By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife
JERUSALEM (BosNewsLife Columns)– A man claiming to be the Messiah rose up from death Sunday, April 5, after he died at a cross on Golgotha hill near Jerusalem’s walls, his friends said.
Jesus Christ had been tortured and crucified to death Friday, April 3, by Roman forces, after Jewish crowds rallied against him for claiming he is the Heavenly King who will sit “at the right hand” of his Heavenly Father, giving eternal life to everyone who believes in him.
A close friend, Mary Magdalene, said she initially had been crying after not finding Jesus Christ’s human remains in the Jerusalem tomb where he was hastily buried in time for the Jewish Sabbath.
She eventually turned around and “saw Jesus” standing nearby, the woman claimed. “He said, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?'”, Magdalene recalled, adding that she initially thought it was a gardener.
“I said ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him’. But when he said ‘Mary’ I turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’,” which means ‘Teacher’, she said.
INITIAL SHOCK
One of Jesus Christ’s well-known ‘disciples’ or students, Peter, acknowledged that he was initially shocked about Magdalene’s account.
Soon after, Peter said, he also “saw Jesus” and realized that “God raised him up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.”
Peter and other witnesses said Christ confirmed to be the “Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.”
In published remarks Christ’s followers, also known as Christians, made clear they planned to become evangelists among both Jews and non-Jews. “Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.”
Roman Empire officials had no immediate comment.
BODY STOLEN?
Soldiers guarding the tomb countered that “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.”
They did not address reports they had been paid to make the statement by chief priests opposing Christ’s activities and were concerned about repercussions from the Roman governor.
Jesus Christ had been predicting his death, at the age of 33, as part of what he viewed as a mission to die for the sins of the world, before rising up from death on the third day.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die,” he said.
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Great story.
Dear Mr. Johan Th. Bos,
Thank you for this encouraging message. BosNewsLife has also been twittering the News. Click or serve to http://www.twitter.com/bosnewslife
Best regards,
Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife
There is an error in your story. Mary Magdalene originally thought Jesus was a gardener, not a carpenter.
Dear Joanna,
Indeed. You’re right. Thanks for pointing this out. Ofcourse Jesus also worked as a carpenter in the past helping his father. That must have been in my mind. But at that moment she thought it was indeed a gardener. We have corrected it.
Many blessings,
Stefan
Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife