Written by: David Morgan - TES

Luke 23 v 50-56
There was a good and religious man named Joseph who was a member of the Jewish council. But he had not agreed to the other leaders’ plans and actions against Jesus. He was from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God to come. Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in cloth, and put it in a tomb that was cut out of a wall of rock. This tomb had never been used before. This was late on Preparation Day, and when the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin.
The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid. Then the women left to prepare spices and perfumes.
On the Sabbath day they rested, as the law of Moses commanded.

Notes
Joseph came from Arimathea which was about seven miles from Jerusalem, a two hour walk. He is spoken of as being a highly respected member of the Jewish ruling council. No doubt Joseph could agree with many of the decisions they made but he could not go along with them over the proposed plans and actions against Jesus.

We might ask ‘Why was this?’. In John 19 v 38 we are told why, for Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus. Perhaps Joseph had come into contact with the Saviour. He may have witnessed some of the miracles or listened to some of the teachings. Clearly this had made an impact on his life with the result that Joseph knew that Jesus was the Messiah. Had he encountered the Lord by the Lake, in a town or on the hillside, we do not know, but it had changed his life.

Following the death of Jesus he went to Pilate requesting the body of Jesus for the longed to give it a decent burial. This was a public demonstration of how much he loved the Saviour.

Now the secret was out, he would pay the cost, insults would follow from his fellow councillors. Did that matter? Of course not for Jesus was more important.

If you can look back to becoming a Christian, it was like an encounter. Your sins were forgiven, Jesus is more than a person of history, He is our Saviour.

Don’t keep it a secret, let others know what you believe and the importance that being a Christian makes. Be willing like Joseph to count the cost. What better time is there to let the secret out than Easter!

Luke 24 v 1-5
Very early on the first day of the week, at dawn, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the entrance of the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, two men in shining clothes suddenly stood beside them. The women were very afraid and bowed their heads to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person in this place for the dead? 

Notes
Ever had a sleepless night? I expect we all have at some stage. Often it is brought about by excitement or worry.

The women in our reading yesterday had witnessed Joseph take the body of Jesus down from the cross and lay it in the tomb.

On Easter Sunday they were up early, rushing to the tomb. Arriving at the tomb they were speechless for the stone was rolled away. Gripped with both fear and amazement it was not what they had expected to find.

Since that first Easter people have asked, ‘Did it really happen?’. May I suggest three facts that say ‘YES’ to any doubts we may have.

1) Some say the women imagined the whole event being overcome with grief and emotion. The evidence of the stone being rolled away was confirmed by some of the disciples on their arrival.

2) People have argued that it was just the spirit of Jesus that lived on. If that was the case how do we explain away the sentence ‘But when they went in, they did not find the body of Jesus’?

3) The most compelling evidence is not just from the Biblical story but Christians today. Easter will see throughout our world people of all ages giving thanks that Jesus did rise and has an impact on their lives.

If it was just a historical event all the fuss would have died down by now. That’s why it is still a problem to many people today. Is it a problem for you?

Make this Easter special and thank Jesus for making a way possible so that your sins can be forgiven. Yes He died but also rose again to be your Saviour and friend.

Luke 24 v 6-8
He is not here; he has risen from the dead. Do you remember what he told you in Galilee? He said the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people, be crucified, and rise from the dead on the third day.” Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.

Notes 
On my study desk I often keep a scrap of paper. It has two heading on it ‘Things to do’ and ‘People to phone’. My two children have often laughed at me, now they are operating the same system, we are all liable to forget!

Our reading highlights for us two words ‘remember’ and ‘remembered’. Understandably with the events of the past few days, the arrest, crucifixion and resurrection the followers of Jesus were confused. At times they must have asked the question ‘Why has all this happened?’. After three very happy and demanding years of ministry Jesus had left them.

As they looked to the future they were confused, but if they had remembered what Jesus had said they would have understood that Easter was the climax of God’s plan to rescue a sinful world.

Jesus had explained this to them in Luke 18 v 32-33 ‘He will be turned over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, kill him. On the third day he will rise again’.

We do not have the privilege that the disciples had of listening to Jesus face to face. But we can ask God to help us remember what we read each day that it will have an effect on our lives both in the present and in the future also.

Luke 24 v 9-10
The women left the tomb and told all these things to the eleven apostles and the other followers. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women who told the apostles everything that had happened at the tomb.

Notes
Have you ever watched a child that is excited? They are just bursting to tell you the good news. It may be winning a sports competition or coming top in an exam. They want everybody to know!

Puzzled by the events of Easter we learnt yesterday that these women suddenly remembered the words Jesus had told them.

Running back from the empty tomb the women joined the disciples. It must have been a competition to see who could speak first. Clearly they were full of excitement for now the events of the past few days were making sense. Yes Jesus had died but now he had risen.

