IMAGINE that you lived 2016 years ago in Jerusalem and that you were one of the new converts of Jesus Christ. You’re a 50-year old man or woman who was a gentile. You are a retailer of garments with a stall in a busy retail district of Jerusalem. The news was aplenty about the 33-year old prophet whom the Jews in Jerusalem say is their messiah, the promised one, who is to be their king who would free the Jews from the tyranny of Rome. You didn’t really care much about the Jews because you were a gentile minding your own business, with a sales permit signed by Pontius Pilate allowing you to do business in the Roman province of Jerusalem. But you have a Jewish friend who invited you to hear Jesus speak.
When you arrived at the place where Jesus was to speak, many people were there waiting for Him. About 5,000 people, men, women and children were sitting around waiting for the man called Jesus from Nazareth who performs miracles, healing lepers, blind people and paralytics. He is even reported to raise people from the dead! Your curiosity is piqued. Is this Jesus a magician? His followers say that Jesus has said that He is the son of the one true God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, El Shaddai, El Elohim. Is he really the son of the one true God? These are the thoughts going through your mind. The headlines in the Jerusalem times mention many incidents where Jesus is reported to completely heal ten lepers in Galilee, a paralytic in Capernaum, a man born blind outside the temple at Jerusalem and two blind men at Capernaum! You’re thinking this Jesus is one cool dude, how can he heal these people, time and again, unless He is who He claims to be, son of the one true God? You’re thinking maybe it’s about time you stopped worshipping molech who you sacrificed your first-born son to, a year ago; molech, the bug-eyed false god who demands the sacrifice of children. Maybe this molech is just a giant fly? And you’re thinking that you must be a complete moron for sacrificing your first-born son to a giant fly; looks like your PHD in molecular theology was all for naught. When Jesus arrived at the gathering of 5,000, all, including you were hungry. You saw Jesus raise a basket of two loaves of bread and two fish and heard Him ask His Father to bless it. From there, you saw the bread and fish multiply until all 5,000, including you were fed with bread and fish. How can this be, how is this possible, this man is not a magician, you surmised, this man must truly be the son of the one true God!
The last headlines you read was that Jesus had raised the following from the dead: Jesus resurrects the widow’s son at Nain – “And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, weep not. And He came and touched the bier, and that bare him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say unto thee, ARISE,’ and he that was dead stood up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.” In yet another instance, Jesus raises the daughter of Jarius from the dead: “But when the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.” And recently, Jesus is reported to have raised his friend Lazarus who had been dead for four days: “And when He thus had spoken, and He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth, and he who was dead came forth bound hand and foot with graves clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, loose him and let him go.”
Last week, Pontius Pilate, at the instigation of the Pharisees, the chief priests of the Jews, had condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion. Pilate had asked Jesus if he claimed to be the king of the Jews and Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Pilate saw no fault in Jesus but succumbed to what the Pharisees wanted because that was the politically correct thing to do. It was a Jewish matter, a local matter of the Jews and he washed his hands of what he had done. It wasn’t his fault, he thought, condemning an innocent man to death. The Jewish Supreme court comprised of their religious big wigs, the Sanhedrin, wanted his death. Jesus is getting way too popular with the Jewish hoi polio. He claims to be the Son of God, a blasphemy. He has to die.
Now the news is that JESUS WILL RESURRECT ON THE THIRD DAY AFTER HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS. So last Sunday morning, you visit the tomb of Jesus and you see that the giant rock covering his tomb had been moved, His body was no longer there. What happened? Did Jesus truly resurrect from the dead? You hear the buzz. His followers are saying that they have seen and met the risen Christ! You go to Jerusalem and indeed you see Jesus, alive and well. He shows you the puncture wounds on His hands. He is gloriously alive in front of you!! INDEED, YOU PROCLAIM: HE IS RISEN!
“…The angel said to the woman, do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell his disciples that He has risen from the dead.” — Matthew 28:6
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Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.
