END TO BEGINNING

By Rick Mathes

Mark 14:72 And immediately a cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

Satan and his demons were “toking and coking” outside the sealed tomb; celebrating the death of God’s only Son. Lucifer was right! He was equal to God and the kingdom in heaven as well as on earth was his alone. The Body of Jesus was cold and lifeless: there was no doubt about Him being dead. The corpse was laid in the tomb and the life of the Messiah had come to an end. The burial was provided by those who loved Him and witnessed by His worst enemies.

The massive stone was rolled across the doorway into the sepulcher and an official governmental seal was placed on it under penalty of death if anyone would tamper with it. The guards, priests, and government officials were dead set on ending the rumors that Jesus would rise from the dead and return to His disciples to bring revolution and emancipation to the Jews that were under the servitude of their Roman captors. To all involved, this was the end of this Jesus phenomenon. Their hopes were dashed.

The hinge of faith in Jesus as Christ is the undeniable empty tomb. What happened is the question that divides those who do and do not believe Jesus is Lord.

The initial evidence was the grave clothes neatly folded and left behind. It was as though He rose up and through burial clothes leaving them perfectly folded in tact as though the body just disappeared.

The seal was broken and the stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out but to let us in. The curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom as a powerful sign that the King had returned.

This new beginning terrified the soldiers and emboldened the Apostles and disciples. The world hasn’t been the same since except the church has weakened and the state has strengthened. This will only be for a season because the end is becoming the beginning because of our risen Lord.