Sunday 16 Apr 2017

April 16: Mark 16:1-6

Key Verse: Mark 16:6
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Devotion:
Why were Mary and Mary on their way to the tomb after Jesus had already been buried? They wanted to finish doing the job of having Jesus body buried in a manner which would befit the life He had lead. The burial was probably all done in a bit of a rush so they would not be doing any work on the Sabbath and they now wanted to make sure that everything was made good. They also wanted to use their own sweet spices as their own mark of respect for Christ.

Can you imagine the shock they must have been in to see the grave open and no body inside. Never mind the angel inside who spoke to them. Never mind the armed guards who lay outside in a dead sleep. The fact that anyone would take away the body of Christ from the tomb, just before they got there would be spinning round their heads. Then the words of the angel telling them they should not be afraid and how Jesus had risen from the dead... Boy, that must have shaken them up even more.

They should have been prepared for this moment. They should have expected it. They had been given the time He would rise through prophecies. Yet still they did not believe it or could not understand it. Can you imagine the commotion which is going to follow when Christ takes us to heaven. Ok, it may not be in our lifetimes, but can you imagine the feeling of absolute hopelessness that some will face when they see they are just a few minutes too late... when they suddenly realise what has happened.

What should have been a moment of joyous relief was a moment of terror when Mary and Mary found the tomb empty. That feeling was shared by others up until the moment when Jesus showed Himself to people to show He had indeed risen from the dead, that the scriptures, His promises, had been fulfilled.

Points to Ponder:
Are you surprised when someone does something for you without having to be asked?

Should you be surprised when God shows you His love?