Where Are You?

Jesus said, 

John 14: 1-4

"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also 
in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were 
not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for 
you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may 
be also. 

Jesus promised, John 14: 18-20

"I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. Yet a little 
while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see 
me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will 
know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14: 28-31

You heard me say to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' 
If you Loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to 
the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have 
told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, 
you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the 
ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I 
do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may 
know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence. 

Then, Matthew 27: 11-14

Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor 
asked him, "Are you king of the Jews?" Jesus said to the 
governor, "You have said so." But when Jesus was accused 
by the chief priest and elders, he made no answer. Then 
Pilate said to Jesus, "Do you not hear how many things they 
testify against you?" But Jesus gave them no answer, not 
even to a single charge; so that the governor wondered
greatly.

The time came, Matthew 27: 27-31

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the 
Praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before 
Jesus. And they stripped Jesus and put a scarlet robe upon 
him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, 
and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him 
they mocked him, saying, "Hail King of the Jews, then they 
spat upon Jesus, and took the reed and struck him on the 
head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped Jesus 
of the robe, and put his own clothes on him and led him away 
to crucify him. Then they marched Jesus, making him carry 
the heavy wooden cross and the guards pulled a man out of 
the crowd from Cyrene, Simon by name, and made him carry 
Jesus cross to Golgotha, which means the place of a skull. It 
was there that they hung Jesus on the cross amongst two 
criminals and they crucified Jesus. Then they divided Jesus 
garments among them by casting lots while watching Jesus 
and shouting at him, you saved others but yet you can't save 
yourself. 

Matthew 27: 39-43

And those who passed by derided Jesus, wagging their heads 
and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and built it in 
three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come 
down from the cross." So also the chief Priest, with the scribes 
and the elders, mocked Jesus, saying, "He saved Others; he 
cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come 
down from the cross and, and we will believe in him. He trusts 
in God; let God deliver him now, if God desires him; for he 
said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

Have you ever stopped to wonder how Jesus mother Mary must have felt 
as she watched her son carrying the cross, to fall, get up, and hang on the 
cross before her? Knowing there was nothing she could do but watch.
Watch, with tears in her eyes while feeling so very, very helpless and 
wanting God to intervene and do something NOW! I wonder how Mary felt 
as she heard her son Jesus get mad and yell in anger at his father, 

Matthew 27:46

Eli, Eli, Sambactani, GOD WITHIN ME, GOD WITHIN
ME, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?

As Mary stood there, 

Matthew 27: 50-54

And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his 
spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, 
from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were 
split; the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the 
saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of 
the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city
and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who 
were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the 
earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, 
and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" 

As I have read theses scriptures I have came to realize that they are about 
our everyday lives. For in our lives we don't always understand why? 

Then the dawn occurs in our life, 

Matthew 28: 1-7

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of
the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see 
the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake; 
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came 
and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance
was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for 
fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 
But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid for I 
know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; 
for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he
lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen 
from the dead, and behold he is going before you to Galilee; 
there you will see him. Lo I have told you." 

When you come to the grave do you see a stone, the end like water as it 
drains from your sink, or do you come to the grave and see eternal life?

Matthew 28: 8

So both Mary's departed quickly from the tomb with fear 
and great joy, and ran to tell Jesus disciples.

Matthew 28: 11-14

While they were going, behold some of the guard went into 
the city and told the chief priest all that had taken place. 
And when they had assembled with the elders and taken 
counsel, they gave a sum of money to the soldiers and 
said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole 
him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the 
governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of 
trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they 
were directed and this story has been spread among the 
Jews to this day.

Do you really think money can hide your fears? 

Matthew 27: 62-66

Next day, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and 
the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we 
remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 
‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore order the 
sepulcher to be made secure until the third day, lest his 
disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people. ‘He has 
risen from the dead, ‘ and the last fraud will be worse than 
the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; 
go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made 
the sepulcher secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. 

