Easter Notes

On December 10, 2013

Time Magazine published its list

of the 100 most Significant Figures in History

and this list wasn’t compiled by strictly fame

or else this list would be comprised of folks

like Brittany Spears or Micheal Jackson

Instead this list was complied by taking into account

fame as well as lasting significance

by contribution to society

and by their following

whether that is good or questionable

I will let you decide

So, here is the list, published

by time magazine counting down if you will

the top 10

10- Thomas Jefferson

9 - Alexander the Great

8 - Aristotle

7 - Adolf Hitler

6 - George Washington

5- Abraham Lincoln

4 - William Shakespeare

3 - Muhammad

2 - Napoleon

1 - Jesus Christ

just after Jesus’ crucifixion see the gamet of

military leaders,

religious leaders

social leaders

and even cult leaders

These men were educated

rich, influential etc

all while they were living

that is until we get to #1

See.. The Greatest Man in History… Jesus; Had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He did not live in a castle, yet they called Him Lord, He ruled no nations, yet they called Him King, He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today

(Lyle C Rollings III, 2008).

Jesus Christ lived a life radically different than the others listed

and radially different than what you or I could ever live

in fact you can visit the gravesite of each person on the list

with a little research of course

however, when you visit the gravesite of Jesus

which I have been blessed to see in person

you will find it empty

and in a society where we often associate empty

as negative

the fact that Jesus’ tomb was empty

is in fact the best news in History

see without that empty grave

Jesus would not have made that list

we may not even know who he is right now

some 2000 years later

see nothing that happened before

that empty grave

would have any meaning

if come Sunday morning the

women would have found his body

in that grave

his virgin birth would be meaningless

his perfect obedience to God, meaningless

His miracles, meaningless

his teachings, meaningless

even his crucifixion, would be meaningless

if his body rested in that tomb

But as we will soon find out,

that tomb was empty

and for that we must rejoice!

So let us walk through the events that

occured at that gravesite

where the greatest news in the world

was discovered by a group of grieving women

during this text we will see just how their emotions and lives

were changed upon finding that grave empty

as we witness the first easter!