The events of the past few days had not been controlled by those who shouted ‘crucify’ but by God who was fulfilling His plan so that each of us could have the opportunity to be forgiven.

This made all the difference and the overwhelming sense of excitement filled their hearts. They could not keep it to themselves.

As an evangelist that has travelled in Great Britain for the past 25 years I have been thrilled to see people coming to a personal faith. Their lives have been changed, sometimes dramatically and they have not been able to keep it a secret. They have rushed to tell family and friends the good news that the Saviour who died at this first Easter has risen and is now living in their lives.

If you can look back to a day when you trusted the Lord as your Friend and Saviour, how excited do you get? Make the most of this Easter, share the good news with other people and let it make a difference in their lives as well.

Luke 24 v 11-12
But they did not believe the women, because it sounded like nonsense. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Bending down and looking in, he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. Peter went away to his home, wondering about what had happened.

Notes 
In the reading yesterday we noticed the excitement of the women returning from the tomb. From feeling despondent they found real hope and purpose in the death of Jesus.

In contrast today we see the men did not believe, it all sounded a bit too good to be true.

One of the disciples often mentioned in the gospel accounts is Peter. For example he denied the Lord not once but three times. Easter must have been a very difficult period for this man. He no doubt longed for the opportunity to talk with Jesus and ask for forgiveness.

It is therefore not surprising that he was the one who ran to the tomb. He was in no doubt that what the ladies had said was true. On arriving he saw the grave clothes but the body of Jesus was not there.

Our reading says ‘Peter went away to his home, wondering about what had happened’.

This story shows us two groups of people. The women who believed and some who doubted. How true that is today for history repeats itself.

Many are so excited about the Christian faith they have to pass it on. On the other hand some who are reading these notes may have recently found the Christian life difficult, they have slipped back.

Today marks the turning point in Peter’s spiritual journey for in the coming days Jesus would forgive him and use him once again. If you are feeling a bit low spiritually take a second look for Jesus will forgive our short comings and take us forward if we will let Him.

Luke 24 v 13-17
That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a town named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking about everything that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. Then he said, “What are these things you are talking about while you walk?”
The two followers stopped, looking very sad. 

Notes 
We live today in a very fast moving world. A few years ago who would have considered that you could send a communication to the other side of the world and receive a reply in the same day. That’s the wonder of Email!

But in our fast high tech world if we are not careful we become very impersonal and loose the value of spending time with people. The opportunity of talking through various issues is often forgotten.

Making a journey of about seven miles to the village called Emmaus two of the followers of Jesus were trying to make sense of all that had taken place. No doubt they discussed what had taken place that first Easter, the events, the people involved and not least of all ‘What did it all mean?’

They valued each others company but there were no quick answers. Jesus came along side them but they did not recognise him. The end result was they looked very sad.

This year Easter may not be the happiest time for you, big problems seem to surround you, the future looks bleak. Clearly there is great value in finding another Christian to talk things through with, for it often helps, but it is not always the complete answer.

One of the encouraging verses in the bible is found in Hebrews 13 v 5 where it tell us. ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you’. While we can identify with these two men we do not need to feel sad for we can ask God for His help to take us forward in the daily situations we face.

Spend a few moments thinking through the issues that you face and ask God to help you for he is not that far away!

Luke 24 v 18-21
The one named Cleopas answered, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know what just happened there?”
Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about?”
They said, “About Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet who said and did many powerful things before God and all the people. Our leaders and the leading priests handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we were hoping that he would free Israel. Besides this, it is now the third day since this happened.

Notes 
There are times when you and I seem overwhelmed by the situations that we face. Clever answers are not what we need but rather someone who will sit down and listen as we open up our feelings and thoughts to them.

Jesus was not ignorant of what had happened over the past few days, life had changed for His followers in such a dramatic way. Here He invites them to share with Him by asking a question. ‘What are you talking about?’

In many ways they gave an overview of the life of Jesus. They spoke about His life talking about the powerful things that he had done. Furthermore they spoke of the kind of death the Saviour had suffered.

But perhaps in their sadness they had lost the plot for they said ‘we were hoping that he would free Israel’ They were so engrossed in their own feelings and emotions they had forgotten not only what the prophets in the Old Testament had said would take place but also the words Jesus had spoken at the Last Supper.

Yes, we sometimes need to find someone we can confide in, a good listener. But we should not forget to take time to read the Bible for the promises that were written many years ago can still be a great encouragement today.

Often we have a head knowledge of what the Christian faith teaches, what we need as well is a faith which reaches into our heart and allow the Bible to come alive.

Take time to read the Bible and you will find that God is nearer than you think. A real friend who never breaks a promise and that means we can trust Him at ever stage in our lives.


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes