KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:63 KJV “Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”

At the beginning of creation, the devil challenged the truth of God given to Adam. He blatantly said to Eve, God is lying to you. He knows that if you are to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, your eyes would be opened, and you would be like God (Gen 3:4-5). Eve believed the devil and so ate the fruit and gave some to her husband who also ate. Since then, Satan has used men to fight the truth. The reality is that error has never won over truth.

When the Lord was born into this world the enemy working through men tried to kill Him, so the truth would not prevail. (Matt 2:13-16) Once again error lost the contest. After Jesus’ death and burial, the conspirators of his death went to the governor and sort permission to secure the grave of Jesus so He would not rise up. They called Jesus the deceiver and that He said He would rise on the third day.

Men aided by Satan have continually fought the truth. Please note, the act of fighting the truth means that individual is deceived and lost.

2Timothy 3:13 KJV” But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

Many people have tried to say very abominable things about Jesus yet His words, keep restoring the down cast, as well as bringing peace to the tormented. Christians have not lifted a sword in AFGANISTAN, IRAN and other hard core Islamic nations, yet day in and day out many are converted to Christ.

 Many of them testify of meeting the resurrected Jesus.

The French philosopher VOLTAIRE (1694-1778) who said the bible would not be read after a century after his death, ironically had his very house becoming a printing press of the bible exactly 50 years after His death (crossexamined.org). You are always the loser fighting the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a Ghanaian young man preaching common sense, and he claims he would empty the church. God have mercy on him. He would be saved, and the sad part would be the many he has deceived. Dear reader, Jesus is the truth, and no one can destroy His witness. He is the light of the world. Fighting him, means you are in darkness. Stop that impossible venture and surrender to Him today.

THOUGHT:  As darkness can’t challenge the sun, so is the man who tries to put Jesus down. Repent and believe in Jesus.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus have mercy on me, and forgive my sins. I surrender my life to you, as I confess you as my Lord and saviour. Thank you for saving my soul.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:55 KJV” And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:”

The Lord died on the cross, yet the women who had followed Him in His ministry, did not abandon Him. They followed but stayed far behind. Why did they stay far behind? Was it because of the presence of the Roman soldiers? I think they kept that distance because Jesus was crucified naked, and it was unethical for women to look on the nakedness of a man they respected and loved so dearly. This also showed the extend to which our master suffered and was disgraced for us. (Isaiah 53;3) The Lord was despised and disgraced so we would be honoured.

These women according to the bible followed from Galilee. The ministered or served the Lord with the money. Luke 8:3 KJV” And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”

These women had an unyielding love for the master. Women are naturally more passionate than men. In most homes the women tend to be more godly than the men. Most godly children have been raised by either their mothers or grand mothers. A number of men do play quite significant roles, yet the table tilts more towards women, in their love and commitment to the master. Dear brother, do you love the Lord?

These women came to the sepulchre and beheld where he was laid. Luke 23:53 &54. They went and prepared spices to embalm him before the sabbath. Dear one, how much do you love the master? Do you follow Jesus for what you would get from Him or for the great love He has shown you. In Luke 8:2, The scripture said, these ladies were delivered of devils and experienced various blessings from the Lord. They were faithful unto Him even in His trying moments. There are certain individuals who even stop going to church because they have what they were seeking from the Lord. Please don’t deceive yourself, we do not follow the Lord for things we follow Him because of Himself.

THOUGHT:  LOVE THE LORD MORE THAN THE THINGS HE GIVES.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 14:21 KJV “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”.

Philip 3:18 KJV” (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:”

KEY SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:54 KJV “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

The centurion and those present at the death of Jesus testified that, indeed He is the Son of God. They came to this conclusion after being witnesses to all that happened after he died. They saw the whole earth go dark, the earthquake and the words Jesus said as He hanged on the cross. These people came to that solid conclusion that He is the Son of God, as He testified. There are so many evidences that shows that Jesus is the Son of God.

The Lord Jesus made certain statements that no one ever spoke that way.

He said I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). He also said He is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Him. (John 14:6) He even said I am the light of the world. John 9:5. All these are very serious statements. There were many more such statements that He said about Himself. A person saying such things should either be a liar, a lunatic or the Lord of glory. He is never a liar because His words have proven to be very true, in every form of it. He can’t be a lunatic, because many lunatics have been healed in His name. Since the first two are not possible then He is the Lord of glory.

