Authored by Martha Dodd
 
Read:  Matthew 28: 1-20
The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’  So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.  Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’  Vs 5-10
 

Reflect:
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is one of the most highly attested events in history.  The evidence of the empty tomb, the many eyewitness reports from both individuals and groups, some as large as 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:3-7), the transformed lives of Jesus’ followers and the rapid growth of the church – all point to the truth of the resurrection.

It is one thing to know in our heads that the Jesus rose from the dead, but how does this change our lives? 
 
As one person has noted, people commonly accept as historical fact that human beings walked on the moon just over 50 years ago.    And yet, this knowledge has made little or no impact on how people lead their daily lives.
 
So, if we believe that Jesus’ resurrection from the grave actually happened, what does this mean for how we live our lives?   In what ways has Jesus’ resurrection shone light, quelled fears or directed hope into your life and circumstances…in years past or in this past year, or today?
 
The angel told the women at the tomb that first Easter morning that Jesus had risen, “just as he said.” As they waited in the dark, between Friday and Sunday, did they remember Jesus’ words?   What truth has Jesus given you to hold on to in the dark?   The women discovered it was only in the presence of the risen Jesus, that their fears were silenced. And like them, it is only as we first ‘come and see’ and encounter our risen Lord Jesus as we abide in Him, that we then have something to ‘go and tell’ others. 

Pray:
Lord, thank you that Jesus shared in our humanity so that by His death, He might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  And thank you that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, You have given us new birth into a living hope. 
 
Please enable me to know and experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in my thoughts, words, and actions.  Thank you that You will always be with me to the very end of the age, helping me to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that I have.  (Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 Peter 1:3; Philippians 3:10, Matthew 28:20, 1 Peter 3:15)
 
1 Corinthians 15: 55-58
‘Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.