Maybe they thought it was a prank and the angel spoke up trying to convince them it wasn’t a prank, and there was no danger. You’ve seen the hidden camera shows on tv where someone tries to trick people, but ultimately there’s someone who doesn’t like the notion, and immediately the actors have to break character to say, “It’s ok, it’s just a prank!” Everyone laughs, they move on. The women went to the borrowed tomb where Jesus was laid only to be met by an angel. Is that as difficult for you to wrap your mind around as it is for me? I’d pass out, cold, like, hit the ground. Done. Why didn’t Jesus meet them at the door of the tomb? My only personal idea is this; it wasn’t time, yet. Soon enough, He did appear to many after His resurrection. There are many accounts of this in the scriptures.
Between the moments leading up to Jesus being beaten, whipped, crucified, and breathing His last breath on the cross, and the moment He was resurrected from a borrowed tomb we find ourselves simply hopeless. We find ourselves bound to a chain that leads to a dark, dead end destination called death and hell. Before Jesus, and without Him, we are abandoned and hopeless. We see the tattered, broken lives of a world who rejects Him daily now, but, His mercy endures. His love is everlasting. He is risen, and that means we have hope, and eternal life as believers. Life will not always be perfect, there will be challenges, and adversity will come. We are not promised a life of ease, we are promised, however, life, life everlasting, and in Christ, life to the fullest. We are promised, as beneficiaries of His love, mercy, and grace, total freedom from sin and death, complete victory over this world, and eternal life with our loving Savior. I don’t see a problem with any of that. I choose Jesus for my life, He is the only way, and His love has radically changed me as a man.
Today, we celebrate His resurrection. He is risen, indeed.
Heavenly Father, There are no words I can write, no words I can speak, nothing I can do to adequately express my gratitude for sending Your only Son to die for me. Today, however, I celebrate the risen Savior, Jesus! I know I have access to eternal life as a believer in Your Son Jesus, the death, burial, and resurrection empowers me to eternal life and life to the fullest here! May my life be a song of blessing to You in all ways, for now and forever. -Amen
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
Matthew 28:5-7 NLT
