Tuesday, April 4: Luke 24- God keeps his promise.

Jesus not only predicted His death; astonishingly He predicted His resurrection and the two events are intrinsically linked. If there was no resurrection then His death would have been in vain. He would have become just another big mouth who was silenced by death.

When the women came to the tomb, they met two men who told them, He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’ ” (6-7).

At this they remembered what Jesus had taught them. On two separate occasions Luke 9:22-27 and 18:31-33 Jesus told His people that He would rise again. His resurrection is His vindication. It is the truth indicator of what He taught. If this is real than all He taught is real. If this is not real then could anything He taught be trusted?

And His resurrection prediction was not a secret only His disciples knew. Matthew records that the Jewish leaders all knew what Jesus was teaching about His rising from the dead. The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard (Matthew 27:62-66).

With His death and resurrection, God has bridged the gap between human sin and invited people to believe in Jesus.

Do you believe?

I do and this chapter brings life into my heart, mind and soul.

Oh, Lord Jesus, I praise and thank You. You walked that lonely road to Calvary and the grave to prove the point that You are Messiah, God’s redeeming Son. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You.

In Your name I pray. Halleluiah. Amen.