Press "Enter" to skip to content

Easter 2019

Christ is not here. He is risen indeed! Come see the place where they have laid Him.

We rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory as we celebrate this glorious event of the resurrection of Christ. We are no longer bound to the past. The present is bursting with rejoicing in hope, and the future is overflowing with exhilarating joy and expectation—freedom from the limitations of time and space … liberated by Christ, fully God and fully man, who at His resurrection returned to His original home to be with His Father after His mission of redemption was complete!

Now by faith we rejoice in hope (Rom. 5:2). Our desires are fulfilled, yet unfulfilled, as we wait to experience our own resurrection—from the temporal to the eternal, from the corruptible to the incorruptible, from the natural to the supernatural … free at last from the rigors of the earthly to experience unimaginable glories with Christ in the heavenlies forever. Hallelujah! What a day of eternal celebration that will be (1 Cor. 2:9)!

May the resurrected Christ, whom we celebrate in this glorious and timeless event, fill your hearts with faith and joyful expectation of your future. May the present reality of Christ’s resurrection and power supercede all you might be experiencing at present, knowing that soon the temporal shall be supplanted by the eternal. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus face to face … all because of His resurrection!

Rejoice and enjoy the Spirit of the living Christ as you enter into worship and celebration of Him!

Solo Deo Gloria,

Reuben & Carmen Sequeira

*     *     *

Evidences of the Resurrection

  • Appearances:
    • To Mary Magdalene alone at the sepulcher. This is recorded at length by John (20:11-18), and alluded to by Mark (16:9-11).
    • To certain women—”the other Mary,” Salome, Joanna, and others—as they returned from the sepulcher. Only Matt. 28:1-10 gives this account. (Compare Mark 16:1-8 and Luke 24:1-11.)
    • To Simon Peter alone on the day of the resurrection (Luke 24:34).
    • To two followers on the road to Emmaus, recorded fully only in Luke 24:13-35. (Compare Mark 16:12-13.)
    • To the eleven disciples (Thomas being absent) and others “with them,” at Jerusalem on the evening of the resurrection day. One of the evangelists gives an account of this appearance
      (John 20:19-24).
    • To the disciples again (Thomas being present) at Jerusalem. (See Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:33-40; John 20:26-28. See also 1 Cor. 15:5.)
    • To the disciples when fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Of this appearance John alone gives an account (21:1-14).
    • To the eleven, and then 500 believers at the same time, at an appointed place in Galilee. (See 1 Cor. 15:5-6; compare Matt 28:16-20.)
    • To James, but under what circumstances we are not informed (1 Cor. 15:7).
    • To the apostles immediately before the ascension. They accompanied him from Jerusalem to Mount Olivet, and there they saw him ascend “till a cloud received him out of their sight” (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-52; Acts 1:4-10, 10:40-41, 13:30-31).
    • To Stephen (Acts 7:55-56).
    • To Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul speaks of this encounter as an appearance of the risen Savior (Acts 9:3-9,17; 1 Cor. 15:8, 9:1).
  • The existence of the church (2 Cor. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:10).
  • The testimony of Christ Himself (Rev. 1:18, 5:5-10).
  • The testimony of Scripture (John 20:8-9; Luke 24:44-45; Eph. 1:20-22; Heb. 1:3, 10:12-13; 1 Pet 3:18-22).

Closing Remarks

It is implied in the words of Luke that there may have been other appearances of which we have no record (Acts 1:3).

Another evidence of Christ’s resurrection is His promise to send the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and the fulfillment of that promise (Acts 2:1-4).

It is worth noting that on most of these occasions our Lord afforded his disciples ample opportunity to test the fact of his resurrection. He conversed with them face to face, they touched him (Matt 28:9; Luke 24:39; John 20:27), and he ate bread with them (Luke 24:42-43; John 21:12-14).

Daily around the world Christ has made Himself known in dreams and by the faithful witness of many to the reality of his resurrection. Once dead in trespasses and sins, now they are made alive because of the resurrection of Christ. Whatever the background, the transition is still the same … from eternal death to eternal life and union with Christ.

One day we too shall have a resurrected body! (See Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:13-18.)