He is risen!
by Faye Schmidt
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Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him’ (Matthew 28:7).
Read Matthew 28:1–10
When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visited the tomb of Jesus that morning, they would not have expected to experience a violent earthquake, encounter an angel or find the tomb empty.
This would have been a lot to take in, and it is no wonder the angel told them not to be afraid – they would have been feeling fear from a number of different angles and for various reasons. We read that the guards, too, most likely strong and hardened men, ‘shook and became like dead men’. Who can blame anyone for being afraid in such circumstances?
But the biggest fear they would have experienced was the unknown – where was Jesus? What has happened to him?
The words of the angel, ‘He is risen’, filled them with joy as they hurried away to carry out the task the angel had given them. They hurried. This news could not wait. The news of an earthquake and an angel faded away in the light of this momentous message, and it was imperative that it be shared as a matter of urgency.
We, too, face the empty tomb of Jesus with fear and awe as we recognise what his resurrection means for us. Our sorrow at his death on the cross is overcome with the joy of his victory over death – for us, each one of us. On hearing this news, who do I now hurry to tell just as the women did that morning?
Dear Lord, send your Holy Spirit to equip me to be ready to share the joy of Jesus’ resurrection with those who have not heard or do not believe so that they, too, may share in the joy of the gift of salvation and eternal life through him. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Victoria–Tasmania District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer. She has a heart for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
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