Isn’t it interesting to know that the first arms that held Jesus at His birth was Mary, the Virgin, and the first one to see Jesus when He resurrected was Mary Magdalene who was believed to be delivered from seven demons?   This only means on thing that before Jesus paid for all our sins, God needed a pure virgin to bear His only begotten Son in her womb (by the law of righteousness) but after His death, burial and resurrection, anyone who acknowledges Jesus as lORD and Savior can SEE and have an encounter with Him (for by grace and truth that came with Jesus Christ).

“For BY GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and that NOT of yourselves; it is the GIFT OF GOD,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

We celebrate Holy Week to remember why Jesus came and who He came for.

“When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor–sick people do. I have come to call not those WHO THINK they are righteous, but those WHO KNOW they are sinners.”  Mark 2:17 NLT

 

Jesus showed up though He came to die.  He showed up for us ALL BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE!  He showed up because He loves you.  He showed up because He loves me.

Jesus came, cleansed and cleared our communication line between us and our Heavenly Father.  His blood made our slate clean that our consciousness be changed from being ashamed and condemned into being redeemed and confident to come boldly before His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace in time of need.

Jesus died, buried and resurrected to show us how death has lost its sting and how He conquered the grave.  He gave us the Holy Spirit to abide in us forever.  The Holy Spirit Who is the same power Who raised Jesus from the dead now lives inside you and me, empowering us to rise above any breathless situation we’re in.  Anything that seems a dead area in your life, may it be in relationships, finances, health or whatever challenges you are facing, He already did it all to set us free.  He conquered it all so you and I can become MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

I’ve remembered how Jesus called forth Lazarus, WHOM HE LOVED (John 11:3), who had been dead and stenched for four days in a tomb with a stone laid against it.   I have stressed the words “whom He loved” because it is in this position where we get confident that He will come through for us because He loves us.

After thanking the Father for hearing Him, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!”  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”  I love the words Jesus spoke to Martha before calling Lazarus into life .. “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

“Jesus told her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.   Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.   Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”  John 11:25-26 NLT

Is there anything too difficult for our God?  In this story, Jesus spoke with a loud voice and yes, His word came into being seeing Lazarus out of the tomb.  HOW MUCH FOR US NOW that the same power Who raised Jesus from the dead is IN US?  It is no longer just a voice that we hear from the outside for us to rise up from our circumstances but GOD IN US in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit speaking from deep within us to ARISE and SHINE for the LIGHT has come and the GLORY of the Lord is risen upon us.

When we have ears to hear, a still small voice inside of us is more than enough to move a mountain outside us.  Christianity is all about our relationship with God.  It is living our lives from our inner man that influences our outer man.  It is living from the inside out.  It is our internal reality affecting our outside reality.  It is the culture of the Kingdom of God inside of us that powerfully touches the culture of the world outside.

It is all about the love of God that caused Him to stoop down to reach His children knowing that in and out of our own ability to reach Him is next to impossibility because of His holiness, beauty and wonder.  BUT He came to reach out to us to bring us home into the loving embrace of our Daddy God.

Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is the perfect demonstration of God’s great love for you and me.  It is ALL FOR US!

The tomb is a place of bondage where the enemy kept and deceived us, BUT JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!  With this revelation that we received today, HE EMPTIED THE TOMB, for the TRUTH HAS COME and IT IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE!  Whom the Son sets FREE is FREE INDEED!

 

Photo Credit:  Binky Estrada Tolegida