Easter

Matt. 28: 1-10; 16-20. It was early Sunday morning, the women were on their way to the tomb. The men, Jesus’ disciples were hiding they had run off, only John hung around, prominent as his family was he was able to take in Jesus’ mother. “Who will role away the stone?” the women asked one another as they hurried along. They must have felt the earth-quake, judging from the account it seems to have happened as they arrived at the tomb. At the sight of the angel the soldiers posted to guard Jesus’ tomb fell down as if they were dead men, the women had nothing to fear from them.  The women trembled at the sight the angel, yet they went into the tomb at his suggestion, pretty gutty ladies. They came to the place of the dead and to their surprise they found life. Jesus has risen and appears to them as he does to us!  Often we look for Jesus in the wrong places, looking everywhere but where he is found, in God’s Word, and in our hearts, because we have shut him out of our everyday lives.  Are we willing to turn to the Word again and again, are we willing to see him in others, those who worship with us?  The Disciples should have known that the tomb could not hold their Lord and Savior as we should know that now He is always with us.

Matthew, writing to the Jews and concentrating on the prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament leaves out all the other appearances of Jesus to his disciples except for this one to the women and moves directly to the Great Commission. Mathew begins with Abraham in his genealogy of Christ, the appearing of the star, and the visit of the Magi. All the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham, Gen. 12:3. “Abraham believed the Lord and He  credited to him as righteousness” Gen. 15:5-6.   Saved by faith we are John 3:16-18. Matthew’s beginning with Abraham comes full circle at the end of the book  in the Great Commission.   God’s plan, from the call of Abraham to the risen Christ was to redeem the world through Jesus, the Son of Abraham.  Matthew moves quickly to the Great Commission at the end  because  that was Abraham’s call as it is our call today, to be a light to the nations. Isa 51:3-5; 60:1-3. The light begins with you! The light begins at home! Turn the light on!

Opening song of the Easter Service.

The drummers only accompany some of the songs.

Today we had special music in English.

And a song in the Tiv language.

I was asked to preach.

Pastor Ben closed the service.

CHRIST IS RISEN! PRAISE BE TO GOD!