Luke 24:9-34 KJV
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

Was the body stolen? The answer is simply no, but we will be going over why some thought this tomorrow. Up from the grave Christ arose, but there much to go over that was not mentioned in yesterdays lesson. In fact part of the week could deal with what actually happened after the resurrection. Most of this would be covered in a Sunday School or worship service. Often pastor sometimes knowing a head of time what at least in the adult Sunday School book and using another passage reading if lead to for the Sunday Sermon both Sunday morning and Sunday night. One thing for certain as long as the church is a group that believes in the resurrection of Jesus you should have no problem with hearing more about the resurrection. It important because our faith is based on this resurrection almost as much as the cross itself, for it is equally important. However without a cross you can not have a resurrection. What has always been interesting to me is the disciples sitting in the upper room or group together when the ladies come to tell them Christ is risen. Yet the sorrow felt the grief indeed known to the disciples was very real. When the disciples are told he is alive, instead of learning more they go running off as fast as they can to the empty tomb. Had they expected to see Christ body unclear, but what they do see is a fold napkin and sheet beside the grave but not together(John account, continual scripture study below). We do not know who folded the sheet and napkin, but we know that there was no body there. Did Christ arise to make his bed, tidy the room, or did one the angels do it or one of the woman? Maybe a disciple without thinking upon entering. Yet the grave scene when Peter(Cephas) arrived is very neat and orderly.

Something else to note is the disciples return home, none seeing angel besides the woman, until Peter goes to Emmaus with another disciple. Along the journey they began to talk among themselves about the events and a stranger joined them. The stranger began to tell them about the rising of Jesus, telling them about the scriptures surrounding the resurrection and when enter into Emmaus they sat in a little dinner/inn and encourage the man to join them. When the man sat down he began to break bread, and then he disappeared. That when Peter and other disciple realized who he was. Wonder why their hearts had burned when talking with him, but upon realization he was Jesus he departed from them.

It did not take disciple long to return to Jerusalem and going up into the upper room and telling the disciples of the visitation Peter and the other disciple had. The word from the women were they told the disciples to go to Galilee, but no one was moving in that direction after the death of Jesus. In fact they seem to linger even with evidence mounting that Jesus was risen from the grave and no longer dead but alive. Wednesday and Thursday we will look at John account. Why did they tarry, why did they not run to Galilee.

The idea of Christ being risen though Lazarus had risen after 4 days and Jesus only 3 days seem near impossible. Mourning does a lot to a person. In fact it can disrupt a person life if the grief is very deep. In fact it can cause a great shock to arise. Yet even so people get up and go about their daily living, sometimes not much else. Those that deal with grief without mourning goes with saying, they loose a part of themselves and the person they lost. Part of mourning is healing. Yet healing came or should of come the moment they heard Jesus not dead but that he is alive. Yet the shock may of been greater then first thought. Jesus paid the price of a criminal and yet he was no criminal. Only by legal law was he branded a king, only by the Jews was he consider a potential terrorist to the temple, not understanding Jesus would rise again. Were the disciples unwilling to follow Jesus after his resurrection or the unbelief still to great. Was the cross so real, and the suffering that it was a price dear to pay.

We read the story and we either receive it or don't has truth. Yet with life experiences do we decide that these things are true? Do we know for a fact if we been their we would of received the news with gladness, or doubt? Faith has a way of moving people unto belief even today. If you desire faith God not going to leave you faithless, or without hope. Your search will end with the cross and begin with the resurrection. With Christ death our sins are buried and with his resurrection we have a new life with Jesus for all that believe. It is that simple, but faith often has curve balls that have to be dealt with, even sometimes with technical mind of could this happen, did it happen, will occur again and so forth. It is okay. Better to be use reason to know the truth then to always go on blind faith with evidence whether something really happened. Blind faith nothing wrong with it, but it can sometimes be proven wrong. It is saying Lord make me aware of trickery and deceit and let me know your reality and the things that are real. Help me Lord to know the difference.

Example would be crime scene spoken before the event, or after the event that would be questionable. The cross questionable no, but the resurrection is questionable, until you know others rose again in scripture. When I think of Christ returning as he left, I wondering how many people will receive it when it happens, and not just accept on blind faith that it will. Is it a heart belief or information stored for future reference if needed. Faith is more then information store it becomes a fact, receive and stored for the retelling of it. God going to take your faith where it is and help you believe the whole story of faith. Something must be taken on blind faith, but other things are shown through the work God does in your life time to help your unbelief. Only evidence of testimony causes us blind faith, meaning without the evidence we must believe because of witness of the cross and resurrection. Yet once done, God is able to give you the evidence you need to continue in faith and built you up in your daily life. It not always a one time event, but often a life time of walking by faith. Hardest decision one makes is receiving Christ without the tangible, but not the reality of who he is. His love wants to over flow in our hearts and mind. Will you give Jesus a chance today to show you his reality that he lives and died for our sins? Receive the eye witness accounts as truth. Take it on faith, that he able to do the impossible and take away our sins, and create us into new creation, a person of faith with a purpose in life.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being the one to spur on faith, to hold our faith, to make it our reality, our hope and our salvation. Help those with unbelief to be moved by the story of the cross to belief and the receive the resurrection as truth. In Jesus name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: John 20:2-10 KJV
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.