Easter: The Stone Was Rolled Away

  "And They Found the Stone Rolled Away from the Tomb" Lk: 24:2

 

They came to the Tomb where Jesus of Nazareth had been placed. They Knew that He was dead. They had witnessed  with their own eyes His, beaten, bloody body taken down from the Cross there at Calvary. They knew that place where Jesus' body had been laid to rest. 

A great stone had been rolled over the tombs entrance. It was the place of the dead and Jesus was there. Everything which they embraced as they followed Him, and now apparently all of it was lost and had come down around them. Jesus was dead there was no mistake about it. Roman solders had carried out the death sentence with their customary thoroughness. These men knew how to kill. That proficiency, that of handing out death was employed against Jesus on the cross. He was dead, Jesus' disciples would have to face reality. He was buried and a great stone covered the entrance to His tomb. It was customary to cover tomb with such stones, it kept grave robbers from disturbing the dead. It required a few strong men to roll them into place and to move them again which seldom occurred.

They Come

Early the first day of the week a group of women, still mourning the loss of Jesus, arrive there at the garden tomb hoping to prepare Jesus' dead  body for its place among the dead. This group of women are mentioned  in the four Gospel accounts are:

Matt 28:1, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.”,  

 in Mk 16:1, "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome."  

in Lk 23:55, 24:1 and 24:10, "the women who had come with him out of Galilee." 

Also, there with these women were "Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James." 

Luke 24:10 mentions that there were at least two others as well.

At just about the time, they had reached the garden, the woman began to talk among themselves and recognize that they do not have ability to move the great stone which barred them access to the body of Jesus.

"And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb?" Mk:16:3

But what they find is not what they had anticipated. In the grief of their loss, Jesus' words regarding His death and resurrection somehow did not take hold, in their hearts and minds. Jesus was dead, and that was a reality and they knew this to be true and for the moment they could see Him no other way. 

As they arrive at the tomb the group of women find, to their astonishment, the Roman guard squad, which typically consisted of twelve men, which had been assigned to watch the tomb are now dispersed. Gone nowhere to be found.

 This guard had been requested by the religious leaders. The guards were intended to keep the disciples from removing Jesus' dead body, then claim that He was resurrected, the religious leaders wanted Jesus to stay dead and buried, and in this desire, they turned to the power of Rome, that is the world system, to keep Jesus in the grave. 

 " Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while  he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, You have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch"Matt:27:62-66

We are told that this guard squad of soldiers had an angelic encounter which frighten them to the point of senselessness. 

"There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men" Matt:28:2-4

The Guards Report It

The scattered guard had fled the garden, some going to the Religious leaders and give them an account of what had occurred.

"While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day." Matt:28:11-15

The Stone is Rolled Away

The group of women saw, as they drew near the garden, that the great stone was rolled away from the tomb entrance allowing them to look into the tomb in which Jesus had been laid to rest. But,  to their amazement they see that it is empty. Jesus is not among the dead, yet, the import of what their own eyes are tell them still has not yet become clear. Jesus is gone, the great stone which now had been rolled away and allowed them to see into the tomb and to see that it is empty. He is gone, risen. 

 Frighten and uncertain as to what had occurred. They entered the empty tomb, when they did,  the group of women encounter divine assistance in the form of angelic appearances to aid them to understand what is transpiring. The angelic messengers of God, gave help to them to help them by reminding them of the words of Jesus Himself.

"And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said to them, Why seek you the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke to you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words," Lk:24:3-8

Rolling Our Stones Away

The Scriptures are always so much more then we can ever take in with the confines of one life time .Each word speaks volumes to us, they are eternal and as such they are not fixed in time as we understand it. What we read about here in the Gospel accounts are not just the discovery of an empty tomb two thousand years ago by a group of woman but rather their experience at Jesus' tomb is all of ours as well. 

They thought that Jesus was dead, they saw Him placed in the tomb, each of them reckoned that Jesus was dead, tried and convicted by the religious leaders and killed by the power of the world system that took steps to insure that Jesus would stay in dead in the grave. 

Yet even the might of the world system, represented by the Roman Guard, was and is , powerless to keep Jesus in the grave, for they fell before the display of God's power and sovereignty and were scattered in fear. Jesus lives! 

The rolled stone reveals that He is gone. The rolled stone was not so Jesus could leave , it is moved for our benefit so that we can see He is gone. The world system cannot keep Jesus dead. He lives and there is nothing they can do to change that. They cannot defeat Him. Even before His death and resurrection Jesus told the Apostles.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have defeated the world." Jhn: 16:33

The World system was beaten even before the resurrection. This is what St. Paul wrote to believers down through the centuries.

 "And having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Col: 2:15

"No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory".1 Cor:2:7-8

The great stone which sealed the tomb and was rolled away through the power of God, and was moved to give us and all humanity a clear view that Jesus is not among the dead. This stone for us can take many forms, it is in short anything that prevents us from seeing Jesus' tomb as being empty. The angels which were manifested represent God's divine assistance in coming to see the truth that Jesus lives, He is risen just as He said. God rolls the stone away from the eyes of our hearts and minds so we see the truth that Jesus is not found among the dead.

The great stone which keeps us from seeing this truth is beyond human ability to roll away, just as the woman talked among themselves.

"Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb?" Mk: 16:3

The great stone which block our view of the empty tomb requires intervention of God, though the Holy Spirit's work in our lives bring us to grasp the truth. The tomb is empty Jesus is not among the dead.

The god of this world blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of God.”  2 Cor 4:4 

"But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." 1Cor:2:10

 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" Jhn:14:26

He Is the Resurrected

What occurred there in the garden tomb only demonstrates what is, and always has been eternally true, even before the resurrection became a moment in the flow of human history, Jesus speaking to Martha the sister of Lazarus at her brother’s grave said 

"Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Jhn:11:25

He said this even before His own death. The Resurrection is not just something that happened and event but  it is Who and what Jesus is...The grave cannot keep Him, it has no power over our Lord.

When the great stone is rolled away from our eyes, but God himself and see the truth we see Him for Who He is. Paul tells Christians what the Resurrection of Jesus really accomplishes.

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, (Which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" Rm:1:1-4

This tells us that Jesus is not the Son of God because He was resurrected, but rather, He was resurrected because His is the Son of God. The Resurrection shows us what is and always eternally has been true.

The great stone is removed from before the eyes of our hearts and minds we can now see the empty tomb, and we come to see Who Jesus is, that is fully God and fully human, He is the living One Who is risen from the tomb of death , Jesus is not found among the dead, we each, now, come to  that garden tomb and see that we will find, as they did that it is empty all because;  "the Stone Rolled Away from the Tomb" Lk:24:2.

Benediction: May we each and all ever give glory to God  that the stone has been rolled away from our hearts, Today, Tomorrow and Forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If Its Not About Jesus, Its Not About Anything!”  

Easter: "I AM the Resurrection"

 The resurrection of Jesus is the central event in all of history. Nothing can compare with it. The Resurrection  is an event as no other. It speaks to us regarding the faithfulness of our God and his eternal love and desire for each and all of us.

The resurrection is the moment when our Creator, who in the person of Jesus, entered into the depths of the most helpless of conditions, that of death itself , and came forth again.

Death, the grave, the very absents of life, that place which is far beyond hope, when all is lost, it is from such a place that our Lord Jesus Christ descended and from which he came forth to great glory.

Our Lord Jesus entered that place where all humanity would have been destined to find itself. Yet, our God in his divine providence, did not create us for death, but for life, and not just life which arises but for a moment then passes away, no our loving God created us to have life eternally within deep communion with himself.

Jesus came and walked the Earth, he accepted the lowly place as a Son of Man to show us that he is the Son of God, that he wants us to know him and Jesus as the very self of God, revealed himself to us through Jesus.

Jesus gave us the most perfect clearest revelation of the great God which could possibly be conveyed to us. Jesus did not just tell us about God, he showed us about God. In Jesus we see the glorious love of the Father and the divine working of the Holy Spirit all through the Son. In Jesus all of the Holy Trinity is brought into perfect view.

Jesus moved among the people seeing their suffering and life’s struggles. Jesus witnesses the full spectrum of the human condition, whatever we might face in this life Jesus either witnessed or he himself experienced.

Jesus saw the helplessness and the seemingly futile condition of humanity and spoke to them of a sure hope that their God had not abandoned them. He healed them, comforted them and encouraged them about the future that ultimately good would prevail, not through human efforts and plans of humanity, but through the divine intervention of God himself. Even as Jesus spoke of these things, he embodied them, Jesus was and is the true and only hope of humanity.

This very one who came as the perfect expression of the love of God, the one who did no harm to any however was not exempt for the injustice and violence of the world driven by a lust for power and prominence over the lives of others. Jesus was wrongfully and illegally arrested under Jewish law and tried under false accusations and false pretenses by the very ones who were charged to prevent just such a thing from ever taking place.

Jesus, though he faced great pressures from all directions, spiritual, instructional and political Jesus kept his peace and was for the most part silent knowing that even now in the midst of all the wrong being perpetrated against him that his Father’s will was unfolding.

Jesus was standing in all of our places. He was suffering for us and with us identifying himself with us, so that we might find our identifying with him.

