The time is upon us when we give exceeding thought to the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lend an ear to these words in the 26th chapter of Matthew. "Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

"'Put your sword back in its place', Jesus said to him, 'for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father and he will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?'"

Yes, he could have called 10,000 angels, but he didn't. He was willing to die alone for you and me. They bound his hands and led him through the streets in shame. They spat upon him, pressed on his head a crown of thorns, beat him, lied about him. Yet he didn't resist. He was willing to die alone for you and me. Thank you Jesus.

Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace and many gathered there. They stripped off his clothes and put a purple robe on him and made fun of him. Then they led him out to be crucified.

It was not just a heavy wooden cross that he bore as he struggled up that Calvary road, but the heavy burden of dying for all our sins was tremendous. But he was willing to do it for you and for me. To make a way for us to God; Jesus' love for us was and is still that great.

Before carrying that heavy cross up the lonely road to Golgotha, Jesus standing before Pilate answered some of his questions, saying (KJV) "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom was of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now, is my kingdom nor from hence. Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born. For this cause came I into the world that I should bare witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. Thou coulds't have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above. Therefore, he who delievereth me to thee hast the greatest sin."

No, Jesus didn't have to be nailed to the cross, but he allowed it for you and for me. That we might be free from the power of sin. That we might have eternal life. Oh, when I think of the cross, I realize that Jesus wasn't guilty, but I was. It should have been me.

Yes, they crucified this Holy Man who had done no evil. Jesus, who had healed the sick and raised the dead. On the day of his crucifixion alone, 33 prophecies were fulfilled.

And then, three days later, he rose from the dead and is living today. Praise the Lord.

Hallelujah! Christ is risen from the dead. Not only did he raise others from the dead during his ministry, but he himself was resurrected on the third day. And he lives and reigns with God today.

When I was a teenager, I questioned the validity of the Christian religion. I guess most everyone at some point in their life questions the reality of God and Christ. God was good to me. He had inspired my folks to give me a Bible for Christmas one year. It had prophecies in the Old Testament in red print and the fulfillment of these prophecies were written in red in the New Testament. About the same time, my history book at school had a couple of paragraphs about this great prophet, Jesus of Nazareth. So I knew that Christ had lived on this earth.

I began to study the prophecies and their fulfillment. What a thrill it was to find out that hundreds of years before it happened, God had told us through his prophets what was going to transpire, how Christ would come to earth, how he would live, minister and die. The prophecies told us of the resurrection also and many things about how it would happen.

Today I'd like to share with you some accounts of people who were living in those days who literally saw Jesus after he was resurrected. I'll start reading in Luke chapter 24, verses 1-11. "On the last day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again: then they remembered his word. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense."

Now John (20:10-18). "Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, 'Woman, why are you crying?'

'They have taken my Lord away,' she said, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

'Woman,' he said, 'Why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?'

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have out him and I will get him.'

Jesus said to her, 'Mary.'

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni!' (which means teacher).

Jesus said, 'Do not hold onto me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: 'I have seen the Lord!' And she told them that he had said these things to her."

Hallelujah! The multitudes sing because the Lord is risen. It is true God prophesied through the Old Testament prophets that he would send the messiah who would die on the cross for us that we might have eternal life. Now we may have a new life and receive that promise of eternal life. What we need to do to receive it is turn our hearts and our lives over to Jesus.

Luke 24:13-35. "Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, 'What are you discussing together as you walk along?'

"They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, 'Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?'

"'What things?' he asked.

"'About Jesus of Nazareth.' they replied. 'He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.'

"He said to them, 'How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

"As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'"

Why walk alone? There's no need to walk alone. He will walk with us and we can even sense his presence. As he leads us there are even times today when our hearts can burn with joy and excitement just like they did back then on the Emmaus Road. Times when we feel his presence so close.

It was late that same Sunday evening that the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then came Jesus and stood among them. "Peace be with you," he said. He showed them his hands where the nails had pierced and his side which had been speared. After Jesus said again, "Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

The disciple Thomas hadn't been with the others when Jesus appeared to them. When they told Thomas they'd seen him, he responded, "Unless I see the nailmarks in his hands...and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later when the disciples including Thomas were in the house with the doors locked, Jesus came into their midst. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your fingers here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

In Corinthians, Paul wrote of Christ's death and resurrection and his various appearances. After appearing to Peters and the apostles, Jesus appeared to more than 500 of his followers at one time.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me."