Matthew 28:1-8 – 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 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. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 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.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 – Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.
In 1844 Karl Marx famously described religion as “the opiate of the people.” To him all religion was created by man to use as a crutch to escape the hard times of life and give them hope for a good future time, of which there was none. Mr. Marx died in 1883 at the age of sixty-five. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery, London, United Kingdom and his remains were there until he rotted away. He was never seen alive again.
Siddhartha Gautama lived sometime circa the sixth to fourth century B.C. He became known as Buddha, meaning “enlightened one.” He lived for eighty years. He was a truth seeker and a philosopher. For a time in his life he live as an ascetic. He almost starved himself to death. After a young girl offered him a bowl of rice he gave up his life as an ascetic and followed a new life called the Middle Way that he said was a life of balance instead of one characterized by extremism. He was cremated in Kushinagar, India. He was never seen alive again.
Stephen Hawking was born in January 1942 and died in March 2018. He was a highly educated man who was known as a theoretical physicist and cosmologist. He was highly regarded in these fields. Spanish newspaper El Mundo quoted him as saying “Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation. What I meant by ‘we would know the mind of God’ is, we would know everything that God would know, if there were a God, which there isn’t. I’m an atheist.” He famously propounded his atheist ideas and from his own statements it seems obvious that to him Christianity was an odious fake. Please watch the following link as He mocks people who are “religious” by saying that they should be “ridiculed with contempt.” Ravi Zaharias, noted Christian apologist, gives a humorous but potent response in challenging the supposed bravery of Mr. Hawking’s contempt of religion and public proclamations of atheism. https://youtu.be/SPlqjziNFdA Mr. Hawking died at the age of seventy-six. He was cremated and his ashes interred at Westminster Abbey, England and his remains are there until they rot away. He has not been seen alive again.
Jesus was born between 6 and 4 B.C. and He was crucified in 30 A.D. Before being born on earth He was God in Heaven beside the Father (John 1:1-2, 10:30). His stated purpose in life was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). It is written that He also came to heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). He performed numerous miracles, healings and kind acts that were too much to even be written and recorded (John 21:25). His main purpose was to be what never was before Him and what is that no other is, a way for mankind to find his way back to God (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5). To pay the price for the sins of all mankind, Jesus allowed Himself to die by crucifixion at the age of thirty-three. He was placed in a burial tomb, but rose, alive again, three days later (Per Jewish custom of counting days) (Luke 24:1-8, 1 Corinthians 15:4). There was well over five hundred eye-witnesses that Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Luke 24:13-15). There are recently many reports of Him appearing to many Arabs and calling them to faith in Him. He remains eternally alive and is now where He was before taking on the form of man, He is at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20-21, Colossians 3:1). He remains eternally alive (Revelation 1:18). Throughout history all His critics died and they all remain dead, until He calls them forward to be judged by Him. All who died with atheist beliefs, or in any belief for eternal life other than Jesus, died and remain dead. Only living atheists still have the opportunity to repent and believe. Pray for them. As for Jesus He is alive and He will bring us home to Heaven to live eternally with God the Father, Himself and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus live and his past critics and blasphemers, well, they remain dead.
Praise God! Let us encourage ourselves and others in the fact that Jesus lives and the reward for our faithfulness in Him will never be lost. Praise God! Thank you Jesus!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.