April 20th - Matthew 28:8-9

Matthew 28:8-9 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. The women who found the empty tomb on the first Easter Sunday morning must have experienced a riot of emotions. They had got up early to anoint the body of Jesus because this was the first opportunity to do so after the sabbath. Their astonishment that the stone of the tomb had been rolled away was compounded by meeting an angel whose face shone like lightning and whose clothing was as white as snow. The angel informed them that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as he had promised, and told them to go and tell the disciples. As they ran off, Matthew records that they were very frightened but also filled with great joy. Then, amid this tumult of emotions, they suddenly met Jesus himself. The women could not keep the amazing news of the resurrection to themselves. It had to be shared, so they rushed off to pass it on to the disciples. That’s always the nature of good news – if you or a member of your family have just had a great success or happiness, you can’t wait to share it with others. That’s how the news of the resurrection has spread through the past 2,000 years. It’s so amazing that it has to be shared! Year by year, the number of people attending church in this country declines. This means we cannot rely on people hearing that Jesus rose from death in one of our churches. We need to share the message online, on the radio, in magazines, in newspapers and, most powerfully of all, by each of us telling our friends and families. We don’t need to be frightened like the women who heard this news for the first time. We have every reason to speak of the resurrection of Jesus with confidence and joy. Question In what ways do you find the news of Jesus’ resurrection joyful? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for raising Jesus from death. Help me to share this amazing news with those around me. Amen