Today is Thursday, April 13th, 2006; Karen's Korner #779
I am working on our Sunday School lesson for Sunday. Here is a portion of the Easter story.
Matthew 27:45 - 53 says, "That afternoon, the whole earth was covered with darkness for three hours, from noon until three o'clock. About three o'clock, Jesus shouted, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine and put it on a stick and held it up to him to drink. But the rest said, 'Leave him alone. Let's see whether Elijah will come and save him.' Then Jesus shouted out again, dismissed his spirit and died.
And look! The curtain secluding the Holiest Place in the Temple was split apart from the top to bottom; and the earth shook, and rocks broke, and tombs opened, and many godly men and women who had died came back to life again. After Jesus' resurrection, they left the cemetery and went to Jerusalem, and appeared to many people there."
Bible Commentary - "Christ's death was accompanied by a least four miraculous events: darkness, the splitting of the curtain in the Temple, an earthquake, and dead people rising from their tombs. Jesus' death, therefore, could not have gone unnoticed. Everyone knew something significant had happened."
Karen's Comments - "Anyone but me surprised about the people coming back to life again at the time Jesus died? I have probably read it more than once, but it surprises me. I checked out what the other gospel writers of Luke, Mark, and John wrote. They didn't record that part. Was it because it was starting to become complace around Jesus? Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and a couple of others. Think of it! Dark in mid-day; a curtain torn from top to bottom for no reason, an earthquake, and to top it all of.......dead people walking back to town. Sounds like something too good to be true! They tried to kill Jesus and his friends. Didn't work!
And it doesn't work today either! When we touch Jesus, He removes the dying particles and restores our lives. He gives us a new life. Every day; not just on Easter!"
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