"The Resurrection"

  "Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" 

 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and saw and believed - for until then they still hadn't understood the Scripture that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home." (John 20:1-10 NLT)

  "Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called." (Isaiah 54:4-5 KJV)

 This just doesn't feel so much like Christmas, at least not yet! Personally, this time of the year just is way too hard for me to adjust, having the special love of my life unable to celebrate with me, as we would always try to make this a blessed time of the year. One of our favorite things to do, was to hang out at the mall the last few days before Christmas; mostly to just watch as people scrambled to complete their holiday shopping.  

 I had a little thing that I did, while Marianne would slip into a store, I would sit on the bench close by, and pull out a "Chick Tract" to start reading it, while someone would sit by and look over by shoulder. Then when Marianne would come out of the store, I would place the tract on the bench, walking away, I would pray for the person that would pick it up and read it. 

 With the accounts of this moment shown with more detail, in the other Gospels, I believe John has decided the other accounts were enough, that the specific detail that should matter most, is that Jesus was no longer in that tomb! Think about that, while you celebrate His birth; because this moment is what the birth was all about! 

 As I listened to Pastor Mike F. yesterday, he shared on the importance of the Virgin Birth; indicating that the Virgin Birth of Jesus was just as important as the resurrection, because if He hadn't been born of a virgin, then He wouldn't have been born as the Son of God...

"Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither shall I tempt the LORD. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:10-14 KJV)