Good News from the Graveyard   

An ancient legend says that in the early church a believer was about to be martyred for his faith. As they tied his hands and led him to the stake, he was asked if he had any last words. He shouted out, “He is risen!”
Unknown to the authorities, in the surrounding hills, there were hundreds of Christians who had gathered to watch the execution. When they heard the words, “He is risen,” they cried out with one voice: “He is risen indeed!” Some have said that that became a frequent way that Christians greeted one another in the early church. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
On the walls of a Sunday School classroom someone wrote these words: “Christ rose from the dead. You can’t keep a good man down.”
That’s basically what the well-known song says: Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior. He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o’er His foes. He arose a victor o’er the dark domain, and He lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose, He arose. Hallelujah! Christ arose.
There’s good news from the graveyard today. Good news that the tomb is empty. Good news that Jesus rose from the dead. Good news that the devil couldn’t hold Him. Good news that death has lost its sting. Good news that the grave has lost its victory. Good news that we need not fear death anymore.
If you are looking for Jesus today, don’t look in the graveyard. He isn’t there. He left the graveyard 2000 years ago, and He never went back.
The really good news is this: If you are looking for the Savior, He is not hard to find.
His name is Jesus. He is the Son of God. God loved you so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for you. Our Lord was buried in Joseph’s tomb. He paid for your sins so that if you believe in him you will never perish but have everlasting life.
The good news is: He rose from the dead on that glorious Sunday morning. And you and I, because of Christ, if we are in Christ, we too will be raised up to live forever and ever in that beautiful home prepared for us by our Savior.

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