Mark 16:1–7 ‘“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”’ (v6)
Christ is risen! Happy Easter, as we celebrate together the remarkable story of a man who died and rose again. Whilst there are stories of resuscitation in Scripture, such as that of Lazarus (John 11:43), this is the only resurrection. Jesus will never die again and offers us the confidence to believe His promise of eternal life. We live both for today and an unseen future. Indeed, that promised future will at times be all that carries us through our present moment. Just as Jesus lived His life in the light of God’s future promise of resurrection, so we are asked to live likewise. Who can make sense of every moment of their life? Only those who view it from the future and look back.
If Jesus’ disciples were confused before an empty tomb, little surprise that we struggle with the supernatural now being ever present. Yet, every day we must remind ourselves that we stand before an empty tomb. We may not see Jesus, but the tomb cannot be empty unless Christ left. Having broken free from death’s clutches, He can never be subject to death again. When we cannot find Him the angel’s words ring in our ears, ‘Don’t be alarmed’. It takes a moment to calm our fears, park our frustrations, channel our anxieties, and settle on a quiet prayer that we will once again have an encounter with our risen forever Lord. This is one of the greatest daily challenges for each of us.
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Psa. 56:1–4; Isa. 35:1–7; 2 Cor. 5:1–10; 2 Tim. 1:6–12.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: To what degree are you weighed down by your graveclothes? How might you step into Christ’s resurrection life?
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, I give You thanks today for Christ’s resurrection and the life that is mine in Him. Amen.’
