One day a religious Jewish student asked me why we Christians are so convinced that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. He told me that he still thinks that his most devout grandfather, the holiest man he knows, can be a candidate for Messiah.
I challenged him, "Why do you not find out and be sure?" "Can I", he asked, "and if so, how?" I encouraged him to go back to his scriptures. What are the prophecies related to the Messiah? What does (Micah 5:2) say? He knew the verse by heart and all the other verses I mentioned. About (Isaiah 53) he said, "I know that passage but I never saw it in relation to the Messiah, and for sure not to Jesus."
What a privilege it is for us to know all the fulfilments of these prophecies. I lived and worked for several years at "The Garden Tomb" in Jerusalem, a possible place of Jesus' death and resurrection. One Easter morning I had to get up at 3:30 AM, and I remember thinking, "I am out before the first Muslim call to prayer." It was still dark as I went down to the tomb. I had some time to reflect on what had happened early that first Easter morning. I had never felt the presence of Jesus more real. Two thousand years had passed and yet he was no less alive now than at that very first moment. "No, even more alive," I thought when the thousands of visitors streamed in that day. He is alive in more people today than ever before in history! We all acclaimed, "Jesus is risen, Hallelujah!"
Our faith will be in vain if we cannot believe in the resurrection. If we doubt it, we will soon be struggling with other aspects of Jesus' life and ministry.
We too have to go over God's word day by day and find out for ourselves. Jesus was accused, but no one could bring in any real accusation. He was crucified, he died and was buried, and HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD! He lives at the right hand of the Father in heaven and he lives in us here on earth.
May the living, risen Lord be seen by those we meet today.
- 19 APRIL -