Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Take some time to ponder this Daily Dose as you move through this Easter week. Let it be a reminder of God's love for you, in Christ, that you can celebrate each day. But wait! There's more.... And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus... and when he learned from the centurion that He was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen shroud and laid Him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mark 15:42-46 ESV A little over a year ago, I had the incredible opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was truly a life-changing experience! Walking the places where Jesus Himself walked - the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, the Temple Mount - brought the words of Scripture to life! While many of the historical sites in the Holy Land have been verified through archeological digs and supporting ancient texts, that is not the case when it comes to identifying the exact locations of several of the significant locations relating to the death of Jesus. In fact, in these areas surrounding Jerusalem, we often heard the phrase, "We believe this may be the place where Jesus .....". On our last day in the city, we stopped near the gardens of Herod's palace. Our guide and teacher explained that while this was not Jesus' tomb - He certainly would not have been laid anywhere near the palace of Herod - it was an excellent example of a 'rolling stone' tomb. Seeing this tomb brought an entirely new understanding to the concern of the women on that first Easter morning!
And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll the stone away for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back - it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you." Mark 16: 3-7 ESV
"I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives. He lives, He lives who once was dead. He lives my ever-living head." Amen! Alleluia!
-Lynne Rose, School Ministries Early Childhood Consultant