Unshakeable<\/strong> Did you ever wonder about that stone at the tomb of Jesus? Why was it moved? It wasn\u2019t to let Jesus out; Jesus could get out of the tomb as easily as He entered the Upper Room later, without using the door. No, the reason the stone was rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see!<\/p>\n And what did they see there? They saw that the body of Jesus was gone, but the grave clothes were still there, lying undisturbed. In John 20:1-8<\/a> \u00a0there are different Greek words used for “saw.” When it says Mary and Peter saw, it means they noted. When it says that John saw, it means that he saw with understanding, with comprehension.<\/p>\n Peter entered the tomb. “Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed”\u00a0(John 20:8<\/a>). When John saw the grave clothes, he thought, “I get it!” He believed that Jesus was alive, based on what he saw.<\/p>\n Then John adds something that seems puzzling at first. Verse 9 says, \u201cFor as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.\u201d They saw an empty tomb<\/a> and empty grave clothes, and they formed their beliefs based on that. They knew what they saw.<\/p>\n But by the time John wrote his gospel<\/a>, they knew the theology of Christ\u2019s resurrection. Their faith, once based on physical evidence\u2014the open tomb, the body gone, the clothes intact (as good as that was to convince John at that moment)\u2014wasn\u2019t enough to sustain a person through life. \u201cThis is what we saw, but we didn\u2019t know the scripture yet\u201d points to the fact that there\u2019s something even better to base your belief and knowledge upon, and that\u2019s the objective, inerrant prophecy in the Word of God.<\/p>\n Observation and personal experience aren\u2019t enough! The Bible predicted that Christ would rise from the dead. What Peter called \u201ca more sure word of prophecy\u201d (2 Peter 1:19<\/a>, KJV) is a more sure foundation.<\/p>\n So how do you know that you know? You could say, \u201cI know because I saw or I heard.\u201d But here\u2019s something better: \u201cWhat I saw and what I heard was predicted long ago in the prophets.\u201d So now the subjective experience is bolstered by the objective prophecy of the Bible\u2014and that\u2019s unshakeable.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what I want you to see here\u2014the fundamental importance of the Word of God. Jesus said in\u00a0Matthew 24:35<\/a>, \u201cHeaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.\u201d<\/p>\n The experience which we have with Christ is valid only as it is tied to something that is outside of our experience, something that is objective\u2014the inerrant Word of God. With that, we can face anything.<\/p>\n If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don\u2019t have an experience with God yourself, then it\u2019s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn\u2019t match what the scripture says, then it\u2019s not reasonable. Put them both together, it\u2019s powerful. It\u2019s unshakeable.<\/p>\n That\u2019s my prayer for you at this Easter season, that you will have an unshakeable faith, based on the sure word of prophecy and a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Redeemer!<\/p>\n For more from Skip Heitzig, visit ConnectwithSkip.com<\/a>, and listen to today’s broadcast of Connect with Skip Heitzig<\/a> at OnePlace.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.swncdn.com\/media\/400w\/via\/images\/2024\/02\/01\/34400\/34400-connect-feb-2024-offer_source_file.webp\")
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