On this very special day of celebration I add my witness to the "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) that our Redeemer, after offering Himself an infinite and eternal sacrifice, rose again triumphant over any and all kinds of death. He was, and is the promised Messiah who makes it possible for all of us to rise again and live forever with as much joy as we choose. I know that my Reedemer liveth.
The Cloud of Witnesses
And in
that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all
the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of
my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and
again in the flesh I shall see God. Moses 5:10
He will
swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all
faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth:
for the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 25:8
Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I
will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, Ezekial 37:12
From
that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go
unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Matthew 16:21
Then he took unto him the twelve,
and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written
by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
For he shall be delivered unto
the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
And they shall scourge him, and
put him to death: and the third day he shall arise again. Luke 18:31-33
And
as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you.
But
they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
And
he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your
hearts?
Behold
my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
And
when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
And
while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye
here any meat?
And
they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
And
he took it, and did eat before them.
And
he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet
with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Then
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
And
said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day:
And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And
ye are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:36-48
For
we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his
majesty. 2 Peter 1:16
God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him.
And
we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and
in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Him
God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Not
to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did
eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
And
he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which
was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
To
him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in
him shall receive remission of sins. Acts 12:38-43
Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And
that he was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the
scriptures:
And
that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
After
that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater
part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
After
that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
And
last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
If
in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
But
now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept.
For
since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