Jesus’ resurrection also reveals He is the anointed Son of God. Rom 1:4 KJV ‘And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: “

The witness of the apostles was on the fact that Jesus died but is resurrected. Almost all of them but John the beloved died terrible deaths, through persecution. All on the testimony that Jesus rose from the grave, and that they saw and fellowshipped with Him.

The conversion of Apostle Paul, who opposed, persecuted and made havoc of the church. A strong defender of the law suddenly was transformed and started talking about the grace of God. Apostle Paul also died a martyred death with the testimony that He also met the resurrected Christ.

In the light of these evidences, would you join the Roman centurion to say that Jesus is the Lord of my life?

THOUGHT: YOUR ABILITY TO PROOF JESUS IS ALIVE, IS TO SURRENDER TO HIM.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinth 2:14 KJV” Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”

2 Corinth 5:17 KJV “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:52 KJV “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,”

According to the bible certain fascinating things happened after Jesus died and resurrected. The bible said the graves were opened and some of the saints who had died came out of their graves, visited the Holy city, and appeared unto many.

Once again, the death and resurrection of our Lord revealed the superior person He was. The scripture said the saints who were sleeping in their graves rose up. What does this statement, sleeping in their graves imply? Does it mean the spirits of those dead are in their bodies in the grave? What happens at death? We learnt from verse 50 that, the Lord Jesus gave up the ghost and so He died. It is the departing of the Spirit from the body, that constitutes death.

Let’s consider a few examples 25:8 reads, “And Abraham gave up the ghost and so, He died……”Gen 25:17 also said.’…… Ishmael gave up the ghost and died….” There are a number of descriptions of death, that the bible describes it this way. At death the spirit or ghost leaves the body. The bodies that are buried does not contain the spirit.

In the grave it is only the flesh and bones, which rot after some years.

 The statement that the bodies are sleeping is a figurative one.

What constitute the raising of those bodies? This is a complete miracle. What happens is the Spirit which is in the presence of the Father comes with a new body and even bones.

In Ecclesiastes 3:21 the scriptures reveal that the spirit of man goes up Ecclesiastes 3:21 KJV “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” Apostle Paul says when He departs (that is, his spirit leaves his body) He would be with the Lord. Philippians 1:23 KJV “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” To those who teach that the dead are sleeping in the grave must revise their notes.

Now we just studied that those who die in Jesus go to be with Him. What happens to those who have not surrendered their lives to Jesus but died? The unsaved will find their end in hell fire. Jesus spoke so much about hell fire. John 3″3.

THOUGHT: TO ACCEPT JESUS IS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR HEAVEN

FURTHER STUDIES

Isa 5:13 KJV Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

John 3:3 KJV “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:51 KJV “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

The Bible according to Matthew reported that when Jesus gave up his spirit a number of events happened. The events are as follows

1.The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom

2. There was an earthquake

3.The rocks were rent

There were also certain events after His resurrection which would be considered later.

These events primarily demonstrate that our Lord Jesus is not just a man, but He is God (John 1:1). His death must certainly not be ordinary. The Bible said the veil in the temple was torn into two, from top to bottom. Tearing from top to bottom means it was not done by a man. The veil was placed there to keep the ordinary citizen of Israel from going into the temple, and it was only the high priest who could enter the Holy of holies once in a year, with the blood of the sacrificial lamb or animal. The Lord God by this act, was saying that, that system of the high priest going into the temple once in a year was ended. Now every man  who apply the right way or believe on the Lord Jesus will be able to approach the presence of God.

 Reading Hebrew 9:8-12 We learn that the old order of the high priest sending the sacrifice once a year was abolished and the Lord Jesus presented His own blood into the presence of the Father in the heavenly tabernacle.

Now everyone who comes in the name of our Lord Jesus, has access into the presence of the Father. This should bring a great joy to all. None must take praying and praising God lightly at all. Before the death of Christ men had no free access into God’s presence. Now anytime you pray in Jesus name, you are right in the presence of the Father and you need not send any sheep or goat for your sins. Praise the Lord.

THOUGHT:  PRAY ALWAYS FOR IN JESUS NAME IT IS JUST LIKE CHRIST PRAYING.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 16:24 KJV “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

John 16:25 KJV “These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:50 KJV Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

There is always a time for everything. A time to be born, a time to serve your generation and finally a time to go home. The Lord finally had to depart. The scripture said He cried for the second time and then gave the ghost. This word ghost is an old English for Spirit. Death is not just a cessation of life, but a separation of the Spirit from the body. (James 2:26). It is the Spirit that gives life to the body

John recorded that before the Lord gave up the ghost He said, it is finished. I believe this was the last cry.

The death of our Lord Jesus has brought untold blessings to all mankind. The following are some of them.

1. The death of Jesus reversed the old order set forth by Adam and brought a new order into operation. By His death we have authority over Satan and His devil’s. Col 2:15

•  By Jesus- death His blood became the blood of the covenant on behalf of men. Heb 13:20, Heb 10:29
•  Through His death He took away the sins of the world John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”.

•  We are justified by His blood and therefore are saved from wrath, when we believe in Him Rom 5:9 ” Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him”.

• Through His death, we have received an atonement, or reconciliation. Reconciliation means whatever made us disqualified to stand before God has been taken away. It also means to be changed thoroughly.

•  His death has ushered us into the grace of God Rom 5:2

•  The death of Jesus reveals God’s love for us. John 3:16

•  Through Jesus’ death, death is abolished and has brought life and immortality to light.2Ti 1:10 KJV “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

•  By His death sins power over man is destroyed and righteousness has now taken over our being Romans 6:6 KJV Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

What kind of people must we be?

1. We must continually thank the father for giving His son to die for us (Eph 5:4, 20)
2.  A life of dedication and loving service unto God. Rom 12:1
3. Tell everyone about these great benefits of Jesus death. Matthew 28:18-20
4. Live in expectation of His return.2 Tim 4:8 

THOUGHT; HOW MUCH HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM CHRIST DEATH?

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:47 KJV” Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.”

From our key scriptures, the Lord Jesus cried unto the Lord, and the people which stood by said He was calling Elijah. These people did not understand what Jesus said, neither did they even hear clearly what He said. How wrong He would have been, if He had acted on what they said? How many people have destroyed their lives, by acting on the wrong comments of others? These people went on to say the following in verse 49 ” The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.”  These people were just out of touch with everything Jesus said. The Lord did not give any attention to what they said.

Dear one be careful about what those who hate you say. There is an Akan proverb that says “the man who hates you dance with a twisted back”. When Nehemiah gathered the Jews to build the broken walls of Jerusalem, the enemies of the Jews said the following,

“Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall”. Nehemiah 4:3. There is another enemy that speaks daily and moment by moment to everyone. This person is the devil, or his demons. He is called the Prince of the power of the air. (Eph 2:2)

This personality constantly suggests wrong thoughts, and imaginations in the minds of all men, especially Christians. He is a liar and he comes to kill and destroy. One way to know that Satan or his angels are talking to you, is when these words create fear. Most words that make men panic, no matter how real it may be is from the devil and it is technically a lie. To overcome, you must do as Jesus did. Give no thought or attention to it. You may refute it with the truth of God. The Lord was victorious. You will likewise be victorious and you would have a meaningful life.

THOUGHT:  SATAN IS POWERLESS, IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE HIS LIES.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 8:44 KJV “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Ephesians 4:27 KJV “Neither give place to the devil.”

KEY SCRIPTURE Mat 27:46 KJV And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

We continue with our walk with Jesus through the gospels. The Lord has been hanging on the cross for a number of hours. He had suffered extreme pain in various portions of the body. The Lord did not express any pain relating to what was going on in His body, but said my God, my God why has thou forsaken me. I believe He cried this way not because the father had left him to suffer. He had earlier said, you will all forsake me, but I am not alone because the father is with me. If the father was with Him, why did He cry that the father had forsaken Him.?

According to the scriptures the only thing that would cause God to forsake anything or anybody, is sin. Isaiah 59:2 KJV “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” It says God’s hand is always ready to save, yet sin in a man’s life keeps God’s hand away. Put away every sin and God will stay with you. The bible says Jesus was made sin for us 2 Corinth 5:21. On the cross He became a curse for all men. God the Father run from His own Son, because He had become a curse and sin on the cross.