Though Jesus being fully God, he yet subjected himself to the will of the Father no matter the outcome of the unfolding events. Jesus knew that his Father was  faithful and would not allow him to be lost to the grip of death and through his resurrection we can know that God will be faithful to us.

Jesus was not just sacrificing himself there, that day, but rather Jesus’s whole life was based upon sacrifice to the will of God. Jesus sacrificed himself his whole life, his whole life. All his life, all his life. In many ways the cross was the logical conclusion to a life entirely scarified to the perfect will of God. This means that Jesus sacrificed his “self”.

Jesus accepted the place, of the lowest status and was condemned to die. He took on the weight of the cross, a weight which would have been justly placed upon our own shoulders, but Jesus willingly took it on for each and all of us so that we might not have to.

 The Good Shepherd Jesus laid down his life for the flock of humanity. He did so to show us the love of God, to show us how far our God would go just have us with him even unto death. God was saying to us all that he loves us more than he loves himself.

 The cross of Jesus, there upon Calvary, was not in truth directed toward God as a legal appeasement of some law, but rather, the cross is directed to all humanity as a demonstration of God’s divine love, grace, forgiveness and so much more.

The cross of Jesus is there that we might look upon it and know that God has removed any and all things which would separate him and humanity, that none need not be excluded for entering eternal life, which is a relationship with God and one another all through Jesus. 

The cross takes away all of our excuses from being left out. We may look at the cross and know that upon it that manifested work of our salvation was finished.

Jesus as all humanity must went to the darkness of the grave and closed in by the stone. From all human vantage points Jesus and movement which he began was now over, that it would be forgotten and passes into nothingness.

Out of this place of death and hopelessness however the Spirit of God moved and the one great enemy of all humanity, that of death was defeated in and by Jesus. He came forth in glory unequalled as no other has or ever could. Jesus not only has the full glory of his divine nature restored, even his humanity is risen to a place as glory as well.

No power seen or unseen could keep Jesus in the bounds of death. Not even the military might of Rome could stop the resurrection, nor the political scheming of the religious establishment, it could not, then nor now, keep Jesus in the grave.

Jesus though death and resurrection has gone and come again as no one else. The resurrection confirms the power of the cross, for without the resurrection the cross would have no meaning.

The resurrection confirms Jesus’ divine identity as the Son of God. Jesus is not the Son of God because he was resurrected, but rather he is resurrection because he is the Son of God.

Our Lord Jesus speaks to each and all; “I am the Resurrection”. Jesus told this to Martha the grieving sister of dead Lazarus to encourage her and all of us, that his power to intervene is always available even when all hope is dead, lost or gone, with Jesus it is never too late.

The “Resurrection” therefore is not just an event, but is who Jesus is.

Jesus would speak to all of now, that he is “the Resurrection” for us, that is Jesus can and will bring forth life from the dead, no matter how dead our hopes may be. Even if we pass from this Earthly life, we are assured that through Jesus our grave of death will be empty even as his is as we will share in the life eternal which awaits us.

Jesus gives us these words of comfort, each time we pounder the resurrection of our Lord, that we might take hope and comfort that in Jesus there is hope and life.

Let each and all consider this truth as we celebrate this Easter season. Jesus speaks to us all “I am the Resurrection”.

Benediction: May we each and all be ever mindful and encouraged that in our Lord Jesus our God has given us an eternal hope all through his Holy Son, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If Its Not About Jesus, Its Not About Anything!”  

Easter: "I Have Seen the Lord"

   "I Have Seen the Lord"  Jhn:20:18

The Resurrection of Jesus is the central event in all human history Without the Resurrection all that ever has or will be has no real meaning. All that went before or ever will follow only has merit or value due to the truth that Jesus Christ has come again from the grave. Without the Resurrection of Jesus all human existence is meaningless. 

The Apostle St. Paul address the futility of life without the fact of the Resurrection of Jesus, especially, to those who believe and call themselves Christians.

"and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” 1Cor: 15:14-17

 This tells us, that If Jesus have not indeed risen from the dead then all of life, all of human existence is meaningless. Having only death and extinction ultimately to look forward to both individually and as a race.

Wittiness of the Resurrection

Some might ask "how do we know that Jesus is Resurrected?" The answer is, there are witnesses of the truth of the Resurrected Jesus. The whole Gospel message is an eye witness account and testimony throughout history of those who have encountered Jesus outside of the tomb, that is, those who know that Jesus lives outside of the bounds of death, which means, Jesus was, by God the Father brought forth from the tomb to triumph over the last and greatest enemy of us all which is death.

