It Happened Just as He Said.

Mark 16:6-7 (New International Version)

 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Former White House counsel Charles Colson, convicted for his involvement in the Watergate scandal as an assistant to President Nixon, is often asked about the resurrection and if it could be a hoax with a cover-up to make it look like Christ rose from the dead. He answers: "The Watergate cover-up reveals the true nature of humanity. Even political zealots at the pinnacle of power will, in the crunch, save their own necks, even at the expense of the ones they profess to serve so loyally. But the apostles could not deny Jesus, because they had seen him face to face, and they knew he had risen from the dead. No, you can take it from an expert in cover-ups-I've lived through Watergate-that nothing less than a resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying whispers that Jesus is alive and is Lord. Two thousand years later, nothing less than the power of the risen Christ could inspire Christians around the world to remain faithful-despite prison, torture, and death. Jesus is Lord: That's the thrilling message of Easter. It's a historic fact, one convincingly established by the evidence-and one you can bet your life upon."

Christ's resurrection is a historical fact. It happened on the first day of the week following Passover in the city of Jerusalem. Our faith is grounded in history, not a philosophy. Today in prayer, thank Christ that He not only predicted His resurrection, but also fulfilled it so we may have hope in Him.

Dear Lord we thank You for the fact of Easter and what it means to each of us. We pray that we will have the chance to share the great message today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.