The first thing I think the Lord gave me this morning was that the angel rolled the stone away from Christ's grave so that we could see in, not so that He could get out. (Recall His special mode of presence demonstrated in several instances after His resurrection.)
But the thing that really impressed me this morning was the authority of His Kingdom. It is what He taught about during His three years of ministry, so this should be the quintessential teaching and function of the Church:
M 28:18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Notice that the Apostle Paul understood the importance of the authority of Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom:
A 28:21 [The Jewish leaders in Rome] replied, "We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. 22 But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere." 23 So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. ... 30 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, 31 boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, you are the Sovereign Creator, and I worship you. You are worthy of all the praise I can give you because you are so good. Lord, please let me commune wit the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit today, and please help me humbly and devotedly obey all your commandments. I humbly submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; please show me your kind and patient guidance. Thank you for the promise of your presence. Please help me seek first your Kingdom and righteousness and trust you to take care of all the other details. Lord, please use my life to lead others into the practice of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.
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