Dive Deeper

          Take a moment to release the thoughts of your heart and mind to the Lord, inviting the Holy Spirit into your time. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sins that you have not confessed, and as they come to mind, close your eyes, and picture your hands giving them over to our Father. Pray for guidance and illumination to the Word, and when you are ready, read through Luke 24 in the Bible. 

He is not here

          On any normal headstone, the name of the person is clearly printed with the dates of his life. It marks that this is the final resting place for that human body. His life on this earth has come to a close and now they lay beneath the headstone that signifies his previous existence. This is what people thought the tomb was for Jesus. They thought this was his resting place, and as the women walked towards the tomb with the spices they prepared, they thought they were going to find the body of Jesus. But they did not find the body; instead they found the stone rolled away and his body missing. They found two men, dazzling bright in appearance, who told them that they wouldn’t find the living among the dead, for Jesus had risen.

          Many thoughts must have rushed through the minds of these women. There was probably a wave of confusion, frustration, and deep grief. This was their Lord and Savior who had endured such pain and brokenness; now his body was gone. Who would do something like that? But just when their grief had deepened within their hearts, the angels tell them the news that ultimately changes all of history. At the peak of their sadness, they received the greatest joy any human mind could fathom. Their Savior was not dead, and he was not stolen. He was not there in that tomb, for He is alive.

He is not here

          As two men walked down a road, the resurrected Jesus drew near to them and listened to their conversation. The men did not recognize who Jesus was and began to fill Him in (as if he needed such a thing). They shared that women from their company had gone to the tomb and when they had gotten there, they saw angels. These angels had informed them that Jesus would not be found and that he was alive. As the men got closer to the village where they were headed, they invited Jesus to stay with them; when He broke bread that evening, the eyes of the men were opened and they recognized Him. The hearts of the men had begun to burn within them, even before their eyes were opened. This gave them hope and assurance in the resurrection. 

          These men were probably just as perplexed as the women, for how could the body of their Savior not be in the tomb where he was laid? Even more so, now they were hearing from women that angels had appeared to them and told them such an incredulous statement. Their Savior was not dead, he was not stolen, He is alive! How could they believe this?

          Jesus then appeared to his disciples, which startles them at first.  He shows them His hands and His feet. He invites them to touch him and to see. He ate real food in front of them and then opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He could do all of these things because Jesus had come back to life. He is alive and has conquered death.  He is not bound by the things of this world, and He is not held in the ground, having a headstone signifying his life.  He is not in that tomb for He has risen. 

He is not here

          In our human flesh, it doesn’t take much to convince ourselves that we will forever be like the women, a few moments before the angels appeared, or like the men, a few minutes before that bread was broken, or like the disciples, a few minutes before Jesus stood among them. For all of these people, their hearts were full of grief and loss. They had no idea that in a few minutes their lives would be completely changed. 

          Choosing to walk with Jesus Christ means choosing to accept that there will be moments of pain and hardship.  1 Peter 4:12-13 says “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”  There will come trials and tribulations, but we will not stay within the trial and within the suffering forever.  We are called to rejoice because after we endure the worst thing that we can imagine, Christ will be there. When we come out of a trial, He is there.  When we begin to feel joy again after such deep despair, He is there. When our lives take a turn in a direction we weren’t anticipating, He is there. 

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          And here is an even more beautiful truth: He is with us through it all. In the midst of our suffering and pain, He holds us tightly and does not let go. When we are overcome with the weight of this world and feel hopeless, He is there being our reason to hope again. God knew that Jesus was alive and resurrected even when the women were preparing their spices and walking to the tomb that day. God knew that Jesus was walking with those two men, even though those men didn’t recognize who He was. God knew that Jesus would appear to the disciples even as they were discussing if what they had heard was true.  God was in the midst of every emotion these people were feeling, and He knew that their greatest joy was yet to come. He knew that Jesus was not in that tomb, and He knew that He was alive. 

          Take a moment and reflect on what it means to you that Jesus is alive. Praise Him for the empty tomb and the life that He has given to you through His sacrifice. Think about what it truly means to be alive in Christ Jesus. 

          We can live free from the chains of sin and death because Jesus was crucified and rose to life. Romans 10:9-10 says, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” If we confess that we believe this truth, the truth that Jesus was crucified and is now alive, we will have everlasting life with Him. Because of His sacrifice, we can be saved, and we will not have to live our lives in the darkness of believing that His body is still in that grave. What a magnificent, marvelous promise.

          And one day, when we reach the end of the road of our lives, we will finally see our Jesus Christ in all His glory. He is not here in the tomb anymore, for He is alive and waiting for us with open arms. 

He is not here

He is alive

Questions for Reflection 

1. What would your first reaction have been if you were the women who saw the angels that day? Why do you think you would have responded that way?

2. Are you living your life in a way that is glorifying to the Lord? If today was your last day on earth, would you know where your soul was headed?

3. Have you invited Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior? If you have, share your story with those around you (or write it out if you are alone), along with the joy and trials that you have experienced along the way.  If you haven’t invited Jesus Christ into your life, what is holding you back? Share your story and where your heart is.