What Really Happened on Easter?
Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for this Easter Day! Thank You for the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, which offers me hope for my own resurrection from the dead one day, and which promises me abundant life here and now! Heavenly Father, I glorify and praise Your Holy name for the wonderful salvation you have provided. Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit and use me this day to bear testimony to the Good News that Jesus conquered death, and offers life to all who will receive it. This I pray in Jesus precious and powerful name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Matthew 28:1-15
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.
Reflecting on God's Word
Put yourself in the place of one of the women. How do you think you would have responded upon arriving and the tomb and seeing the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What was the result when the angel came to roll the stone away from the tomb? (28:1-4)
How did the women respond to the angel’s appearing? (28:5-8)
Understanding God's Purpose
What does the appearance of the angel tell us about God’s purpose in Jesus’ death?
Why do you suppose that the guards and the women responded so differently to the angel’s appearance?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What do you see in the woman’s response to the angel that you could apply living out your faith in Jesus today?
Thoughts...The Guards and The Women
How radically different was the response of the guards to the angel’s appearing to that of the women. The guards—trained Roman soldiers, or perhaps temple guards, faced challenges even life threatening situations on a regular basis. Yet, upon the appearance of the angel these men fainted dead away. The women on the other hand, were afraid, but they recovered and heard the most wondrous news: Jesus was alive! How could seasoned soldiers fail, where faithful women came through? The answer is in the adjective just used to describe the women—faithful. These women weren’t expecting an angel, but their frame of reference was one of faith. They had served Jesus, even worshiped Him. While they weren’t anticipating His resurrection, He had told them that He WOULD rise again. When the angel appeared, the initial fear melted away to wonder and amazement, then unspeakable joy as the truth sank in—Jesus was ALIVE! The same is true in our lives. Life brings fear sometimes. We fear for our health, our safety, even our lives. Without faith, those fears can become overwhelming, but when we receive the gift of faith from Jesus everything changes. Life becomes bearable, even enjoyable, and because of Easter it is filled with hope—since Jesus rose we believe that we shall also! Alleluia!