Greatest Event in History
"...These that have
turned the world upside down..."
Acts 17:6
| Among the early Christians the triumph of death was
depicted by the Greek writer, Aristides who wrote in A.D. 125 to a
friend about the new religion called Christianity. "If any
righteous man among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice
and offer thanks to God and they escort his body with songs and
thanksgiving as if he were setting out from one place to another
nearby." What a picture of hope! These Christians were
demonstrating their belief in the resurrection of Christ. John, the
Apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned these
words. "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see
death" John 8:51. Get the picture? Death has
"no sting" because Jesus Christ took the keys of death, hell
and the grave. The word "sting" has several
implications. One of them is: to cause mental or moral anguish; anything
or an element in anything that wounds, pains or irritates. For a
Christian, the sting has been exchanged for eternal life through
Christ.
The resurrection of Christ changed Mary from a mourner into a messenger. Thomas was changed from a doubter into a believer. Peter was changed from a coward into a bold proclaimer of the gospel. Paul was a persecutor of the Christians, but the resurrection of Christ changed Paul into a fervent missionary. For the early Christians, the resurrection was not only an event but an experience. We rejoice over the greatest event in history because as a Christian we have a hope beyond the fear and confusion of this present world. Because of His resurrection - we live! The empty tomb, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was and is the greatest event in history. But wait - it's not over for us. The empty tomb makes all our fears lies and all our hopes truths. The empty tomb is the birthplace of eternal life. The empty tomb causes us to be able to sing and rejoice at the death of our Christian loved ones.
L. M. Lobbs
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