Luke 24:5-6 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee.”

The events of that Sunday boggle our minds even now. These women had watched Jesus be crucified and die, His side be pierced by a spear, then His body be taken down, manifestly dead, and then be placed in a tomb. To say they were emotionally fragile at this point would be an extreme understatement. Understandably, when two men appeared to them in shining clothes, they were terrified. Then, what the men said made no sense to them at all. What were they talking about, “the living?” They had watched Jesus die and heard His words of surrender from the cross. The magnitude of the resurrection totally defies human intellect, and human words can’t really express it. However, believing that it happened is a condition for salvation, (Romans 10:9) so we had better believe it! From our perspective, almost 2000 years after the event, we tend to think of it in the abstract, but for these ladies, nothing could have been more immediate or real. We would do well to let the Holy Spirit reveal it to our spirits afresh, because it is the greatest event in all history.

Over 40 years ago I baptized someone and, as always, I asked them if they believed that Jesus was truly God, that He died for their sins, and that He rose again. They naturally answered, “Yes,” but a friend of theirs, watching and hearing this, thought, “How can she say that? That’s absurd.” However, a few months later, I asked that friend to translate a paper on prayer by Joy Dawson, and after doing so, she thought, “I wonder what would happen if I prayed like that?” She tried it, and God answered her! Two days after that dramatic encounter, she suddenly realized that she had no trouble believing that Jesus was God, that He had died for her, and that He rose again! In contrast, I was raised in a thoroughly believing home, and believed the facts of the Gospel for as far back as I can remember. However, I didn’t let those facts govern my life nearly as perfectly as I might have. Interestingly, this year I have been much more aware that this is Passion Week than I usually am. Just yesterday I watched a video about the spiritual warfare involved in recording The Chosen tv series, and the reality of it all came pressing in on me. Today we will be having a “sunrise service,” (a bit after actual sunrise) our regular Sunday worship, and then a special children’s program this afternoon. As strongly as I am feeling the reality of the resurrection, I still want all the “events” to be over! I need to focus fully on my risen Lord, and allow Him to use me however He will in everything that goes on today, drawing others closer to Him for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for everything. Thank You for the glorious reality of the cross and the empty tomb, and for bringing me back to a renewed appreciation of it all. May I be Your agent in every detail of this day, and of every day, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!