Scripture for Today, Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018

The people cast their garments on the donkey and Jesus sat upon him. Many people spread their garments in the path: others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed the way. They that went before, and they that followed, cried:

"Hosanna; Blessed [is] He that comes in the name of the Lord:
Blessed [be] the kingdom of our father David, that comes
in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest!"

Jesus entered Jerusalem, and the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve [apostles].
Mark 11:7-11

The Savior, Jesus Christ’s Resurrection From Death [aka Easter]

3-25-18, * -- Today is the anniversary of the Lord Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem where a week later He would be crucified. But the good news is He arose from death. The significance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is breathtaking. The witness of the apostles and believers is that - without the resurrection -  there could be no Christianity. The crucifixion and shed blood of Jesus Christ would be useless without His resurrection. It was His resurrection that explained His death as a sacrifice for sins for all who would repent and trust Him as their Savior. It was the resurrection which vindicated His teaching: He was no liar.

It is the resurrection that gives us hope of a new, eternal life: as Christ arose, so will we. It is the one fact that the apostles and early church constantly held forth as the proof of their message. It is the oldest traceable doctrine of the early Christian liturgy. Even notable anti-Christian scholars admit that the early church held the resurrection as fact, however much those same scholars hope to show that the church was mistaken or it was a hoax as they stole His body away. However, historical records report that Christ was buried, His tomb was sealed [Matthew 27:65-66] and soldiers posted around it. About dawn of the first day of the new week an earthquake shook the tomb. The guards fell senseless [Matthew 28:4]. An angel rolled back the stone.

Women, on their way to the tomb to anoint His body, wondered how they would roll away the stone. Imagine their surprise when they found it rolled back and His body gone! They supposed it had been removed and laid elsewhere. Weeping, one of them asked a gardener if he knew where the body had been taken; she then recognized the "gardener" as Jesus Himself! [John 20:1-16]

The women rushed back to tell the disciples. Peter and John raced to the tomb. All was as the women had said. An angel assured the men Christ had risen. All arguments against Jesus’ resurrection must take into account the eyewitness testimonies. Jesus appeared several times to His disciples, ate food [Luke 24:41-43] with them [passed through walls (John 20:19 )] and to His brother James [1 Cor 15:7]. The Bible lists a number of appearances, including one to over 500 people at once. Paul said, "And then He appeared to me as if to one born late." [1 Corinthians 15:6-8]

The church of Christ was born and its witness changed lives around the world. And the fact that all but the Apostle John died excruciating martyrs deaths because they refused to deny the Messiah’s life, death and resurrection.

The church has long insisted that the Christian life would be impossible without the resurrection, for through it Christ removed the sting of death from all those who believe in Him.

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1 Corinthians 15:1-7
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* Excerpted and adapted full original message here