When Mary went to finish the preparations of Jesus' body, after the end of the Sabbath, she found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. He had risen. But what happened between his death on Friday and his resurrection Sunday morning? Many writings speculate on this, roughly, thirty-six hour period. Most traditions agree that he descended into Hell, or Sheol (the place of the dead) much like the Greek Hades. There, he broke down the gates, took the Keys of Death and Hades, and liberated the Old Testament Saints, who had awaited his coming in the nether Paradise.
We can not be sure what happened during that dark time when our Lord lay in the grave. The important thing is that the grave could not hold him. Despite speculation and revision of the scriptures by so-called Biblical Scholars, Jesus appeared many times over a fourty day period. He appeared in the flesh, both eating and drinking with the Apostles. He was touched, heard, and seen by many witnesses. His 'presence' was not simply 'felt' or his 'spirit' merely 'seen'. He was there, alive and real. When he left he was seen ascending into the clouds, ALIVE.
Jesus rose from the dead literally, still exibiting the wounds of his crucifixion. The fact that Jesus of Nazareth lived in Judea almost two thousand years ago and was crucified by the Romans is rarely disputed, even by atheists. It has been too well documented by modern archeology. The battle now is over his resurrection and his teachings. Many seek to water down the teachings and deny his resurrection. But He is risen and alive today and working in the life of every believer. And he will come again, soon. And those who know him will go to him and those who deny him have condemned themselves already.
Easter is a solemn time, as we reflect on the terrible death of our Savior. It is a joyous time when we think of our risen Lord, and that in time we too will rise into the air to meet him in the clouds. May the Lord be with you this Easter season and pour out his Spirit upon you throughout the year. If you do not know Jesus and would like to find out more write me. I love to talk about our Savior. If you're not ready for that, but want to learn more, check out my links page. There's alot of great stuff out there. Christians are creating a great witness on the internet and it is growing every day. If you do love the Lord, I would enjoy the fellowship. Drop me a note.