Scars in Heaven

This week is Holy Week for those who believe in Jesus Christ. It is the week when Jesus entered Jerusalem, held the Last Supper, was crucified and rose from the dead. There is not a more important week in Christianity. Today is Good Friday, the day Christians celebrate Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

When Jesus came back from the dead, He had a spiritual body. You could look at it and touch it. He would appear in one place and soon after appear in another. Doors and walls were no obstacle to Him. He didn’t look exactly the same as He had in life, but there was one thing on His body that made Him recognizable; His scars.

When He rose from the dead, His body had the scars from His crucifixion. One of His disciples Thomas would not believe Jesus rose from the dead unless he could touch His scars. He wanted proof that Jesus had in fact risen from the grave. When Jesus appeared to the disciples, he allowed Thomas to touch His scars and see for himself that He was real. Thomas’s response was, “My Lord and my God.”

For all eternity, people in heaven will see the marks the crucifixion left on His body. His sacrifice will be paramount to His followers, for it will be the only reason they are there, having been reconciled to the Father.

Image by Tre Harris. Courtesy of Pixabay

Where the Bodies Are Buried

Have you ever started a new job and the person taking you around said, “Let me show you where all the bodies are buried.”? You know that what they mean is, “Here’s where the dead files are” or “Here is where the office secrets are kept.” In the case of the lab where I worked in my early twenties, there really was a place where the bodies were (down the hall and to the right).

When you travel to various cities, they also have places where the bodies are buried. Some have beautiful cemeteries and others have famous catacombs such as Rome and Paris. Those places can be quite eerie to walk through but that is literally where the bodies are buried.

When it comes to matters of religion, many religions can point to where the body of their leader is buried. Other sects that began in the distant past can only imagine where the body of their founder may be.

But for Christians, we cannot show you a place where the body of Jesus is buried. You see, He is not laying in any grave on this earth. He died and three days later he arose from the dead. This is a documented historical fact. When the women came to take care of his body after he had died, an angel said, “He is not here, He is risen.”

We can, however, show you where the bodies of certain saints are buried and where we believe others have been interred, but The Body…No. So the next time someone says to you, “Let me show you where the bodies are buried,” remember Jesus, the One Person who cannot be found in a grave and take hope.

Image by Pete Linforth. Courtesy of Pixabay.

He is Risen!

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“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. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became as dead men. 

But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen.”  Matthew 28:  2-6