Easter
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Getting a Life!
1Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. 2Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. 3His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you.”
8The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give them the angel’s message. 9And as they went, Jesus met them. “Greetings!” he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
11As the women were on their way into the city, some of the men who had been guarding the tomb went to the leading priests and told them what had happened. 12A meeting of all the religious leaders was called, and they decided to bribe the soldiers. 13They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you and everything will be all right.” 15So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today. Matthew 28:1-15
Thoughts
For seven days we have read Matthew’s account of the first Easter. Each day we have read of an angel’s appearing, of the women’s fear and joy, of Jesus’ appearance to the women and promise to meet with His “brothers” in Galilee. Each day we have read of the guards fainting dead away at the earthquake and appearance of the angel, and of how they went and told the Jewish leaders, who met and twisted the account to something that no reasonable person could accept—that the disciples had come in the night and carried Jesus’ body away. Why would the disciples then be willing to die for a dead Jesus? All but one of these men were martyred for their faith in Jesus, and the one who was not martyred—John, lived the last years of his life in exile on the island of Patmos for His allegiance to Jesus. The transformation of the disciples into fearless proclaimers of the risen Jesus is powerful evidence that Jesus DID rise from the dead, appear to them, and empower them with the Holy Spirit!
But what about us? What does the Easter story say to us and do for us as we live each day? What will happen as April turns to May and then June, as we interrupt the routine of life for summer vacations? Will we live the Easter story everyday? Will we put Jesus first? Will we tell ANYONE about the amazing truth of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection?
The difference in the disciples’ lives after they saw their risen Savior and Lord, Jesus, is intended to be the norm for us all. It’s true that we have not seen the risen Jesus, as they did, but remember what Jesus told Thomas (the doubting one) after Thomas had seen Jesus face to face, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!” That, my friends, is you and I. We have not seen Jesus face to face, before or after He died and rose again. Yet, we believe. And how we live each day shows the world whether we really believer or not. May His Spirit in us make us bold proclaimers of the Good News every day that Easter may become a reality for all in our spheres of influence!