The Yom haBikkurim Story - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

THE YOM HA-BIKKURIM STORY
By Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards

What an awfully sad day it had been for the friends of Yah'shua! They
had stood watching sorrowfully, as Yah'shua hung on the cross dying.
They didn't fully understand why it had to happen.

They believed that Yah'shua was the Son of Yahweh, and they remembered
how He had healed the sick and made blind people see. They
remembered how He had fed thousands of people with just a few
loaves of bread and fish. They even remembered how He had caused
dead people to come back to life. He was such a good, kind man;
why did He have to die?

Just before the sun was beginning to sink into the west, Joseph,
one of Yah'shua' friends, noticed that Yah'shua was no longer breathing.
He hurriedly went to ask Pilate if he could have the body of Yah'shua
so he could bury Him. When Pilate agreed, Joseph and Nicodemus
(another friend) carefully wrapped Yah'shua' body in clean cloths.
Then they took Him to a tomb to bury Him.

The next day, the Pharisees started thinking about Yah'shua. They were
the people that had wanted to kill Yah'shua. They remembered how He
had taught them, saying that He would rise again after three days.
They were worried that it might be true! They also thought that
Yah'shua' disciples would remember and might try to steal the body
from the tomb just so they could say that Yah'shua rose again. They
went to Pilate, suggesting that the tomb be closed up with a huge
stone and that guards be placed all around the tomb.

Just before daylight the next day, the most amazing thing happened!
There was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE! An ANGEL from Yahweh came
down from heaven, moved the gigantic stone away from the door of
the tomb and sat on it. The guards began to shake with fear! They fell
down to the ground as if they were dead!

* * *

Mary and some other women had decided to get up very early in the
morning and go to visit the tomb where Yah'shua was placed. While
walking down the road, they were discussing how they were going to
get inside the tomb. They had brought along some spices and perfume
that they wanted to place on Yah'shua' body. They knew the huge stone
had been placed in the doorway and they had no idea how they were
going to move it.

What a SURPRISE they found when they reached the tomb! The stone
had already been moved! And . . . there was an ANGEL sitting on the
stone! The women were quite afraid, but the angel spoke gently to
them:

"Don't be afraid. I know that you have come to see Yah'shua. He is not
here; for he is risen just as he said. Come inside and see the
place where he lay."

The women went inside the tomb and found it empty, just as the
angel had told them.

The angel spoke to the women one more time:

"Go quickly and tell the other disciples that Yah'shua has risen from
the dead; and he is going into Galilee where you will see him."

* * *

The women did just as the angel had told them. They ran quickly
from the tomb, with fear and great joy, to tell the good news to
the other disciples. But . . . when the women found Peter and their
other friends and tried to tell them the good news, . . . no one
believed them!

When the women persisted, Peter decided that he needed to find out
for himself.

He ran all the way to the tomb.

He went inside.

He saw the cloths that had been wrapped around Yah'shua, but the body
was not there.

He wondered if it could possibly be true. Did Yah'shua really raise
from the dead? Was Yah'shua really alive?

* * *

Two of Yah'shua' other friends were going on a journey to a village
called Emmaus. As they walked and talked, they discussed all the
things that had happened over the past few days. A man came along
and joined the group. He walked along with them and wanted to join
their discussion. Cleopas began telling the man about how Yah'shua was
crucified on the cross. They talked about how the women found the
empty tomb.

As they continued their journey, they invited the man to come in
with them and have dinner. When they sat down to eat their meal,
the man picked up a loaf of bread and broke it in pieces. Then he
prayed for the meal and gave the bread to the men. At that very
moment they realized that the man was Yah'shua! They had been talking
to Yah'shua the whole time and didn't even know it!

Then . . . ANOTHER strange thing happened. As soon as they realized
who it really was that sat at the table with them . . . Yah'shua
disappeared! They talked about the wonderful time they had talking
with Yah'shua down the road, and they just couldn't help talking about
his strange disappearance. They got up from their meal and returned
to Jerusalem where they told all the other disciples the good news
that Yah'shua REALLY DID raise from the dead and had talked with them.

As they were talking, Yah'shua again appeared to them. They were
afraid and thought they were seeing a ghost, but Yah'shua told them
not to be afraid. He showed them His hands and feet where He had
been nailed to the cross, so they would believe that it was really
Him.

When they saw the nail holes in His hands and feet, they finally
believed that Yah'shua had risen from the dead, just like He said He
would. They were soooo happy and joyful to have their friend with
them again. They were soooo excited that they had to tell EVERYBODY
the good news that Yah'shua IS ALIVE!

***********

THINK!

Why were Yah'shua' friends so sad?
Why were guards placed around the tomb?
What caused the huge stone to be moved?
Who was the first to look inside the tomb?
Why was Yah'shua' body not in the tomb?
What did the angel say to Mary and the women with her?

REMEMBER:

Yah'shua Is Alive!

A VERSE TO LEARN

"He is not here, but is risen" (Luke 24:6).

LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Dear Yahweh, thank You that You sent Your Son,
Yah'shua, to die for our sins. Thank You that He
arose from the dead and is now living; and
because He lives, we can have eternal life.
In Yah'shua's Name. Amen.
****************************************************

CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Matthew 27:55 - 28:10
Mark 15:40 - 16:14
Luke 23:47 - 24:35
John 19:38 - 20:21

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