…"As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.' "Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.'"Acts:13:34-35 

"Mary" 

These witnesses of the Resurrected Jesus throughout history are like Mary, who, while at the tomb of Jesus found that Jesus is no longer there. Mary  was perplexed and uncertain as to what has taken place, yet at that moment of grief she encounters the Resurrected Jesus, though not recognizing that it is Jesus himself.

"Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” . Jhn:11-15

There, outside of the tomb in which the lifeless body of Jesus had been laid , outside of the bounds of death Mary encounters the Resurrected Jesus. In her uncertainty even as she does not recognize Jesus, he whispers her name; and it is as if the veil was lifted from Mary's eyes and she sees the living Lord and Savior Jesus.

"Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).(16)

"I Have Seen the Lord"

Jesus then gives to Mary ,what is in truth the very truth and commission delivered to all Christians; to go and tell the others, in this case, Jesus' own disciples , that Jesus lives.

" Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her."(17-18)

Mary takes the truth that Jesus is Resurrected to the disciples. Mary knows the truth that Jesus lives and she tells them "I have seen the Lord". She shares the truth that Jesus is Resurrected, that Jesus has triumphed over death and grave. Mary has "Seen the Lord".

"They Saw the Lord"

 Even as the disciples are at first skeptical it is Jesus himself who dispels all doubt that he is Resurrected. Jesus appears to the disciples as they fearfully gather together behind locked doors. 

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." (19-20)

This is the heart of the Gospel message, to they, and to we, and all people; to hear that Jesus is Resurrected, that we "have seen the Lord".

They had seen Jesus outside the tomb and bounds of death, we know that Jesus lives. We have heard Jesus call our name's as we stood peering into the empty tomb. We know that he lives and it is our commission to tell any and all that we "have seen the Lord"

 Declared the Son of God

The power and work of the cross has been vindicated and validated by the Resurrection, for without the Resurrection of Jesus the cross is meaningless, Jesus would have been just another martyr who died for a cause.

The Resurrection confirms the truth that Jesus is the very Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, this truth was central to St. Paul’s message which he proclaimed, that through the death of the Son of God upon the cross sin has been dealt with and his Resurrection confirms the power of the cross.

  "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."Rm:1:1-4

 St. Paul 

How did St. Paul know that Jesus was Resurrected, he was not among the Disciples when Jesus came to them and showed they his hands and feet, telling them to be at peace?

St. Paul had his own encounter with Jesus, that is he "saw the Lord" on the road to Damascus, that is, St. Paul met Jesus outside of the bound of death.

"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,"Acts:9:1-5a

St. Paul, the great persecutor of the Christians who are witness of the truth that Jesus is Resurrected, now himself  had come to be a wittiness of the Resurrection himself and powerfully proclaims that he has "seen the Lord" to the ranker of the Jews whom he once held fellowship with.

"Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah."

"After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." (20-27)

Now , St. Paul shares with the word that he has "seen the Lord". This message of the Resurrected Jesus, this Gospel even brought St. Paul before the courts of the Empire.

Festus a Roman official who informed King Agrippa of the case against St. Paul , and the crux of the case; and St. Paul’s message which he attested to was the Gospel assertion that Jesus is alive that St. Paul had himself encounters the living Jesus.

"When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive" Acts:25:18-19

Many Witnesses

The eye witnesses of the Resurrected Jesus is not limited to just a few persons. St. Paul cited that many in the Apostolic Church could rightly claim to have seen the Resurrected Jesus.

St. Paul writing to the Church at Corinth Greece, and to Christians down through the ages of this truth that Jesus was seen by St. Peter, and the other Apostles and to five-hundred others and lastly by St. Paul himself.  

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." 1Cor:15:3-8

All these persons saw Jesus and knew that Jesus lives and many of them went to their deaths proclaiming this truth. If Jesus was not seen by them, why would they choose to suffer so great a price, if it was lie what would have been gained, for men do not die for a lie but for truth.

Christians Have Seen the Lord

Through the witness of the Scripture and the proclamation of the Gospel message we are like Mary who had arrived at the tomb early that Easter Sunday morning and have found it empty. Jesus is there, maybe unrecognized at first by us until he whispers our name, and then we too come to see that Jesus is outside the tomb, outside the bounds of death, we come to know that he is Resurrected. 

Filled with this truth we too become witnesses of the Resurrection, and like Mary we are commissioned go and tell others that we too have encountered Jesus outside of the tomb. We carry the Gospel of a living Jesus.

Easter is a yearly reminder that it is the commission of all Christians to go forth and tell the world, as did Mary and the Apostolic Church, that "I Have Seen the Lord" .

Benediction: May we each and all declare that we "have seen the Lord" today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee Michigan

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                       “If Its Not About Jesus, Its Not About Anything!”