Shalom Traveler. If you learned nothing from the people you have met during your time here in Ephesus. I hope you learn something today. What I am about to tell you is the foundation of all that followers of the Way believe.
We awoke on the first day of the week to a loud banging on the door. Early that morning the women had gone to finish embalming him. We had locked the door behind them out of fear that people would come to arrest us. When we let them in, all they could say is “He is alive, He’s alive! The tomb is empty!”
When John and I heard this, we ran to the tomb. John will tell you that he won the foot race, I assure you he did not. I just stopped before entering. As I approached, I noticed that the stone had been rolled away. The guards that had been posted were nowhere to be seen. John entered the tomb and confirmed the reports that had started to come in.
We returned to the rest of the group and affirmed the report of the women. One of the women, Mary Magdalene, said that she had seen him, and he spoke to her. She said that she did not recognize him at first, only when Jesus had spoken her name.
Later that day, two of the men who had followed Jesus, came back that they too saw Jesus. They had left for Emmaus on foot and had been joined by a stranger along the way. The men had been talking about Jesus and the events surrounding his death. The stranger had no clue about any of it. How the man had not heard about these previous events puzzled the men and they filled him in. The stranger then started talking about how those events had been predicted by Scripture long ago. The conversation was interesting enough that when they came to a inn about halfway between the cities, the men invited the stranger to join them and to continue the conversation over a meal.
The stranger broke the bread and blessed the meal. At that point, the two men realized that the stranger was Jesus. As soon as they made the realization, Jesus vanished. The men left the meal at the table and as quick as they could, returned to Jerusalem to tell us about it.
When the men had finished telling their tale, we were all startled when out of nowhere Jesus appeared to us! The doors had been locked and there was no other way out of the room.
Jesus assured us he was not a ghost and told us not to be afraid. He asked for some food and we gave it to him. While he was eating, we all noticed he still had the scars in his hands and feet from the nails. He also told us that we needed to meet him on a familiar hill in the coming days.
As we waited for that time, reports kept coming in of Jesus appearances all over the city and region. At one point there was over five hundred who had witnessed Jesus at one time. Each report confirmed that this was not a hoax. Jesus truly was alive!
On the appointed day we met him on the hill side. He appeared to us there and told us that we needed to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. This would be the last time that any of us saw him physically on earth. He began to levitate and ascend into the sky returning to the Father to prepare a place for us in Heaven.
So, you see Traveler, if these events are not true, our entire faith is for nothing. Jesus died taking on our sins and sacrificing himself for everyone who believes in him and who will do so in the future and did so in the past. There is no other way into Heaven as you well know.
As our time comes to an end, remember that there will be those who try to distort these truths and use it for their own personal gain. Do not give in to how the world thinks, you are called for a much greater cause. Even when the world seems dark around you, cling to the hope that you have in Jesus. It may just be the thing that saves your life.
And with that I send you off into the world to teach the truths you have learned. Shalom Traveler. May the Peace of God be with you always.
A Path of Living Stones 