THE SEAL OF JUDGMENT.

FINALLY, THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST IS ALSO A PLEDGE OF A FINAL JUDGMENT UPON ALL WHO REJECT THE GOSPEL. OM MARS HILL PAUL PROCLAIMED THAT GOD" HAS FIXED A DAY ON WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS BY AMAN HE HAS APPOINTED, AND OF THIS HE HAS GIVEN ASSURANCE  TO ALL MEN BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD." (ACTS 17:31. CHRIST SPOKE OF A FINAL JUDGMENT WHEN HE WAS ON EARTH, CLAIMING THAT HE WOULD BE THE JUDGE. THE FACT THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD IS PROOF OF HIS CLAIMS.  IT IS A PLEDGE THAT THE JUDGMENT DAY IS COMING.  MEN AND WOMEN IMAGINE THAT DEATH IS THE END OF ALL THINGS, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT STRIKES THEIR ENEMIES. A MOSQUITO BITES US, WE ARE ANNOYED; WE SWAT IT AND CONGRATULATE OURSELVES THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE END OF THAT MOSQUITO. A FOX BREAKS INTO CHICKEN COUP AND WE SHOOT IT. SO MUCH FOR THE FOX. WE HAVE AN ENEMY, BUT WHEN HE IS DEAD WE DISMISS HIM FROM OUR MINDS. SO IT WAS WITH CHRIST. JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD DOING GOOD AND PEOPLE RESENTED HIS HOLINESS. THEY RESENTED IT SO MUCH THAT THEY TRIED TO FIND SOMETHING OF WHICH TO ACCUSE HIM, HE CLAIMED TO BE GOD'S SON; THEY CALLED IT BLASPHEMY. HE SPOKE OF THEIR SIN  AND A COMING DAY IN WHICH HE WOULD JUDGE ALL HUMANKIND; THEY HATED HIM FOR IT. EVENTUALLY THEY KILLED HIM. WE CAN IMAGINE THE JUBILATION IN JERUSALEM ON THE HIGH FEAST DAY. FOLLOWING THE  CRUCIFIXION. THOSE WHO HAD DISPOSED OF CHRIST CONGRATULATED THEMSELVES. AT LAST THEY WERE DONE WITH HIM. THEY WERE SECURE; THEY WOULD NEVER NEED ENDURE HIS ARROGANCE. THEN CAME THE RESURRECTION, AND BY THAT ACT GOD DECLARED THAT DEATH WOULD NEVER BE THE END OF CHRIST. IT COULD NEVER BE THE END FOR HIM, FOR HE IS HIMSELF THE LIFE. EVIL IS IN THE WORLD, BUT NOTHING OPPOSED TO GOD WILL FINALLY CONQUER. SIN TRIUMPHED AT THE CROSS,  BUT GOD TRIUMPHED AT THE RESURRECTION.  "CHRIST APPEARED ONCE AND FOR ALL AT THE END OF THE AGE
TO PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF... AND AFTER THAT COMES JUDGMENT (HEB .9:26-27)
FINALLY, ACCOUNTS, EVIDENCE A FUNDAMENTAL HONESTY AND ACCURACY THROUGH WHAT WE CAN ONLY CALL THEIR NATURAL SIMPLICITY. COULD' WE RESIST TO SPREAD CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AND RESURRECTION APPEARANCES, AND THE URGE OF HOW IT APPEARED TO PILATE AND CONFOUNDED HIM?  THE DESCENT OF THE ANGEL, THE MOVING OF THE STONE OR HOW HE APPEARED CAIAPHAS AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN. THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS ( THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE HEBREWS, THE GOSPEL OF PETER, THE ACTS OF PILATE., WHO LOOKS UP FROM HELL, BEGGING FOR MERCY! YET THE GOSPEL WRITERS INCLUDE NONE. THE GOSPELS DO NOT DESCRIBE THE RESURRECTION BECAUSE NO ONE WITNESSED IT. THE DISCIPLES ALL ARRIVED AT THE TOMB AFTER JESUS WAS RAISED. THE AUTHORITIES HATED THE GOSPEL, AND TRIED TO DESTROY IT AND STOP IT FROM BEING SPREAD. THEY ARRESTED THE DISCIPLES, AND EVENTUALLY KILLED SOME.ACCORDING TO JOHN, THE TOMB WAS QUITE EMPTY THE BODY OF JESUS WAS GONE BUT THE GRAVE CLOTHES REMAINED, AND WHEN HE SAW THEM BELIEVED IN THE RESURRECTION. EVERY SOCIETY HAS ITS DISTINCT MODES OF BURIAL IN ANCIENT CULTURES AS TODAY. IN EGYPT BODIES ARE EMBALMED. IN ITALY AND GREECE THEY WERE OFTEN CREMATED. IN PALESTINE  THEY WERE WRAPPED IN LINEN BANDS THAT ENCLOSED  DRY SPICES AND WERE PLACED FACE UP WITHOUT A COFFIN IN TOMBS GENERALLY CUT FROM THE ROCK IN THE JUDEAN AND GALILEAN HILLS. LUKE TELLS US WHEN JESUS WAS APPROACHING  THE VILLAGE OF NAIM EARLIER IN HIS MINISTRY, HE MET A FUNERAL PROCESSION LEAVING THE CITY. THE ONLY SON OF A WIDOW HAD DIED. LUKE SAYS WHEN JESUS RAISED HIM FROM DEATH TWO THINGS HAPPEN. FIRST, THE YOUNG MAN SAT UP, THAT IS, HE WAS LYING ON HIS BACK ON THE BIER WITHOUT A COFFIN. SECOND HE AT ONCE BEGAN TO SPEAK. THE GRAVE CLOTHES DID NOT COVER HIS FACE SPERATE COVERINGS FOR THE HEAD AND BODY WERE ALSO USED IN THE BURIAL OF LAZARUS  (JN.11:44.). IT MUST HAVE BEEN A SIMILAR MANNER THAT JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA AND NICODEMUS BURIED CHRIST. THE BODY OF JESUS WAS REMOVED FROM THE CROSS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE JEWISH SABBATH, WAS WASHED, AND THEN WAS WRAPPED IN LINEN BANDS.   ONE HUNDRED POUNDS OF DRY SPICES WERE CAREFULLY INSERTED INTO THE FOLDS OF THE LINEN. ONE OF THEM, ALOES, WAS A POWERED WOOD. LIKE FINE SAWDUST WITH  AROMATIC FRAGRANCE. JESUS BODY WAS THE ENCASED HIS HEAD NECK AND UPPER SHOULDERS WERE LEFT BARE. A LINEN CLOTH WAS WRAPPED AROUND HIS HEAD LIKE A TURBAN.  THE BODY WAS PLACED WITHIN THE TOMB WHERE IT LAY UNTIL SOMETIME ON SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY MORNING. WHAT WOULD WE HAVE SEEN IF WE WERE THERE AT THE MOMENT JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD?.  JESUS HAD BEEN RAISED IN A NATURAL BODY RATHER THEN A SPIRITUAL BODY.
 WATCHING JESUS ESCAPE FROM THE BANDAGES.  THERE (JN.20:7).  WHAT DID JOHN BELIEVE?  HE MIGHT HAVE EXPLAINED IT TO PETER  LIKE THIS. " DON'T YOU SEE, PETER, THAT NO ONE HAS MOVED THE BODY OR DISTURBED THE GRAVE CLOTHES.
 THEY ARE LYING EXACTLY AS NICODEMUS AND JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA LEFT THEM ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH.   YET THE BODY IS GONE!   AMEN.