The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then 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.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (v. 5-10)
Here we have THE account of the resurrected Christ. It's the original story- the true story. It is the main story of the Bible-the Good News that is the grand story of all creation.
But Satan, the father of lies, does what he does best. The Devil takes the truth, twists it just enough that it becomes a (believable) lie.
While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (v. 11-15)
From Genesis with Adam and Eve through Revelation and prophecy about the end times, we see this scenario playing out the same way. Satan takes God's Word, the Truth, and slyly manipulates it to accomplish his purposes, which are to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)
This Easter God desires to take what may seem dead and lifeless and He wants to breathe life into your situation. He wants to move and bring joy and hope to your circumstances.
You want to know the biggest thing that can keep you from experiencing from experiencing life this Easter? Believing the lies of Satan. If you let him twist the Truth on you, you'll miss out. He'll use the temptations of power, pride, and money to fool you. He'll tap into your fears and cause you to lose faith.
But I challenge you...grab hold of the Truth and don't let Satan have an inch! Don't be afraid, but take joy and have hope! Trust in the One who defeated death and the grave!
Celebrating Easter Together,
Justin
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