Please consider this point, the Lord Jesus did not cry because men had forsaken Him. He did not cry because they were inflicting pain on him. He cried because the father had turned His eyes from Him. His desire for the father and spiritual things, far outweighed anything natural. May the Lord open up your mind to know what is very important. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and it righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Stop pursuing carnal things and understand it is the spiritual that always rules over the natural. Seek after God with all your heart.

THOUGHT:  ALWAYS PLACE THE SPIRITUAL FIRST

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 6:33 KJV But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Romans 8:6 KJV” For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:45 KJV “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour”.

As the Lord hanged on the cross, the scriptures said there was darkness over the land, from the sixth hour to the ninth hour. In Israel there was a twelve-hour day period, and a twelve-hour night period. The day begins at Six am.(6am) and ends at 6pm.The sixth hour from our key scripture is 12 noon today’s time. The skies were darkened. This event was not a solar eclipse (an eclipse is a period that the moon comes in between the sun and the earth, making the earth go dark) of the sun. Jesus was crucified at the Passover, when it was the full moon. The full moon means the sun and moon were at opposite sides, making it impossible for the moon to come in between the sun and the earth. Secondly this darkness lasted for three hours, which is not possible for the moon to stay for such a long time between the earth and the sun, knowing the earth keeps rotating and revolving. What caused the darkening of the earth? It was obviously the power of God that caused the elements to acknowledge the dying of the Son of God.

This event also teaches us that, God never forsakes His servants in the times of crises. The Lord Jesus was bound to go through that moment of suffering yet, the father expressed His presence and control over the whole situation. Dear child of God, never feel deserted under any condition. He has said, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. The controlling of the elements of space shows God’s almighty power. It also tells us the devil does not have all the power.

Let the experience of our Lord, inspire you, never to be worried or afraid at whatever may come your way. Isa 43:2 KJV “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. “God cannot leave you to face any crisis all by yourself. The reason is that, we represent Him and so, it is His glory that is at stake 1st Samuel 17;47. Secondly, He has assured us never to leave us nor forsake us. Go about your activities in this life always with your shoulders up, your head raised and your heart very joyful. You and God cannot be defeated

THOUGHT:  ” GIVE NO PLACE TO FEAR”

FURTHER STUDIES

1Samuel 17:47 KJV “And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands”.

Hebrews 13:5 KJV “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:42 KJV” He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.”

The Lord was subjected to so much pain in the body. Another kind of pain that the multitude tried to subjected Him to, was mental torture. They made mockery and tried to incite Him to please them against God’s will. One area where most people fall is when others put pressure on them to act according to their expectations.  There are also others who do not act according to the expectations of others but react negatively because of what someone or a group of people may be doing. All these falls within the scope of the pressure of others. Adam will not displease his wife Eve, and so had to join her in sinning against God. A woman decided to pay back her husband’s infidelity by going for another man. This is very wrong, yet that is what happens when you react to people’s actions.

In Samuel 14, the Lord instructed King Saul to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites. The verse nine said Saul and the people, spared Agag, the King of the Amalekites and the fat of the rams. This means although the Lord had said he should destroy everything of the Amalekites, He rather listened to the counsel of the people. They might have said, look at these fat rams and what do we gain by killing them? The Lord said to Samuel that, Saul had rejected Him.

King Herod killed John the Baptist because of the influence of his guests. Mat 14:9 KJV “And the king was sorry: nevertheless, for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.” How much are others pressurising you to do things you don’t have to do? Some people would not go to church, because of the behaviour of others. There are some husbands who decide not to be active in the house of God, because of their wives. Who is your Lord, your wife or Jesus?

How do you react to the insults and the wrong behaviours of others? Many homes are torn apart, because husband and wife are reacting to each other, and not to what God says.

 Who is a matured person? He is the man, who lives independent of the action and inactions of others.

He lives on principle. You are not matured if your life is a constant reaction to what others say and do.

 Every child of God must only be pressurised by the word of God.

That is to tremble at what the word of God says. Jesus did not allow any of what they said to move or influence Him. He never led His life by being controlled by any. man.

As children of God, we do not do what men want, or what they do to us, but what God wants to be done to and for men. Make this your principle for relating to others.

THOUGHT:  LIVING A SUCCESSFUL LIFE IS DOING WHAT PLEASES GOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 27:43 KJV” He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.”

Psalms 1:1,2 KJV” Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”