THE WORDS OF THE RISEN KING

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID” – Matthew 28: 5b-6a

On the Resurrection Morn, the Angel of the Lord at the tomb simply echoed the WORDS of the RISEN KING: “But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Mt.28: 5-6). On this glorious Sunday morning, two Marys encountered a pleasant surprise. Instead of finding a closed tomb, they found an open grave, and an angel greeting them with the King’s words! For them and for every follower of the Lord Jesus, life would never be the same. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead changed the entire course of history. History fully became HIS STORY!

John portrayed a more intimate portrait of one of the women, Mary Magdalene, who especially understood the power and reality of evil, and so her joy in Christ’s victory over sin, suffering, and death must have run deep. She had been possessed by seven demons, signifying complete possession, until the day she came face-to-Face with Jesus Christ and was set free (Mk.16:9; Lk.8:20). Then, she watched her Lord and Saviour suffer – battered and bleeding, carrying His cross up a hill where He would be brutally executed. She saw His lifeblood drip onto the very ground He had spoken into existence. After Christ had taken His last breath, Mary followed Nicodemus and Joseph as they carried Jesus’ body to a garden tomb.

Early Sunday morning, Mary went back to the tomb – and the stone had been rolled away. She ran to Peter and John and told them that Christ’s body was missing. The two men went and saw it for themselves: the tomb was empty! After the two men left, Mary looked inside the tomb a second time and saw two angels who asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” (Jh.20:13). In light of all that had happened the previous two days – and really, throughout much of her life – that question might have seemed odd. She had more than enough reasons to be crying. And if Jesus’ body had still been there on that Sunday morning, then we all would still have a reason to cry. But Jesus wasn’t there! He was – and is – alive!

“Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia!” The resurrection is God's manner of announcing that our life does not have to be a one-way journey to the cemetery. We don't have to be stuck in our past. The risen Saviour has hit the delete button on our sins. We don't have to wonder who's in charge, because Christ Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt.28:18). We don't have to wonder what's ahead, because nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.8:39). “God has made this Jesus” who was crucified, “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

The King is Risen, Alive and Victorious! We serve a risen, victorious Saviour. He conquered sin and death, and we who name Him Saviour and Lord will do the same. Like Mary, we now have reason to rejoice instead of cry. Whatever you are facing right now, remember the empty tomb: Jesus is alive, and because of that, we also will live and win in the end! The King’s Words for us today cast out FEAR, and command us to REJOICE and to GO and TELL: “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “REJOICE!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. GO AND TELL My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me” (Mt.28: 9-10).

Our Lord is not in the tomb – He is alive! With Believers across the world we can say, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”