Lord’s Day, Vol. 7 No. 27
(1) The Resurrection Life
It has been observed that on an average 24-hour day, for a fully grown adult, on the average, our heartbeats 103,689 times, our blood travels 270 million km, we breathe 23,040 times, inhale 12.4 cubic meters of air, eat 1.4 kg of food, drink 2.7 litres of liquids, lose 0.4kg of waste, speak 4,800 words, including some unnecessary ones, move 750 muscles, our nails grow .00011 cm, our hair grows 0.435mm, we exercise 7,000,000 brain cells. The day a person dies, all these activities of a normal day ceased. That’s the physical aspect of life.
But there is the emotional aspect of life. We build relationships. We touch lives with our lives. We cherish family ties. We build friendships. We laugh together, sing together, enjoy the company of one another. We care for one another, we help one another, we love one another. We eat together, go places together, support each other, strengthen each other.
Then there is a day of parting, when we say goodbye to one another when death strikes, goodbye in a physical sense when they die. And we would miss them, we would bring flowers to the tomb wherewith they are buried to remember the good times.
As Christians, we bury our dead. And so, when we visit the Christian cemetery, we see many of our friends and loved ones who had gone before us.
And we cherish the good memories of how their lives were an integral part of our lives once before.
This was what Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, were doing for Jesus, their Lord and Master, who they had the privilege to follow for 3 ½ years of His ministry on earth when Jesus died. It was on a Friday afternoon when Jesus died at 3 pm.
His body was taken down by one of His beloved disciple Joseph who asked the governor Pilate for His body and laid Jesus in His own tomb. The tomb was sealed up.
Today, we call a casket company to embalm the body in a coffin and we have vigil services where friends would come to comfort the bereaved family of the deceased.
It is a time where there is much tears and anguish as family members and friends remember their departed loved one. The memory of their life flows vividly in our minds especially if that is someone who has impacted your life immensely!
Jesus, the Son of God, died on Friday afternoon. The Jewish Sabbath day is Saturday. He was hurriedly buried before the Sabbath. And the day of resurrection is Sunday, the third day.
Mark 16:1-2. 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
For Mary Magdalene, a simple woman folk, Jesus was very special to her because Mark 16:9 tells us that Jesus cast 7 devils out of her. Mary, the Magdalene, was from the town of Magdala just as Jesus, the Nazarene, was from the town of Nazareth. Their path of life crossed. She was demon-possessed and miserable. She was under demonic bondage. 7 demons possessed her. Life was a living hell for her. But Jesus saved her. Healed her. She had suffered much. Now she rejoiced much. Jesus returned her, her sanity, and she was full of love to her Lord.
She experienced the forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ. As we read the gospels we can see that she was one of the most faithful and beautiful characters in the Bible. Verse 9 tells us she was the first person whom Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene had been following Jesus ever since Jesus healed her.
Has Jesus expelled Satan from your life? The Bible tells us the moment we believe in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit indwells us. And the Holy Spirit in us is greater than all the evil spirits in the world (1 John 4:4). When the Holy Spirit indwells us, no evil spirit can possess us henceforth.
That’s why life was worth the living for Mary Magdalene who was freed from the 7 demonic spirits. Everyone could see the difference in Mary Magdalene’s life. She now devoted her life wholly to love and serve her Lord. Her gratitude to Christ was seen in action. She owed much. Gave much. Loved much, served much. When we have been forgiven much, we also know how to love much.
Mark 16:9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
It was on her second visit to the tomb that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. She, who sought Jesus most earnestly, was honoured to be the first to see the resurrected Christ.
Jesus’s resurrection was the seal of the great work that He came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that Jesus paid it all, the ransom He paid for sinners was accepted and the atonement for sin accomplished, He bruised the head of the one who had the power of death, Satan himself, and victory was won (Gen. 3:15). He freed us from the bondage of sin to give to us peace and joy.
(2) Homegoing of Mr. Tan Kay Guan
Our elderly member Mr. Tan Kay Guan (94 years old), who was baptized on 7 May 2016, went home to be with the Lord on 22 June 2019. We pray for God’s comfort upon the bereaved family especially for his dear wife, Mrs. Tan. Praying that she may come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee