Walking With Christ

Matthew 28:6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.(ESV)
Mark 16:6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.(ESV)
Luke 24:6-7 (6)He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, (7)that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”(ESV)

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but the tomb is empty. Stop looking there.

The disciples mourned. Even when they saw the empty tomb, they didn’t recognize what it meant. Mary Magdelene saw the angels in the tomb. She saw Jesus but assumed He was just the gardener. She even spoke to Him without recognizing who He was until He called her name.

Some of us are having a hard time accepting the idea that we are made new because we are stuck in that empty tomb. Unfortunately, we can’t know what it looked like when Christ left that tomb, but it’s easy enough to imagine the cries on anguish in the enemy’s camp. It’s easy enough to imagine the victory song in heaven at that moment of true victory.

We are not meant to stay in the tomb. Even Mary Magdelene was told to get a move on to tell the others what she had seen. The moment of discovery (first becoming a Christian) is not the destination. That is just the start of the journey. That moment is when we first come to life. That is when the real work begins.

The angels at the tomb reminded Mary that Christ had predicted His death. He also predicted His resurrection. Death had no hold on Christ. He has given us living water so death has no hold on those who follow Him. We are to follow His path, not remain where we are. If we stay focused on the empty tomb then we will miss the glory of the transformation that comes from following the one who made sure the tomb was empty. Mary’s grief was transformed into a mission to tell the world. She went from mourner to messenger in a heartbeat. In that moment, Mary knew that Christ had, indeed, predicted His death and resurrection. He had also predicted His return.

Now, we live in that promise. We live in that message. It’s in that message that we find hope and faith. We find strength and renewal. We find healing. We find peace.

Father,
Nothing is an afterthought to You. You don’t make mistakes and nothing is an accident. You knew what was going to happen before You created the first hints of life. You made a way knowing that we would need one. You’ve invited each of us to have a close and personal relationship with You, the creator of the heavens and the earth. We are not and could never be worthy, but You still choose us. We are overwhelmed by Your glory and grace. We find comfort in Your mercy. We find healing in Your love. Let the glory of Your kingdom shine through us because You are the light and the darkness cannot overcome. The world needs Your light, Your living water. Let us sing praises to Your name as we watch the light of Your glory spread around the world. Thank You for including us in Your plan.

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.