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Mark 16:4-7
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “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. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
New International Version (NIV)
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So has 2020 gone about the way you expected it to go? I’m guessing your answer is, “No!” Imagine someone in November of last year saying to us, “So you will have to worship on-line Easter Sunday next year because a very contagious virus with no known cure will keep large groups of people from safely gathering in a room.” I am sure I would have thought they were wrong. Even as our country begins to reopen, there are many things which are not completely clear. The virus is in decline, but not yet under control. It is still highly contagious and life-threatening to many, many people in our world. How do we make it through the darkest days of our lives?
When the women went to the tomb before sunrise on that first Easter morning, the great concern on their minds was how they would be able to move the stone. When they arrived at the tomb, they discovered that the large stone had already been moved. Even better, their greater concern of life without Jesus had been eliminated through the resurrection. Easter answered their greatest worries and gave them hope for the future.
Someone seriously asked me about the relevance of Easter in a world facing a pandemic. “We should be addressing the great fear in our culture,” they opined. The first thing the angels said to the first witnesses of the empty tomb was, “Do not be afraid.” Easter is always relevant, but especially now as it answers our fears, our grief, our guilt, and our doubt. As Jesus met the disciples where they were, they renewed their strength. The risen Lord is still the answer to the concerns in our souls. If Jesus’ victory over the grave is not enough to meet our deepest needs, believe me when I say nothing else will.
Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church and the author of The Purpose Driven Life, together with his wife, Kay, went through a devastating loss when their twenty-seven-year-old son Matthew took his own life after battling depression and mental illness for years. About a year after this tragedy, Rick said, "I've often been asked, 'How have you made it? How have you kept going in your pain?' And I've often replied, 'The answer is Easter.' You see, the death and the burial and the resurrection of Jesus happened over three days. Friday was the day of suffering and pain and agony. Saturday was the day of doubt and confusion and misery. But Easter—that Sunday—was the day of hope and joy and victory And here's the fact of life: you will face these three days over and over and over in your lifetime. And when you do, you'll find yourself asking—as I did—three fundamental questions. Number one, 'What do I do in my days of pain?' Two, 'How do I get through my days of doubt and confusion?' Three, 'How do I get to the days of joy and victory?' "The answer is Easter. The answer … is Easter."
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Pray with me:
Father, we come to you because you alone have the answers to our concerns today. Some of us are like the disciples on Friday, suffering pain and agony. Others find ourselves on Saturday in the resurrection story with doubt, confusion and misery. Thank you Father for leading us through Friday and Saturday. Don’t let us stop trusting you until we remember and realize the power of the resurrection and experience hope, joy and victory. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Join us in memorizing the Word. Scripture for this week:
Matthew 5:45-46
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
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| Our 2020 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations New Testament reading plan. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy at REPLICATE.ORG
We would love for you to join us as we read the New Testament through this year, five chapters a week. In addition I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year. Use Robby Gallaty’s H. E. A. R. plan to study each chapter (also found at REPLICATE.ORG). Highlight verses which speak to you, explain what they mean in your own words in a journal, apply them to your own life, then respond by doing what God tells you to do.
Joyfully,
Duane
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