The Day Death Died: A Holy Week DevotionalSample

The Women at the Tomb

READ

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:1–8

REFLECT

The life and ministry of Jesus raised the hopes and expectations of the people during that time, especially the marginalized. This included women, several of whom were part of Jesus’ ministry. His death and burial was a blow to His followers. Their hopes, dreams, and aspirations were shattered. Imagine the emotional pain and anguish of the women as they witnessed the brutality of the crucifixion and saw that Jesus’ body was broken and marred beyond human recognition. They even saw where He was buried. A miracle was the last thing on their minds.

The prominence of the women as key witnesses to one of the greatest miracles of all time—the resurrection—is a testament to how God can use what others may consider as foolish and weak, broken and dead for His kingdom purposes. After hearing the message from the angel, the women ran quickly to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen. The women became the first witnesses of the good news that Christ has risen indeed.

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” Matthew 28:5–7

The resurrection was a turning of things right-side up. It is God letting us experience redemption, starting with redeeming our deepest pains, fears, and broken dreams. The angel’s words, “Do not be afraid,” is comforting not only for those who have experienced loss and grief, but even for those whose hopes and dreams have been shattered.

The resurrection gives us reason to not just rejoice but to renew our hopes and dreams: “. . . you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen . . .” Sometimes, the greatest thing that can happen to us is not to find what we are seeking because we are seeking the wrong thing. We go through each day in search of things to find hope and life, yet soon realize that those are all dead ends. The women were looking for a dead Jesus, but instead, they found an empty tomb and heard the angel’s proclamation that Jesus is alive. The answer to what we seek is found not in any of the things in this world, but only in the risen Christ!

“. . . he has risen, as he said.” Jesus is a promise keeper. The resurrection is a testament to God being a promise-keeping God. There were dozens of prophecies that were fulfilled in the passion week alone. If Jesus can fulfill His promise to rise from the dead, as He said, then we can take heart that all His promises to us and for us are yes and amen!

If you feel you are entombed because of your circumstances, if you feel your dreams have been shattered and all hope is lost, do not be afraid; He has risen, as He said! Believe that God can do miracles in your life so that you, and the people around you, can know Him.

RESPOND

• Are there areas in your life that you think have been entombed because of certain events? What would you do to bring the life that comes from the risen Christ into these situations?
• What promises from God are you waiting to be fulfilled? How does knowing that God is a miracle-working and promise-keeping God affect the way you wait for the fulfillment of His promises to you?
• What promises from God have you given up on? How can the truth and reality of Christ’s resurrection strengthen your hope and faith? What hopes and dreams do you think God is giving you today?