Even if I’m Afraid
I will praise You, yet more and more
Psalm 71:14
Easter Sunday.
Jesus has risen! The miracle of the resurrection is the cornerstone that all of Christianity rest upon. It is the hope telling us that darkness is defeated, and death does not have the last word. On our calendars, we go quickly from the grief of Good Friday to joy of Easter morning. We don’t have to sit in mourning for long, because we know! Jesus has risen!
But the first followers of Jesus did not have that comfort. The days and hours before the tomb was empty were filled with incredible fear as He was captured, tried, and killed in the most horrifying and humiliating way possible – nailed to a cross on public display between two thieves. The promises of Jesus’ teachings had gotten lost and forgotten as they witnessed the death of their Beloved leader.
“On the third day, the Son of Man will rise again.” Mark 8:31.
And again, “and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later” Mark 9:31
and again, “They will mock Him, and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Mark 10:34.
Fear has a way of deafening the ears. Dulling our memories. Keeping God hidden.
On that day when Jesus died, His followers were filled with grief, disillusionment, and discouragement. WE know the rest of the story. But they didn’t. Yet when many of His followers hid, a few courageous women who loved Jesus, sought out where He was laid. Despite their fear and grief they came.
To anoint His body.
To worship Him.
Because they loved Him.
They weren’t expecting to find the tomb empty. They just came. Even when they didn’t know the end of the story, they came to be with Jesus.
We are all living stories that find us between Good Friday grief and Easter Sunday joy. We are living lives of faith when sometimes dreams are lost, and the world is heavy. We can become afraid and we can lose hope. We too, can forget the promises of God that He has given in His Word and revealed through His Son, Jesus.
In those times, let us be like the first women at the tomb.
Let us seek Jesus. Not that He has left, and we need to find Him, but because we have lost sight of Him.
Let us push back our doubts and fear and go to where He is – right where He has never left.
Let us “anoint” Him. Anointing was for royalty and priests. They anointed with oil. We can anoint with praise. Only in praise do our eyes open again to the bigness and sufficiency of God. Only in praise do our fears shrink and cower in front of the mightiness of God.
And let us be amazed by the miracle He is waiting to reveal to us. As the women came to tomb, they were still thinking they were going to find the crucified Rabbi. They asked, who will roll away the stone? We know the rest of the story.
“They saw that the stone had been rolled away. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, and they were amazed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here.’ ”
Mark 16:4-6 NASB
Because they chose to praise instead of hide, these women were the first to discover the Risen Savior. In our even if’s, when WE choose to praise instead of hide, we too can be the first to discover His miracle in our lives.
Praise Him on this day of resurrection.
He still does miracles.
He still rolls away stones. He still lives.
Happy Easter.
Mary Quillin is a city-girl-turned-country-girl in her new life in North Dakota. She has been married to her hubby for 16 years and has 3 wonderfully, different kids who have begun their teen years (and she would appreciate all the prayers as possible on that note). After many years in full time ministry, Mary is learning how to show up and daily discover the journey of being available for whatever Jesus leads her to. She spends her days trying to build a welcoming shabby chic home in the heartland of North Dakota while learning to write and run.