JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons

Matthew 28:5-7, Isaiah 52, John 3:17, 1Corithians 13, Luke 29:39-43, John 19:26/27, Matthew 27:45/46, Romans 3:25, John 19:28/29, Psalm 50, John 7, Luke 23:47, Genesis 3:15, Luke 23:45, John 15:11, John 10:14-18; The Crucifixion

Matthew 28:5-7

"But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
NKJV

The Bible mentions several people involved in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is something that you rarely, if ever, find in fairy tales and folklore. You find Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimethea, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and five hundred other witnesses. Either this was the most cleverly concocted hoax ever perpetuated on the world even fooling Roman politicians and Jewish spiritual leaders, or it really was the most pivotal event in human history.

Life Lesson: The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are historically recorded events that would stand up in a court of law.

The intriguing thing to note is that how you look at this tells how you look at heaven, hell, life, death, faith, love and forgiveness. There were five hundred witnesses and some of them were famous. There was overwhelming and undeniable proof!

Millions of lives today have changed because of this, including mine. The calendar itself forever changed with the birth and death of Jesus (BC and AD). The church would forever after worship on Sunday. Are you still waiting for more information? Friend, you have enough information to make an educated decision but it still requires a step of faith. Take the chance. I did. My life was forever changed for the better. Today can be the start of a brand new life for you. Ask God to forgive you right now and He will.

Life Lesson: Jesus claimed the power to heal illness. He did it. He also claimed He had the power to forgive sins. He did it.

Dear Jesus:
Thank You for dying for me so that I could be forgiven. Thank You for being resurrected, and that I could have a new life. I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins. Lord, I have done wrong things, and I am sorry. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please give me the power to live for You, all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Congratulations, you just made the best decision you will ever make or recommitted yourself to the greatest cause...the cause of Christ.

Please forward this to anyone if you are unsure of their faith in Jesus.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee My comments: Today is Good Friday which means it is the day honoring the day Christ went to the Cross for you and for me and for the whole world past present and future mankind. How amazing is that? God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Triune Holy Trinity, from the beginning of time knew we would need redemption. Christ knew He would be the only propitiation for our sins that God the Father would accept as the ultimate complete sacrifice of blood for our sin. Look closely in the Old Testament and you will see many places showing how God prepared His people for this to happen. Isaiah 52 shows how it was prophesied Jesus would be marred in his appearance (this points to all the floggings and beatings He suffered for us before the Crucifixion). That is just one place yet all through the Bible you will find references to His suffering for us. When Christ was on earth He prepared His followers for what would happen yet they did not understand. When He was on the Cross He forgave all of us. Here are some verses you might like to read to see how much He loved you and His forgiveness. He laid down His life for you so you may have life everlasting and have it abundantly. John 3:17 He came to save 1Corinthians 13 His love forgave all things Luke 23:39-43 Shows when a sinner turns to Him in humility and repentance He forgives and the person then can be with Jesus to live forever. John 19:26/27 In all His pain He did not go within Himself, He looked outside and still sought to help others. He gave His Mother to one in the Church to care for her. It also, shows us how important Church family is. Matthew 27:45/46 Here we see the ultimate sacrifice... To be separated from the Father, even for the short time, was excruciating yet necessary if He was to take on our fullness of sin. God could not look upon sin and Christ became sin for us so the Father could not be there at that time for the fullness and completion to be. Romans 3:25 God put Christ forward for a propitiation for our sins. Christ did not deserve it yet He was willing to endure it for our sin for us. John 19:28/29 Jesus knows it is the end and finished yet He thirsts. Maybe He needed to have something to be able to speak. Yet it could be a paradox. When we look at the story of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan lady we see Him offering her water that will quench her thirst forever. He could have made water for himself after all He made wine for the wedding and fed the 4 and 5 thousands with limited bread and fish so He certainly could have given Himself water to drink (Psalm 50), and He is the living water (John 7), and after this He said, "It is finished" (Luke 23:46 "Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit."). He paid the full price for our sin and died and fulfilled the message given in the garden in Genesis 3:15, the seed of the women would crush (some say bruise) the head of the serpent. By the Crucifixion death no longer held power over those who would be "born again" and follow Jesus. This is how He crushed the head of the serpent. Luke 23:45, The Temple curtain (it was too well made and thick to be torn by man) was torn in two which showed the sacrifice was not needed of animals anymore. He was the last and the complete Sacrifice and the only one the Father would accept as a complete propitiation for our sins. The Trinity is the absolute perfect relationship that we can have to fit into totally relationship with God. By accepting salvation through the sacrifice and Gospel of Jesus Christ we enter into the relationship. God is love and invites us into this relationship. That is why Jesus died so we could be part of this relationship. His crucifixion shows His complete love for us and how He wants a relationship with us so He removed our sins. His death: Father into Your hands I commend My Spirit shows us by example how we are to be. He says follow Me. John 15:11 shows the greater love is laying down ones life for friends. Jesus our friend laid down His life for us and we live our lives for Him and lay it all down for others. John 10 shows ... The good Shepard lays down his life for his sheep. He did for us and we do for others who may be looking at us to find Jesus in us and then they follow Him (John 10:14-18 "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep....For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord...") Just a final thought: In our need we find our need of him and thereby grows our trust in Him. Abba Father, may we continually follow Jesus and live our lives for You, doing Your will and bringing You all the glory and honor and praise. We praise You Father for the sacrifice of Your Son and we thank You for His sacrifice for our sakes so we may be cleansed from all sin and be made pure through the blood of the lamb Jesus Christ. Fill us with You Holy Spirit and show us how to live as Christ did. In Jesus we pray, Amen