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(Courtesy of Voice of Prophecy)
Jesus Met Them
/in Pastors BlogJesus Met Them
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Matthew 28:9-10
Last we saw that the women who went to see Jesus in the tomb had been visited by an angel who told them the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and also gave them a mission to tell the apostles. Now Jesus himself appears and met them. His words are very similar. He tells them not to be afraid. He tells them to rejoice and not be sad. He gives them the same mission as before to go and tell the apostles and disciples. But he also adds and changes things just a little bit but in a profound way.
The angel had said, ‘and tell his disciple’s that He is risen’. Jesus makes it much more personal and familiar. Jesus said, ‘tell My bretheren.’ Jesus still sees humanity as his family as brothers and sisters. The angel couldn’t make that connection to us because it was Jesus who became like one of us.
Jesus also says to tell them to go to Galilee and that He would meet them there. That is also a change. This was Jesus’ way of saying that the story wasn’t over. There was still more to learn and do. Although the main aspect of his mission was done, there was still more to his job.
Finally these verses say that the women worshiped Jesus and held his feet. John 20 gives us some more detail about this encounter.
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
John 20:17
Jesus wanted to meet these women so urgently that He hadn’t even gone back up to heaven yet to meet his Father. He met some women on the road before meeting God the Father. Think about that for a second. Think about where his heart and mind was. This is the same Jesus who was heartbroken when the Father no longer spoke to him in Gethsemane. Even so, He felt the need to go and meet the women even though an angel had already done that work and they were obeying. God is good.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Witnessing Prophecies
/in Pastors BlogWitnessing Prophecies
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
Matthew 28:5-8
It is one thing to be told a prophecy or the future. It’s another actually experiencing and seeing it with your eyes. Jesus had told his followers that he would die and come back. He said this multiple times in multiple ways but it appears that no one really believed him. Jesus was known for his stories and parables and they must have thought it was something like that. There must have been a hidden meaning and message to his words. Little did they know how literal he was being.
Now and angel stood before them confirming Jesus’ words. Jesus was no longer dead. He was risen. Imagine the mixture of emotions of hearing that. Imagine the fear of being in the presence of a heavenly being. Imagine the joy of hearing that Jesus was alive. Imagine the confusion you’d experience hearing this for the first time. Imagine the doubt even with the angel standing before you. The angel knew this which is why he confirms his words by telling them to go inside and see for themselves.
We too have been told a prophecy. The Bible teaches us that one day Jesus will return in the clouds of the sky to take us to heaven. It teaches of a unified world bent on destroying God’s true followers. Many things are told but just like the women, it is one thing to hear it and another to witness it with your eyes. Many believe that we are already at the beginning of those events rolling out. Most of the prophecies in the Bible are actually behind us.
Will you truly believe when you see the signs? Will you, like the women, go out to tell the good news or will you doubt in your heart? We know that there will be false christs and also false events. September 11th or Y2K are good examples of that. So many people believed that end was during those times. This of course makes it harder to believe when the true signs begin to appear. How will you know the difference unless you study?
You don’t want to shrug off God’s warnings or doubt his signs. May we all seek wisdom in knowing what is true and false. Let us all be ready when Jesus really does appear in the sky.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Running Into Jesus
/in Pastors BlogRunning Into Jesus
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Matthew 28:1-4
When you chose to seek Christ and do His will, you will never know what blessings Jesus will have just around the corner for you. Mary Magdalene and Mary had gone to perform the death ceremony with Jesus body. Instead they found and empty tomb and a relaxed angel sitting on the stone door. They were then told that Jesus was alive and to go and tell the disciples. Without hesitation, they ran away to accomplish their mission but Jesus wasn’t done with them just yet.
Even before going to heaven, as we’ll learn in the next few verses, Jesus decided to stay back on earth for just a little bit, waiting just like the angel did at the tomb. Why did he wait? The risen Lord and King of the universe waiting for two women. Let that sink in for just a second. Even before seeing his own heavenly Father, whom he had been separated from with death, Jesus’ love for humanity and these two women kept him on earth. He waiting to just give them a word of encouragement.
“Rejoice!” That is what Jesus said. It’s not that they needed it. They had believed the empty tomb and the angel. No. I believe Jesus appeared to them because he knew they simply desired it in their hearts. They longed to see his face alive as they had only days before seen it lifeless and dead.
For a second time, they are told to tell the disciples but this time it is Jesus himself. What a blessing that must have been for them. These two women weren’t just in the background in Jesus’ life. He cared for them just as much as his twelve apostles. They all had a role to play in the salvation of the world. Their voices would be just as important. It was actually their voices that allowed the disciples to know the good news.
What miracle and blessing does God have in store for you today? If your heart and mind and seeking him, I’m sure you will find out.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Shaking with Fear
/in Pastors BlogShaking with Fear
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
Matthew 28:1-4
The reaction to humans when they experience a moment with God or angels is always interesting. Fear seems to grip a human when something heavenly appears in its glory. It doesn’t matter whether they are a believer or non-believer. Many times the Bible says that people fall to the ground, face down. Here the guards became like dead men, unable to move or run away. These were the type of guards that could face death and armies, but here all that courage is drained away. When holy men experience something like this, there is not much difference.
Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God before the burning bush. Isaiah said he was undone as he stood in the temple before God. Before God, it doesn’t matter how good you may be, your sins bring you to your knees.
The angel in this story on the other hand seems very relaxed. Even as the earth shakes, the angel simple rolled back a massive stone and then simple sat on it waiting. There was no fear with the angel. Even though he was in evil territory, a place where the Devil reigned, he was not perturbed. He knew who was in the tomb. He knew he was alive. He knew he was on the winning side.
And then there’s us. How will we react when we come face to face with God? For most, if not all of us, this will probably only happen in the Second Coming. We will look up and see God and all his angels up in the sky. If you have not been faithful or true to your belief, you will scream in terror and plead for death as the reality of God will be above you and the judgement of God will be in your heart.
If you have been faithful and true to your faith, it will be completely different. You will stand in awe at the sight and as God transforms you in the blink of an eye, all fear and worry will melt away from you. You will be filled with immense love and joy. You will become like that angel sitting on the stone knowing that you were on the right and winning side.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Day of Preparation
/in Pastors BlogDay of Preparation
62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Matthew 27:62-64
This small paragraph is a very interesting section in Jesus crucifixion story. It begins with something of an irony. The paragraph specifically mentions that it was the Preparation Day. This meant it was Friday, a day to prepare oneself for the Sabbath. This usually entailed, bathing, cleaning the house, preparing food for the next day and also your heart for the Sabbath. When you look at the religious leaders however, all they are preparing is to foil God’s plans through Jesus. How far they had walked away from God. Even dead, they feared the power of Jesus. They had seen the miracles and heard the messages. Deep down they knew he was who he was saying. That didn’t keep them from trying to stop Jesus and God.
The other really interesting part in this paragraph is that it clearly shows they knew what Jesus was trying to say while still alive. Jesus was killed for claiming to want to destroy the Temple. That was the main argument used against his in his trial. Yet here we are clearly shown that they knew that Jesus was talking about himself and his body when he spoke about the Temple. They understood the message even while many of the non-educated masses did not. This shows that they rejected Jesus, not through ignorance, but with full knowledge of the truth. They simply didn’t like the truth that Jesus was offering.
How weak these men of power seem. They fear the disciples, who at this point are already hiding themselves. Their insecurity is clearly seen by there desperate attempt to control the situation. Everything that Satan gives is false. His power is false. His security is false. His joy is false. These leaders chose what was false instead of what was real.
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Matthew 27:65-66
Pilate with his own false power agrees with the leaders and sends guard. They surround the tomb. They place a heavy rock at the entrance and seal it. They do everything a human can. It isn’t enough when put up in front of God. Friday is setting and dark but Sunday is coming…
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Joseph’s Tomb
/in Pastors BlogJoseph’s Tomb
57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
Matthew 27:57-58
Joseph was a rich man. He was also a disciple. He was the man that asked for the dead body of Jesus. It was in his tomb that Jesus’s body was laid. It was his tomb that they put the large rock and placed guards. It was his tomb that was opened by angels and Jesus walked out alive. You would think that a man connected to such an important part of Jesus life would be well known. He is written in all four gospels but this is the only place where his story is told. He was the disciple, some say a secret one, who gave up his new grave for the Messiah.
I believe that the Bible puts it this way because Joseph represents all those who accept Jesus. We all give up our eternal graves to him so that we don’t have to use them. Joseph’s small story is the gospel in miniature form. Jesus died to take our place in the grave.
59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
Matthew 27:59-61
The text says that after doing so much Joseph simply departed. He like all the other believers believed that this was the end of Jesus’ story. He was to be king but now he was dead. The end. How wrong Joseph and the others ended up being. The true mission of Christ and the purpose of the disciples was only now just beginning.
Sometimes we also believe something is done. Without knowing the full story we sometimes give up on something and walk away like Joseph. But let us remember that Jesus is master of the impossible. Where we believe something is done, Jesus is only beginning. Let us always keep that in mind.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
This was the Son of God
/in Pastors BlogThis was the Son of God
54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Matthew 27:54
The Romans are always portrayed as the bad guys in the New Testament. The soldiers were a terror to God’s people and were the ones to put the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet. And yet here in this verse, one centurion was able to see what so many Jews couldn’t. As the man saw Jesus die and the earth react with such impact, he recognized the divinity of Jesus. He is one of the few to call Jesus the Son of God in those days.
We can never prejudge anyone. The one we may think could never understand the truth may turn out to be the only person who does.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
1 Corinthians 1:27-28
Only God knows the heart of people. Only he knows who will be open to the truth and who won’t be. When we avoid or bypass people, we put ourselves in the place of God. We must give everyone a chance to know the truth. What they do with that knowledge is between them and God.
55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Matthew 27:55-56
It’s also interesting to see that those who did believe were also there, though afar. Yet it never says that any of them ever said ‘He was the Son of God’. Isn’t that interesting? Sometimes we miss or take for granted that we know what is going on. Had their hearts been open as the centurion, perhaps they too would have spoken the truth. Let us look at our own lives and not take anything for granted. Let us not be blinded when a truth is before us.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto