The Women and Peter Were Amazed

God Loves Us
God's Caring, Saving, and Upholding Love

God's Love as Victory over Death

Luke 24:1-12. The Message 

Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery

24 1-3 At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.
4-8 They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.
9-11 They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.
12 But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.

For Reflection

For all the time they had spent with Jesus, the disciples never quite got it.  What Jesus proposed and carried out was a preposterous idea.  Christ asked for the end of vengeance,  for distributive justice for all, not just for the chosen, unlimited forgiveness, and unbridled love that transcended Mosaic law. And now to think that Jesus had overcome death was unbelievable.  Faith (supreme trust in God), the study of scripture as informed by the birth, life, and death of Christ and, most importantly, prayer, are the keys to the will of God and the promised hope in salvation.  To what extent are you practicing these essential elements?

Pray

Pray that your trust in the Lord is unwavering, even in the face of untoward ends.  Pray that your study of Scripture will lead to a mature, authentic Christian spiritual life.   Pray often about all things so that you can maintain an intimate relationship with the triune God.