April 4th 2021
This is a Good Friday, Because On Sunday We Will Again Say, “He Has Risen!”
1 Corinthians 15: 3b-4 (NIV)
Paul believed and wrote that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures!”
Keeping the Easter message simple and to the point is expressed by Paul and is being used today for the selected verses to this commentary. Today is called Good Friday, because it is the day in history when Jesus Christ died for your (our) sins. Nothing else can ever be done to allow you (us) to be awarded heaven when you (we) die and leave this cursed world. When Adam sinned by breaking the only rule God gave him and Eve in the Garden of Eden, his sin brought suffering and death into the then perfect world, where there was no suffering or death.
To correct this first sin God decided to allow sinful mankind to be awarded a place in heaven through a gift of grace, which had to be earned by Jesus Christ coming into this world and becoming the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind. Jesus had to suffer and die as a member of mankind living in this cursed world to allow God the Father to extend His grace and award heaven to anyone who would come to believe this account of Jesus’ life and death in this cursed world. So, as Paul wrote for us, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures!” When this plan was completed perfectly, it allowed God to forgive the sins of anyone who came to believe this, and then, they would repent of their sin and work on become more Christ-like every day after accepting the perfect sacrifice Jesus made for therm.
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:1-6).
Please believe there is only one God, and thus, He offers only one plan for sinful mankind to gain a place in heaven when you (they) die in this mortal cursed world. Members of mankind have organized other worldly religions in this cursed world, and they claim your soul can be saved by following their professed rules while living in this cursed world. Think seriously about a sinful member of mankind coming up with a set of rules for you to follow, and then, God MUST honor the obedience of sinful mankind who follows the man-made rules. Think about it, this does not make any sense. There is only one Way for a sinful member of mankind to go to heaven, and that is ONLY if you (they) come to believe that Jesus Christ MUST be your (their) Lord and Savior.
Jesus told us, His disciples, that He is the only Way for mankind to gain heaven when we die, while He still walked on this cursed world. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6).
Did you believe that message from Jesus? Did you get the whole message? The way I read it, when a believer dies Jesus will come and escort you to where He is! You do not have to know where Jesus is and somehow find Him! He will come and take you to the place He has prepared for you in the Paradise of God. Remember what Jesus told the thief who was being crucified whit Him. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don’t you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23;39-43).
Note what Jesus said to this man who professed to believe that Jesus is who He said He is. Jesus told him he would be immediately joining Jesus in paradise. This man certainly did not know the way to heaven, but he just discovered the way, by becoming a believer of Jesus Christ. This man overcame the world by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.
Think about Jesus Christ this man lived on Earth only 33 years, He never traveled more than a few miles from His home, He never wrote a book, He never raised an army, He never ruled over so much as a village let alone a kingdom, He never married or had children, He never enrolled for any formal education, and finally He was executed as a criminal.
Yet, He has indeed been remembered through all generations following His all-too-short career 2,000 years ago—and remembered with love and deep reverence and gratitude by millions of people in all nations ever since. Furthermore, though He never wrote a book, others have written innumerable books about Him, while a psalmist assured us that His words would also be preserved “from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:7).
He has risen! After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 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 worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (Matthew 28 1-10). This is not the end; it is the NEW beginning!
Have you accepted the greatest gift of all?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 Corinthians 15: 3b-4 (NIV)
Paul believed and wrote that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures!”
Keeping the Easter message simple and to the point is expressed by Paul and is being used today for the selected verses to this commentary. Today is called Good Friday, because it is the day in history when Jesus Christ died for your (our) sins. Nothing else can ever be done to allow you (us) to be awarded heaven when you (we) die and leave this cursed world. When Adam sinned by breaking the only rule God gave him and Eve in the Garden of Eden, his sin brought suffering and death into the then perfect world, where there was no suffering or death.
To correct this first sin God decided to allow sinful mankind to be awarded a place in heaven through a gift of grace, which had to be earned by Jesus Christ coming into this world and becoming the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind. Jesus had to suffer and die as a member of mankind living in this cursed world to allow God the Father to extend His grace and award heaven to anyone who would come to believe this account of Jesus’ life and death in this cursed world. So, as Paul wrote for us, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures!” When this plan was completed perfectly, it allowed God to forgive the sins of anyone who came to believe this, and then, they would repent of their sin and work on become more Christ-like every day after accepting the perfect sacrifice Jesus made for therm.
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:1-6).
Please believe there is only one God, and thus, He offers only one plan for sinful mankind to gain a place in heaven when you (they) die in this mortal cursed world. Members of mankind have organized other worldly religions in this cursed world, and they claim your soul can be saved by following their professed rules while living in this cursed world. Think seriously about a sinful member of mankind coming up with a set of rules for you to follow, and then, God MUST honor the obedience of sinful mankind who follows the man-made rules. Think about it, this does not make any sense. There is only one Way for a sinful member of mankind to go to heaven, and that is ONLY if you (they) come to believe that Jesus Christ MUST be your (their) Lord and Savior.
Jesus told us, His disciples, that He is the only Way for mankind to gain heaven when we die, while He still walked on this cursed world. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6).
Did you believe that message from Jesus? Did you get the whole message? The way I read it, when a believer dies Jesus will come and escort you to where He is! You do not have to know where Jesus is and somehow find Him! He will come and take you to the place He has prepared for you in the Paradise of God. Remember what Jesus told the thief who was being crucified whit Him. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don’t you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23;39-43).
Note what Jesus said to this man who professed to believe that Jesus is who He said He is. Jesus told him he would be immediately joining Jesus in paradise. This man certainly did not know the way to heaven, but he just discovered the way, by becoming a believer of Jesus Christ. This man overcame the world by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.
Think about Jesus Christ this man lived on Earth only 33 years, He never traveled more than a few miles from His home, He never wrote a book, He never raised an army, He never ruled over so much as a village let alone a kingdom, He never married or had children, He never enrolled for any formal education, and finally He was executed as a criminal.
Yet, He has indeed been remembered through all generations following His all-too-short career 2,000 years ago—and remembered with love and deep reverence and gratitude by millions of people in all nations ever since. Furthermore, though He never wrote a book, others have written innumerable books about Him, while a psalmist assured us that His words would also be preserved “from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:7).
He has risen! After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 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 worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (Matthew 28 1-10). This is not the end; it is the NEW beginning!
Have you accepted the greatest gift of all?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak