PART 21 A

RESURRECTION

At the end of the {seventh day} Shabbat, {toward evening} as it began to be the first day of the week, there was a powerful earthquake. A messenger of YHVH descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, then he sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was snowy white. The guards shook with fear at the site of him and fell down like they were dead. Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief Kohenim everything that had happened. The chief Kohenim had then met with the Zakenim and devised a plan. They gave the soldiers a large sum of money and told them, "You are to report this, 'His disciples came during the night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." Therefore, the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. Because of it, this story has been widely publicized among the Yehudim to this very day. Then at dawn, on the first day of the week, Miryam of Migdal and Miryam the mother of Ya'akov and Shalome and Yochanah were coming to see the Tomb. They brought spices to anoint Yeshua's body. Because a huge stone was over the entrance, they conversed among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" Then looking, they saw the stone was already rolled back. So they entered the tomb and the body of Yeshua was gone. Then Miryam of Migdal ran to Shimon Kefa and the other disciple {Yochanan}, whom Yeshua loved and said, "They have taken away Adonai out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid Him." Immediately, Kefa and that other disciple ran out together, but the other disciple outran Kefa and came to the tomb first. He stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying there, but he did not go in. Then Shimon Kefa arrived and went into the tomb and saw the linen clothes lying there and the cloth which was around His head was not lying with the linen clothes, but was wrapped together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple went in, who was first on the scene and he saw and believed. For at this point they did not know the scriptures which say, He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples left and went to their own homes. But Miryam stood outside at the tomb crying. As she wept she stooped down into the tomb and saw two messengers in dazzling white clothing sitting on the right side, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Yeshua had lain. When the woman saw them she was frightened and bowed her face to the ground. They said to her, "Woman, why do you cry?" She said, "Because they have taken away Adonai and I do not know where they have laid Him." One messenger said to the woman, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? You do not need to fear, for I know that you look for Yeshua HaNatzeret, who was executed on the stake. He is not here. He is risen! Come and see the place where YHVH was laid." {She looked, then the messenger said,} "Remember how He spoke to you when He was in the Galil? He said, 'the Son of man must be put into the hands of sinful men and be executed on the stake and after the third day rise again.' Quickly go now and tell His disciples that He has been resurrected from the dead. Watch! He proceeds you into the Galil. You will see Him there, as I have told you." She hurriedly began to depart from the tomb with trembling and joyfulness. When Miryam had turned to leave she saw Yeshua standing there, but did not know it was Yeshua. Yeshua said unto her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" She supposed He was the gardener, so she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away." "Miryam," Yeshua said. She turned around and said to him, "Rabbi!" Yeshua said, "Hello!" The woman came and held Him at His feet and worshiped Him. "Do not touch Me," Yeshua said, "for I am not yet ascended to Avi. Go to My brothers and tell them that I ascend to Avi, your Abba; to My Elohim and your Elohim. Do not be afraid. Go tell My brothers to go to the Galil. They will see Me there." So she returned from the tomb and told all these things unto the eleven and to all the rest. It was Miryam of Migdal and Yochanah and Miryam the mother of Ya'akov and others with them, who told these things to the Shaliachim. But their report seemed to them to be fictional stories and they did not believe them.

WALK TO AMMA'US

It happened that two of them travelled that same day from Yerushalayim about seven miles, to the village of Amma'us. Along the way they conversed about all these things which had happened. While they reasoned together, Yeshua Himself came near and walked with them. But their eyes were set ahead and they didn't recognize Him. He asked them, "What kind of conversation is this you are having together as you walk? And why so sad?" Cleophas, one of them, answered, "Are you a newcomer to Yerushalayim? Haven't you heard about the things which have happened here recently?” "What things?" He said. "Concerning Yeshua HaNatzeret," they said. "He was a mighty prophet in deeds and words, in the sight of Elohim and all the people. The chief Kohenim and our rulers sentenced Him to be condemned to death and they have executed Him on the stake. But, we trusted in Him to be the Redeemer of Yisrael. Besides all this, today is after the third day since these things were done. Yes and some women of our company who were earlier at the Tomb have amazed us. They did not find His body and they told us that they had also seen a vision of messengers {from Heaven}, who said that He was alive. Ones who were with us went to the tomb and found it {empty} just as the women had told us, but they did not see Him." "Oh you foolish ones and slow to put your trust in all that the prophets have spoken!" Yeshua declared. "Was not Moshiach supposed to suffer these things and then to enter into His glory?" Then, beginning with Moshe and all the prophets, He explained to them all the things in the scriptures concerning Himself. They were nearing the village where they were going and Yeshua acted as though He was going to go farther. But they stopped Him by saying, "Stay with us, because it is getting late and not much daylight is left." So He went in to stay with them. As He sat down at the dinner table with them, He took some bread and blessed {"Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha’olam ha'motzi lechem min ha'aretz"} and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn within us while He conversed with us on the road and while He revealed the scriptures to us?" At that same time they got up and returned to Yerushalayim and found the eleven gathered together and others with them there, reporting, "Adonai is truly risen! He has appeared to Shimon." So, they also reported what happened on the road and how Yeshua was revealed to them with the breaking of bread.

APPEARANCE TO DISCIPLES IN YERUSHALAYIM

Then that same day at evening, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the leaders of the Yehudim, Yeshua appeared and stood among them. "Shalom Aleichem," He said to them and told them how displeased He was that they did not trust the report of those who had seen Him after He arose. But, they thought they were seeing a ghost. So, Yeshua said, "Why are you troubled? Why do you think that way? See My hands and My feet. It is I! Touch Me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." When He showed them His hands and His side, the disciples celebrated. Yet they still doubted in amazement. They were all sitting at dinner. Yeshua said, "Do you have anything to eat?" They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and He ate it in front of them. "Shalom Aleichem," Yeshua said to them again. "As Abba has sent Me, so I send you the same way." Then He breathed out on them and commanded, "You will receive the Ruach HaKodesh! Whose sins you send away, they will be sent away from them. Whom you strengthen, they are strengthened." T’oma, a twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Yeshua came. Later, when the disciples saw T’oma they said, "We have seen Adonai." "Unless I see His hands with the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into His side, I will not believe," T’oma answered. After eight days Yeshua's disciples were still in hiding and T’oma was with them. While the doors were shut, Yeshua once again came and stood among them and greeted them with, "Shalom Aleichem!" Then Yeshua said to T’oma, "Look at My hands. Take your finger and touch them. Reach in here with your hand and touch My side. Do not doubt, rather keep on trusting." T’oma said, "Adonai and My Elohim!" Yeshua said, "T’oma, because you have seen Me, you have trusted. Blessed is the one who has not seen, but has also trusted.”