Angel's Easter Newsletter 2006

Easter 2006 Newsletter
This newsletter is written by Angel. We are both devoted to God and Jesus.
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What a sad day it had been for the friends of Jesus! They had stood watching sorrowfully as Jesus hung on the cross dying. They didn't fully understand why it had to happen.

They believed that Jesus was the Son of God and they remembered how he had healed the sick and made blind people see. They remembered how he had fed thousands od people with just a few loaves of bread and fish. They even remembered how he he had brought dead people 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 Jesus' friends noticed that Jesus was no longer breathing. He hurriedly went to ask Pilate if he could have the body of Jesus so he could bury him. When Pilate agreed, Joseph and Nicodemus{another friend} carefully wrapped Jesus' body in clean cloths. They took him to a tomb to bury him.

The next day, the Pharisees started thinking about Jesus. They were the ones that had killed him. They remembered how he had taught them and told them that he would raise again in three days. They worried that it might be true. They also thought that Jesus' disciples would remember and might try to steal his body from the tomb just so they could say that Jesus rose again. They went to Pilate, suggesting that the tomb be closed up with a huge stone and that guards be placed around the tomb.

Just before daylight the next day, the most amazing thing happened! There was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE! An ANGEL from the Lord came down from Heaven and and 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 on the ground as if they were dead!

Mary and some other women had decided to get up early in the morning and go to visit the tomb where Jesus was placed. While walking down the road, they were discusing how they were going to get inside the tomb. They had bought some spices and perfume that they wanted to place on Jesus' 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 Jesus. 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 again:

"Go quickly and tell the other disciples that Jesus 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 Jesus but the body was not there.

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

Two of Jesus' 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 group how the women found the tomb empty.

As they continued their journey, they invited the man to come along and have dinner. When they sat down to eat the meal, the man picked up a loaf of bread and broke it into pieces. He prayed for the meal and gave the bread to the men. At that very moment they realized that the man was JESUS! They had been talking to Jesus 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....Jesus disappeared! They talked about the wonderful time they had talking with Jesus down the road and they 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 JESUS REALLY DID raise from the dead and had talked with them.

As they were talking, Jesus again appeared to talk to them. They were afraid and thought they were seeing a ghost but Jesus 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 really was him.

When they saw the nail holes in his hands and feet, they finally believed that Jesus had risen from the dead just like he said he would. They were so happy and joyful to have their friend with them again. They were so excited that they had to tell EVERYBODY the good news that JESUS IS ALIVE!

THINK!
Why were Jesus' friends so sad?
Why were guards placed around the tomb?
What caused the stone to move?
Who was the first to look inside the tomb?
Why was Jesus' body not in the tomb?
What did the angel say to Mary and the women with her?

REMEMBER:
JESUS IS ALIVE!

A VERSE TO LEARN

"He is not here but has risen {Luke 24:6}

LET'S PRAY:
Dear God:
Thank you that you sent your son, Jesus to die for our sins. Thank you that he rose from the dead and is now living.
Because he lives we can have eternal life. In Jesus' 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

Please check out this site;

http:/misslink.org/children/bibstory2.html

Thank you, Angel for this beautiful story of Jesus and the research that you done.