The victory

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ They came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ‘Do not be afraid,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’ (verses 9,10)

Read Matthew 28:1–10

What would you do if Jesus were to greet you personally today? You might be frightened by the fact that someone who once was dead was well and truly alive. Yes, it would be frightening to witness a supernatural event of that magnitude. You might then start thinking about how you have lived your life. You might feel shame over the times you did things that were wrong, the times when your faith was weak, the times when you were indifferent towards or even skeptical about God and the Bible.

What do you think Jesus would say to you? He would say, as he said to his disciples, ‘Do not be afraid’. He rose from the dead so that you might worship him without fear. He sympathises with you in regard to your fears and weaknesses. By his suffering, death and rising to life for you he has completely dealt with everything you ever had to fear. He wants you to approach him boldly and joyfully, with confidence in his grace and mercy. And you can live with the sure knowledge that, just as the disciples were able to see their risen Lord in person, so will you on that great day when the Lord Jesus appears to all.

‘The glory of our king was seen on the first Easter day, when Christ rose up, set free from death, to love, to guide, to stay.’ (Margaret Cropper, born 1886)

Lord Jesus Christ, take my fear away and help me to live boldly in your grace and mercy. Amen

by Rev Simon Cooper, in ‘Living Water for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2001)

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