“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

Matthew 28:1-10

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The four gospels each tell the story of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; however, each tells the story in their own way with different details. In Matthew’s account there were two women who arrived at the tomb – Mary Magdalene and the “other” Mary. As they arrived there was a violent earthquake when suddenly an angel arrived and rolled back the stone. Next thing you know the angel is sitting on the stone initiating a conversation with the women. What an odd way to deliver the news of the Resurrection – an earthquake, an angel, and not only that, but an angel casually sitting on the stone!

Matthew is the only gospel that reported an earthquake, an angel sitting on the stone, and guards at the tomb. The guards were so stunned and afraid of the angel that they “shook and became like dead men.” The angel then instructed the women to go and tell his disciples that he had been risen from the dead and was going ahead to Galilee to meet them.

The women had several options at that point, not the least of which would have been to ignore the angel, yet they did the opposite. They hurried away from the tomb and fulfilled God’s command to go and tell the disciples the great news, but they hurried away from the tomb in both fear and joy. What a great reminder to all of us that two or more things can be true at the same time. In this case, we can experience fear and joy simultaneously.

As the women were on their way to share the news with the disciples, none other than Jesus showed up. What would he say? In the understatement of understatements, Jesus said, “Greetings!” That was a common greeting at the time and would equate to you and I saying, “Hi” or “Hello”. However, “Greetings”, carried a much deeper meaning in the Greek language. The Greek word was “chairete” and the literal meaning was “rejoice” or “be glad”. Jesus was saying “Hello” and “Rejoice” at the same time.

Upon further reflection, perhaps that is not as big an understatement as we first thought. If we have ears to hear, the risen Christ says that to us each day, and by the grace of God, will say it to us face to face when we meet him in heaven – “Greetings!”

Prayer:

Almighty and all loving God, words cannot adequately explain your love for us and our love for you. We celebrate today knowing that you raised Christ from the dead and will raise us one day as well. Help us to be faithful messengers of your saving grace in Jesus Christ. Amen.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

How does your belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ affect your day-to-day life and how you think about yourself, your relationship with others, and God?

I had a seminary professor who said that the past, present, and future are all intertwined. Using the Resurrection as a lens, how does it influence your thoughts on the past, the present, and the future?

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