Resurrection Day

Today I am so grateful that a man, many thought of as a brilliant prophet and teacher or heretic and rebel, rose from the state of complete and total death, and walked out of that grave!  Then, more importantly, many weeks later, after many had seen and heard Him, as proof He was alive, ascended alive into Heaven with the promise that we will be there with Him and our believing loved ones one day.  Oh!  Happy day!
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...an imagined conversation I thought of this morning..

Thomas, I’ve been looking all over for you.   Are you headed to Galilee?  

You aren’t?  I just saw Mary of Magdala, not even two hours ago.  She went to Jesus’ grave this morning and it was open and Jesus was not inside.  There was an Angel sitting there and he told her that Jesus is alive!  She looked around and saw Him, walking in the garden.  He talked to her.  Jesus talked to her, Thomas.  He wants all of us to meet in Galilee.  He’s going to come talk to us.

What do you mean you don’t believe me?  Mary saw him!  Don’t you understand?  Everything He told us was going to happen, has happened.  He is alive!

Why don’t you men ever believe what we women tell you?  We women and John all stayed with Him.  The rest of you all ran away and hid.  Mary is the first person He spoke too.  He told  her to gather all of us together.    Now---c’mon!

She is not crazy with grief!  No, she’s not hallucinating!  She saw Him and talked to Him and He talked to her!

She told Peter and John, and they ran to the cemetery, and saw the empty grave.  Later, they saw Him on the road to Emmaus and didn’t recognize Him until He spoke to them.  They are already in Gailiee  waiting for the rest of us.  I was there too, but left because Peter told me to come out and try and find you.  Do I have to drag you there?

You what?  

Oh, I see.  You thought He was our Saviour? You left your family…you left your job---you followed Him all this time, but when He died, you figured He had been lying, because the Messiah...the Son of God couldn’t die?  So...now you're mad?

Look at me!   

He.   Is.   Not.   Dead!

Oh....you doubt it?  You won’t believe it’s Him unless you see proof?  

What?  You won’t even believe then unless you see His death scars?  

You’re a real idiot, Tom! 

Look, Tom.  You know Him.  You have been with Him for three years!  You were there with all of us.  You heard Him.  We all had Passover supper together.  He told us exactly what was going to happen.  You should believe without having to have proof!  

Everything He said is true!  He is alive, Thomas.  Jesus is alive!  If you need proof, then come with me.  Let's go!

No?  You want to think about it some more?  Okay.  You just stay right here then.  That way you will never know. 

Whatever!  I’m heading back to Galilee. 

You can stay here in your doubt or you can come to Him in pure faith.

It’s up to you.  

Nobody is going to drag you kicking and screaming to Jesus.

It’s your choice.

<I walk away, shaking my head.  "Tom...you're a real noodge!">