The Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-10, NIV - After the Sabbath, at dawn on the
first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the
tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord
came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on
it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The
guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know
that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has
risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly
and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you
into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled
with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said.
They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my
brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The two Mary’s go to the tomb to grieve. Matthew has been sure to let us know that it
is the women who stayed with Jesus to the very end. They were there for the crucifixion and they were
there with Joseph of Arimathea when Jesus’s body was laid to rest. They were there to see the tomb sealed by the
Roman guards and now, on Sunday morning, they return to the tomb. They will be the first witnesses of the resurrection.
I can’t help but think that they came
that morning with hope in their hearts. Throughout
our journey through Matthew, we heard Jesus tell His followers SO many times
that he would die, but three days later, he would be raised. These women would have also known that Jesus
raised others who had died. They come
this early morning to grieve, but I feel sure there is some vestige of faith in
Jesus’s promise, if only a mustard seed’s worth.
If that is true, then their faith
was confirmed in a spectacularly dramatic way.
An earthquake shakes the ground beneath them. An angel so impressive that two Roman
soldiers are literally scared stiff shows up.
The angel rolls back the stone (a feat that would normally take several
very strong people) and then takes a seat atop the stone. The angel says, “do not be afraid,” but that
was pointless. They are afraid nonetheless. I’m not sure any human who has ever lived
would not be afraid.
I highlight their fear, because I
want to highlight the fact that, unlike the “macho” Roman guards, the women are
not paralyzed by their fear. They follow
the angel into to the tomb and see that Jesus is not there. They hear, believe, and follow the angel’s
instructions even though they never cease to be afraid. Matthew notes that as they run to tell the
disciples the most incredible news ever given, they were “afraid yet filled
with joy.”
Their faithful action in the midst
of fear is rewarded for, in following the angel’s instruction, they literally
run into the Risen Christ! He, like the
angels begins with, “do not be afraid” as the women throw themselves at His
feet. I’m sure their was more details to
this actual encounter, but Matthew doesn’t give us anymore than Jesus’s
instructions about where the disciples can meet Him. They follow Jesus’s instruction as well, but
I’m not sure their fear is completely gone.
Faith is not the absence of
fear. Joy is not the absence of
fear. The presence of fear does not mean
we have to be consumed by it or paralyzed by it. We can hear God’s revelation in the midst of
fear. We can follow God’s instructions
in the midst of fear. We can even
experience joy while simultaneously still experiencing fear. These remarkable women show us this wonderful
possibility.
Question: Have you
ever been, or are you now, paralyzed by fear?
Prayer: Lord, even in
our fear, allow us to hear and follow your voice. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for people who are being overwhelmed by fear today.
Song: I Just Seen
Jesus - Larnelle Harris, Sandi Patty
