WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
an international Sunday school lesson commentary
an international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday April 21, 2019
Over
197,000 readers worldwide
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CALLED
TO BELIEVE THE RESURRECTION
(JESUS
replaces fear with hope)
(Matthew
26:1-15)
Sin
ushered into the world, “physical death”. The resurrection of CHRIST JESUS
ushered into the world, “spiritual life”. The resurrection of JESUS is the
essence of the Christian Faith and the core of all of the apostles’ teachings,
and mine.
It was William Barclay who wrote, “Cleverness
can never be the basis of true religion, and true religion can never be the
product of a man’s mind”. By that he meant that, no man is capable of producing
or concocting a “true religion” or “faith”, because only GOD is capable of
meeting and setting the qualifications of perfection that every man can benefit
from, by following.
Man, through his imperfections, will never
be able to, “rightly”, spiritually rule over another man. And so, with that
being said, Christianity, without denominational attachments, is the only “true
religion” simply because it is the only religion that is a product of GOD’s
mind.
In Matthew chapter 28, verses 1-15, the Apostle
Matthew, give us his account and eyewitness recollections of the events
surrounding the resurrection of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Here he
tells us that on the dawn of the first day of the week following JESUS’
crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary (the mother of James and
Joseph) went to the cave where JESUS had been entombed on the previous Friday by
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
The two ladies, along with Salome and Joanna had
faithfully watched from a distance as the two men anointed JESUS’ body with
about 75 pounds of embalming ointments and spices, and wrapped it in cloth
before rolling a heavy stone over the entrance of the cave (Matthew 27:57-61
and John19:38-42. They had returned to the site on this Sunday morning, after
the Sabbath (Saturday) was over, apparently to anoint JESUS’ body again (Mark
16:1-2).
Matthew records that there was a great
earthquake, associated with the appearance of an angel of GOD, who came down
from Heaven and rolled away the heavy, sealed on, stone covering from the
entrance of the sepulcher. The Roman soldiers who were guarding the tomb became
so frightened that they actually fainted. The angel, who appeared like
lightening (very swiftly), was dressed in clothing that was as white as snow.
The angel then proceeded to issue a
proclamation to the women that JESUS had been raised from the dead as HE said
HE would. He even invited the women up to the entrance of the cave to see that
it was empty, and then, instructed them to go and tell the disciples the good news.
He told them to tell the men (JESUS disciples) to meet HIM in Galilee.
As the women were hurrying along to tell
JESUS’ closest disciples the wonderful news, JESUS HIMSELF suddenly appeared before
them and greeted them. Upon hearing HIS greeting, the women recognized who JESUS
was, and immediately fell down at HIS feet and began to worship HIM.
It was altogether fitting that these women
would become the first people on earth to actually see the risen LORD, and
receive HIS good news. They had been faithfully there at HIS cross during HIS
crucifixion, and they had also been there when HE was laid in HIS tomb. And now,
as their just reward, they were allowed to become the first to experience the
joy of the resurrection of CHRIST JESUS.
No man can give us that kind of religion,
for it is something that only GOD can do. Through the birth, ministry, passion,
death, and resurrection of CHRIST JESUS, GOD is saying to us, that, HE loves us
with an everlasting love that can withstand all of the suffering that this
world has to offer, both, now, and, in the future.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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