April 13, 2020
Matthew 27:45 - 28:10 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” Matthew 27:5-7 NRSV
Although this selected passage of scripture is familiar to most who read it, the central element of this story of the empty tomb and of the resurrected Christ is that all of it was born out of grief. Through the lens of our faith, we see an empty tomb, and an empty cross. Jesus died, certainly. But, out of grief and death we have joy and wonder; and, that comes to us through our faith in God in Jesus Christ. The testament of the resurrection in all four gospels serves as witness to this amazing event: Christ is Risen! And, this comes from the power of Almighty God.
This should be why we get up in the morning. It should be a well-ingrained reason to say, “Thank you,” each day. And, it should be the purpose of our gathering each Sunday, reenacting that precious day in Jerusalem. Everyone can take heart and gain strength from this great miracle that unfolded that day. Our lives are transformed through an event from long ago: a Great Happening that is now timeless, through God’s mercy. We are challenged by Christ himself. As the messenger in Matthew says, Christ is going ahead of you. While we are not headed to Galilee in any literal sense, we still face the challenges before us with God’s power working with us and through us.
We pray that you will live life in fullness and in wonder, supported by the grace of Almighty God in this time after Easter.
Stan Reid