Today is the day of victory, as Jesus has risen and vanquished the evil forces and sins of death. He gave light and life back to all of us. Jesus is risen. Aleluiah, Alleluiah, Alle...lu...iah.
When Mary Magdalene and other female disciples reported to the apostles that they had seen Jesus the resurrected, they did not believe in his resurrection. They had doubts and couldn't believe it. The following verses are about the resurrection of Jesus. Luke 24:2–8 (NJB): They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, 3 but on entering they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled about this, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. 5 Terrified, the women bowed their heads to the ground. But the two said to them, ‘Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He is not here; he has risen. Luke 24:9–11 (NJB): And they returned from the tomb and told all this to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. And the other women with them also told the apostles, 11 but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe them. In the Gospel of John the apostle described about the encounter of Jesus with Mary Magdalene. Then she became the Apostle of the Apostles. John 20:11–18 (NJB): But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, 12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. 13 They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’The angel;s told her that Jesus has risen. ‘16 Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’—which means Master. 17 Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ 18 So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that he had said these things to her.
The poem below is based on Jesus' disciples' journey to Emmaus, as described in Luke 24:13-35. Here, Jesus clears the disciples' doubts about his resurrection by explaining all of the events and prophecies of the Prophets and the Psalms. After breaking the bread, they realized he was Jesus since he had given them the Eucharist on the table. After his resurrection, this is the first time he shared his Body and Blood since the Day of Passover (Maundy Thursday).
A Journey to Emmaus
Lord, while your disciples were walking to Emmaus, I was with them.
But I was not counted as your disciple.
Lord, we were talking about you on the way,
And you accompanied us in our journey.
You asked what we were talking about and our faces were downcast.
Unknowingly we said that 'you are the only one unaware about the happenings in Jerusalem.
About Jesus of Nazareth, who showed himself a prophet,
powerful in action and speech, before God and the whole people;'
Our chief priests and leaders sentenced him to death.
They crucified him mercilessly.
We hoped that he would be the one to set Israel free.
And this is not all: two whole days have now gone by, since it all happened;
Some women from our group astounded us:
They went to the tomb in the early morning,
They could not find the body and they came back to tell us;
That they had a vision of angels who declared he was alive.
Some of our friends went to the tomb.
They saw everything exactly as the women witnessed.
They could not see anything except the clothes which covered the body of Jesus.
This seemed unbelievable to us, we don't think he has been taken away or risen.
Jesus said, you foolish men, you are so slow to believe.
You don't understand what prophets have said about Jesus.
Wasn’t it inevitable for Christ to suffer before entering his glory?
I will walk you through the teachings of Moses and all the prophets.
Did Moses not tell you this: 'from among yourselves, from among your own brothers,
Yahweh your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him.
Again Lord said to Moses, what they have said is well said.
From their own brothers I shall raise up a prophet like yourself;
Contemplate the sufferings of Jesus, 'Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue,
For me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary.
Morning by morning he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple.
Lord Yahweh has opened my ears and I have not resisted,
I have not turned away and I have offered my back to those who struck me,
My cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
I have not turned my face away from insult and spitting.
Lord Yahweh comes to my help, this is why insult has not touched me,
This is why I have set my face like flint and know that I shall not be put to shame.
He who grants me saving justice is near!
Who will bring a case against me?
Let us appear in court together! Who has a case against me?
Let him approach me! Look, Lord Yahweh is coming to my help!
Who dares condemn me?
Look at them, all falling apart like moth-eaten clothes!
Which of you fears Yahweh and listens to his servant’s voice?
Which of you walks in darkness and sees no light?
Let him trust in the name of Yahweh and lean on his God!"
Isaiah again prophesied about his passion and our salvation:
He had no form or charm to attract us, no beauty to win our hearts;
He was despised, the lowest of men, a man of sorrows,
Familiar with suffering, one from whom, as it were, we averted our gaze, despised,
For whom we had no regard.
Yet ours were the sufferings he was carrying
And struck with affliction by God;
whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions,
He was crushed because of our guilt;
The punishment reconciling us fell on him,
We have been healed by his bruises.
We had all gone astray like a flock of sheep, each taking its own way,
Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion of all of us to bear on him.
He was ill-treated and afflicted, he never opened his mouth,
Like a lamb led to the slaughter-house,
Like a sheep dumb before its shearers, he never opened his mouth.
Forcibly, after sentence, he was taken.
See men, Jesus will be risen as mentioned in book of Hosea, the second day he will give us life
The third day God will raise Jesus from the grave
This man, who was put into your power
By the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God,
You took and had crucified and killed by men outside the Law.
But God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades;
For it was impossible for him to be held in its power since,
David says of him: I kept the Lord before my sight always,
For with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.
So my heart rejoiced my tongue delighted; my body, too, will rest secure,
For you will not abandon me to Hades or allow your holy one to see corruption
Jesus is risen Aleluiah
Continue in Part 2…………….
Mario(Mohny)Mathews
Community of Grace
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