to me, was spent the way I wanted it to be spent, with Jesus reliving the most miraculous time on Earth and I didn't want to spend it asleep.
Not only that, our morning went smoothly. No arguing, everyone in a great mood, even though Mom is barely coherent, I went about singing the Hallelujia chorus all morning long! Starting first thing. I think my family must think it due to a lack of some serious sleep on my behalf. I was off to a great start with some caramel coffee and I was ready to go.
Troops marched off to their respective showers, got their chores out the way, house and rooms picked up, breakfast made, and time to get to church with minutes to spare. The message, as always very inspiring. We read about the resurrection of Jesus.
The interesting part of our sermon today, was that after witnessing all that Jesus had to show them, after Mary claiming to have been told by angels that Jesus was alive, and others claiming to have the same story of the empty tomb, two disciples were heading out of town despite what Jesus had told them. He reminded the disciples to stay in Jerusalem, when they heard and witnessed his resurrection. However, some still had their doubts. Some still didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah the prophecy had foretold, they thought somehow that Jesus would change their current circumstances and probably fix all their problems in Rome. So after feeling yet even more discouraged they left.
They were joined, later after some grumbling about how let down they felt that Jesus didn't fix things, by Jesus himself, although He prevented them from knowing who He really was. Imagine that, complaining about Jesus to Jesus, Himself. Amazing! Then the two disciples share their story with Jesus, their expectations and let down and Jesus reminds them of all the things fulfilled based on Jesus' presence all this time.
After a time, the disciples arrive at their location for the evening and Jesus bids them farewell, only they insist He must stay with them, it's night after all. Jesus agrees and after breaking bread and offering thanks with them, He reveals who He really is to them and then disappears. Wonder what they were thinking? I know for me, I would feel so ashamed about my grumbling and complaining, I would lose it.
In that moment, they immediately left and headed back to Jerusalem, in a hurry to share the good news with everyone. It's at that moment in time, we find ourselves with the remainder of the disciples in the Upper Room when Jesus returns again to share His resurrection with the rest. I often wonder what transpired in both heaven and hell that day.
You know that when Jesus uttered those words, "It is finished!" that Satan panicked big time, and all of heaven fell silent! I couldn't imagine as a parent watching my only child die for someone else.
Yet even death could not contain Him, and it never will again! He is Alive and He has come to save us all from certain and everlasting death. He is preparing a place in heaven for each of us, where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more death, just an eternal celebration where I will spend my entire eternity thanking my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all He did for me that day!
I must tell you that I would feel as the disciples did that day when Jesus reappeared to them after His resurrection. The joy can not be contained. Jesus blessed me today with an abundant amount of joy that no matter what anyone said or did, had no effect. My Lord Lives!
....and He shall reign forever and ever!!....Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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