Matthew
28:1-10
After
the sabbath, and towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and
the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. And all at once there was a violent
earthquake, for the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled
away the stone and sat on it. His face was like lightning, his robe white as
snow. The guards were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead
men. But the angel spoke; and he said to the women, ‘There is no need for you
to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not
here, for he has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he
lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has risen from the dead and
now he is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him.” Now I
have told you.’ Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from
the tomb and ran to tell the disciples. And there, coming to meet them, was
Jesus. ‘Greetings’ he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down
before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go
and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’
Food for the thought
In the Bible, whenever God has to make an announcement of extreme importance, He sends that message through an angel. Ex. The conception of Jesus, or the birth of Jesus, were all announced by an angel. Tonight, another angel announces a news that is unbelievable: Jesus who died, now he's risen; was crucified, he has risen, he is not in the tomb. On that first Easter morning, as dawn was breaking, this special message was delivered by a special angel to the women. Unbelievable!!
Note this: Jesus is not risen because the tomb was found empty (grave robbers may have stolen the body); the tomb is empty because Jesus is risen.
After Jesus rose from the dead, He immediately disappears and appears to be busy doing something important: "He is going before you to Galilee." Jesus is risen and Jesus is busy.
The angel closed his message to these women by reminding them of the Lord’s promise. They would see him again: "you will see him". This message must have lifted their hearts. It should lift ours too: WE SHALL SEE JESUS! As the Book of Revelation 1:7 tells us: "every eye shall see him—yes, and those who pierced him." Let's live and behave as people who one day will see Jesus. The women had come to the tomb that morning expecting to see a dead body, they left it with the promise that they would see the living Jesus again.
The angel is saying that death is not the end of the story. There is one more chapter to our story. This is the most important chapter because, as the saying goes, they who laugh last laugh best; it is the most important chapter because it is endless; it is eternal chapter. And in the last chapter of the story of Jesus we see ours too; yes there's one more chapter to our life.
It means that just as life does not begin at birth, but BEFORE birth, life does not end at death; it continues BEYOND death. It means that just as life does not begin in the womb, but goes through the womb, so too life does not end in the tomb; life goes through the tomb; just as life has to know birth, so too life has to know death. We do not live in the womb for ever; some day, we come out. The same with death, we shall not stay in the tomb for ever, we shall come out. Yes, we shall overcome, someday. Thanks to him who lives and reigns now and forever. Amen.
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