Let me tell you what I know with all my heart and soul. Our Lord and Savior 
Jesus Christ is not an impostor, no amount of money can or will deny the 
truth of Jesus death and resurrection. And you can seal all the stones you 
want but nothing is strong, enough resistant enough, to prevent Jesus 
Christ from entering into someone’s heart and soul. Jesus can come into 
your heart and soul at this very second no matter if your sitting in God’s 
house or in a jail/prison cell, or in mental health, or if you are homeless, 
hungry, or angry with God and the world. NOTHING AND I REPEAT… 
NOTHING CAN OR WILL KEEP JESUS FROM ENTERING YOUR HEART 
IF YOU ASK JESUS FOR FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS AND ASK HIM
INTO YOUR HEART AND SOUL.

On this Easter 2005, I ask of you, where are you? It is easy to show up 
and wave those palm leaves, it is easy to show up when Jesus is walking 
on water and as a child in Sunday school said, Jesus took a child's lunch 
of fish and bread to feed a bunch of people. But where are you when the
times get tough? When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ asked for you to 
be in prayer do you fall asleep?

Matthew 26: 36

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and 
he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go yonder and pray."

Matthew 26: 40-41

And Jesus came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and 
he said to Peter, "so could you not watch with me one hour? 
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the 
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

When the times are tough where are you? At the foot of the cross with your 
burdens or in hiding out of concern of what others may think and or do to 
you…Peter? Notice none of the disciples were at the foot of the cross, it 
was Jesus’ mother who was there, the same women who had given birth 
to him.

Listen closely, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a Christ for all of the 
seasons of our life. Not just for the good but for the bad and awful and in-
between, for he is always there for us. Ask Jesus into your heart today. 

For we are always loved with open arms, 

Matthew 28: 9-10

And behold Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came 
up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. And Jesus 
said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go 
to Galilee and there they will see me."

CHRIST HAS DIED, CHRIST HAS RISEN, AND JESUS CHRIST OUR 
LORD AND SAVIOR IS ALIVE!! The resurrection of our Lord and Savior 
Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith, in the words of the Apostle Paul, 

1 Corinthians 15: 12-19

Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can 
some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? But if 
there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been 
raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in 
vain, and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be
misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he 
raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead 
are not raised. For if the dead are not raised then Christ has 
not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is 
futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have 
fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we 
had hoped in Christ, we are of all men to be pitied. 

The truth, 

1 Corinthians 15: 20-22

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first 
fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man 
came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of 
the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall 
all be made alive.

Are you ready? Are you ready to not only see Jesus, but to feel His 
presence in your life? BECAUSE HE'S ALIVE! Jesus is not a figment of 
imagination, are you doubting? Stop and think about it, the resurrection of 
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ takes place, not on the Sabbath, but on 
a weekday. At the resurrection Jesus sanctifies the next day. 

Go from God's House this day, a place or prayer and worship and know 
that Christ has died, Christ has risen, and our Lord and Savior Jesus 

Christ is alive for everyday of our life Jesus is with us. 

Now I don't know about you, but for me and my house where there is faith, 
there is hope. Where there is hope, there is joy, for we are never ever 
alone in this world. Where there is faith, there is a peace in our lives, like 
a child sleeping in the arms of the one they love. 

I have taken the journey with people who are in a living hell due to a 
variety of reasons but it is there faith in God and the resurrection story 
that sustains them. A faith foundation that is solid for they believe and 
when they act in faith, their faith helps them through the crisis.

To God be the glory for in Jesus death and resurrection there is a hope 
for tomorrow and a reason to keep on living. And if you doubt the 
resurrection story then take me to Jesus’ grave. Are you ready not only to 
feel Jesus’ presence in your life but are you ready if Jesus came back for 
His followers today? Remember, “I will come again and will take you to 
myself, that where I am, you may be also.” 

Let us pray, 

Father, we thank you for being there for us through the good and the bad,
the promise that we are never alone. May we always remember Father 
the unchanging story that is always the same when so much in this 
world is always changing right before our very eyes. May we 
always remember that little babe who was born in a 
manger along time ago is the same man who 
rose from the tomb and because he lives 
we have no fears, we have a reason 
for tomorrow.
AMEN. 



HE IS RISEN!


03/27/2005 JWM



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