Resurrection - What is most important

The happenings and stories on that Sunday morning were difficult to grasp. The Gospels uses words such as afraid, alarmed, trembling, bewildered, not believed, wondering, fright, did not understand. Not exactly the descriptions we normally associate with the empty tomb on the first Easter morning.

But then Jesus appeared. His followers saw Him in the flesh standing before them. Believed, overjoyed, amazement, filled with joy, worshipped.

Jesus was once again with them. No matter what happened after those moments, His followers would never be the same.

It is important that Jesus died for us and was buried. It is important that He rose from the tomb on the third day. And it is important that He appeared again.

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

For us, we do not see Him in the flesh but we see Him through their words, and through our faith in what Jesus has done and that He is with us still in our hearts.

He is “Immanuel,” “God with us.” 

And Jesus has risen, appeared, and is with us until the end of the age.