In The Beginning - Chapter 21 (The New Beginning)

But that wasn't the end of Jesus story here on the earth.  It was only the beginning.

Early on a Sunday morning on the third day Jesus re-entered his physical body.  Having paid in full the penalty for all of the sins of everyone who would ever live.  Jesus rose triumphant sealing Satan's fate beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Jesus demonstrated his deity by raising his imperfect human body from the dead.  From inside the damp, dark tomb into which he had been placed, the glory of his countenance drove all darkness into hiding.

Moving through the stone walls of the tomb, Jesus emerged from the tomb and stood a ways off and watch the scene unfolding in front of Him.

Outside the tomb a company of angels had gathered, Satan's demons were nowhere to be found.

God the Father stepped down from his throne and appeared outside the tomb with His Son to watch the victory being discovered.  When He arrived at the scene the ground began to tremble.  Unlike a normal earthquake which would last only a few seconds, the quaking increased and did not abate.

Suddenly a bright light appeared in the sky and the centurions had to shield their faces from it.  As the light grew brighter it became clear that it was coming from an angel who was descending from the heavens.

The angel moved up to the stone and with a slight tap of his finger, the huge stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb rolled away.

The centurions were unable to control themselves and fainted, falling to the ground in a heap.

Not long after that, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Mother of James and Joses, Joanna, and Salome, wife of Zebedee and mother of James and John, left home to bring their spices and perfumes to anoint the body of Jesus.

Arriving at the tomb and were asking each other how they were going to get the stone rolled away from the tomb when they noticed it was already moved.

Mary Magdalene immediately turned and ran back to the house.

The other women entered the tomb and saw two angels in white robes that gleamed like lightening.  The angel on the right said “Do not be afraid.  I know that you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified  Why are you looking for the living among the dead?  He is not here, he is risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’  Come and look at the place where he lay.

“Go quickly and tell his disciples ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him.”

The women were scared and fled from the tomb, too afraid to talk to anyone.

As they were running down the road, Jesus met them and said “Greetings”.  They came to him clasped his feet and worshiped him.  Then Jesus told them “Do not be afraid.  Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

In the meantime, the guards went to the chief priests and reported what had happened.  They paid them to say that his disciples had come during the night and stolen him and promised to keep them out of trouble if the governor found out.

Also during that time, Mary Magdalene had arrived back at the house and told Peter and John that Jesus body had been stolen.  They ran to the tomb to see for themselves.  John arrived first, but did not enter the tomb.  Peter arrived later and went in to see the linen strips laying there and the burial cloth folded up and laying separately.  John then entered the tomb and saw it and believed Jesus had been raised from the dead.

In the meantime, the other women had arrived back at the house and told the other disciples what they had seen, but they didn’t believe them.

Mary Magdalene had followed Peter and John and was waiting outside the tomb.  Peter and John returned to the house, but Mary stayed behind and wept.  She walked into the tomb and saw two angels, one at the head and one at the foot.  They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She then turned away and saw Jesus standing there, but didn’t recognize him.  She thought he was the gardener.

“Woman, why are you crying?  Who is it you are looking for?” He said.

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” She replied.

Then Jesus said to her, “Mary.”  And she recognized him and cried out “Teacher!”

“Don’t get too attached to me,” He said, “I have not yet returned to my father.”  Go and tell my brothers ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Then she returned to the house and told the disciples what she had seen.

Later that day, two of disciples (but not of the Eleven) were walking along the road to Emmaus.  Emmaus was a town about7 miles or so west of Jerusalem.  They were talking about everything that had happened that day when Jesus appeared, came up an began walking with them.

They did not recognize him and he asked them what they were discussing.  They told him, incredulous that he didn’t know what had happened that day.  Jesus then started with Genesis and went through all of the scriptures telling them everything that was said in the scriptures about him.

When they approached Emmaus, they asked him to come and eat with them, so he did.  As he took the bread, prayed over it, and then broke it and gave it to them their eyes were opened and they recognized him.  He immediately disappeared.

They immediately got up and returned to Jerusalem, found the Eleven, and told them everything that had happened to them.

They had found the disciples in a house with all of the doors locked for fear of the Jews.  While they were still talking about these things, Jesus appeared to them and said “Peace be with you!”

The disciples were afraid, thinking that they had seen a ghost.  He showed them his hands, his feet, and his side and his disciples were overjoyed, but they were still in a state of shock and couldn’t believe it so he asked them “Do you have anything here to eat?”  They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he ate it.  Ghosts can’t eat solid food, so his disciples believed.

He told them “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

They asked him “Is it time to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He had told them that this generation would not pass away before the Son of Man came in all his glory.

“It is not for you to know times or dates that the father has set, but when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He replied. 

                                                                                          

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.

He said “As the father sent me, I am sending you.  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany and lifted up his hands and blessed them and while he was blessing them he left them and ascended up to heaven.  While they were intently looking up into the sky, suddenly two men dressed in white appeared beside them.

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who as been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

50 days later, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on them in power and the age of the church had begun.  It was the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end.