We live because Jesus Christ rose!
Today, Resurrection Sunday, marks a significant turning point in the lives of Christians and the rest of the world in that on this day, Jesus Christ of Nazareth redeemed mankind by volunteering to have the Romans crucified Him in order to set us free from the claws of Satan. Here, we bring readers part of the story of His Resurrection plus a 2017 pictorial from a gluing eleven-day tour of Israel, covering some sacred sites where Christ walked, including the Sea of Galilee, Jordan Baptism, Capernaum, Gethsemane, Dead Sea, Mount of Beatitudes and Caesarea Philippi.
All photographs by Bro. Daniel Segura; Banner painting by Bro. Leslie Lumeh/First Baptist Church-Liberia.
By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher
Resurrection Sunday: On this day, many years ago our Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rose from the dead just as He had foretold with backing of Biblical scriptures during His earthly journey and Ministry.
The rising of our Messiah, Jesus Christ which alarmed all that heard the Good News eventually signaled the greatest and all-time defeat of the kingdom of darkness and at the same time redeemed all of mankind from what seemed an everlasting captivity and immense sufferings.
The Resurrection story of Christ Jesus, as chronicled by four of the Gospels (Matthew, Luke, Mark and John), is indeed a true story that hadn’t only fascinated Christians alone the world over, but also adherents of other World Religions to whom He had revealed Himself overtime.
But just like the Scribes and Pharisees who refused to believe news of Jesus’ Resurrection on the Third Day, Christ’s own disciples initially refused to believe that our LORD HAD RISEN after a group of women including Mary Magdalene visited Jesus’ Tomb and saw it empty.
Global Ekklesia presents verbatim, a portion of the account of one of four Gospel writers as to what happened that morning where Christ had been buried-a heavy stone rolled up against His Tomb and soldiers put on guard to keep a vigil-so that the Pharisees made sure “Jesus remained buried” as Pastor Joe Fornara of SLC put it Sunday.
Mark 16:1-8; 12 &13 (NSFL)
He Is Risen: “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away-for it was very large
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
7 “But go, tell His disciples-and Peter-that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.”
As the story goes, Jesus Christ, thereafter, would appear to Mary Magdalene, (“out of whom He has cast seven demons”) and when she told Jesus’ Disciples of her incredible encounter with the LORD, “they did not believe.”
Yet, Christ would appear “in another form to two of them [disciples] as they walked and went into the country.” And when they again, “went and told it to the rest, they did not believe them either” Mark 16:12-13.
Finally, the Messiah Christ Jesus would have to appear to all eleven remaining disciples who sat at a table; rebuke them for “their unbelief and hardness of heart” before they could believe that Jesus has risen from the dead!
MAY CHRIST FORGIVE US OF OUR UNBELIEF!