Great joy!

Matthew 28:8

And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

The women at the tomb were curators of the greatest news that has ever been given in the history of this old world. Nothing greater has been vouchsafed to the glimpse of the human eye, than the sight of the risen Savior after His resurrection. The women had come to the tomb to anoint the Lord’s body just to find that His body was missing! What joy! What felicity! What ecstasy immediately ensued when Mary Magdalene heard her name spoken, and turned around the see the Master standing before her. “Rabboni” was her response to Him. And here in our passage, Mary is with at least one other woman named Mary when they encounter the angel at the tomb that had rolled the stone away. The angel tells them that Christ is not here: for He is risen, as He said. He commanded them to go to the disciples and tell them that the Lord would meet them in Galilee.

As the women run from the sepulchre as the messengers of a heavenly message, and as the bearers of magnificent news, we are told that they had a mixture of fear and great joy. After all, what was not fearful about an angel in a long white garment seated atop the great stone? What is not fearful about this earth shattering, history making news? But mingled with the fear they had that morning, was the strong and evident element of GREAT JOY! They had great joy that morning because their glorious and wonderful Savior was no longer dead. They had joy that morning because salvation had come to the world! They had joy that morning because they were given another chance to speak face to face with the Son of God. They had great joy that morning because the Devil was defeated, sin was destroyed, and the grave had been stripped of his power and victory! And what is there for us not to rejoice all day about? For every truth they discovered that day is the contemporary truth that we can rejoice in today! Let us rejoice!

Dear friend, as you begin this day, which the Lord hath made, are you greatly rejoicing? You should be! For He is not here! Christ is risen! This day is a reminder that the tomb is empty and that the sin that once enslaved us has been destroyed. We have eternal life! Not eternal death! Christ conquered for you and me! He became our Victor, our King, our living Savior! I hope that with every part of our being we will rejoice today!

“Father, we just want to offer the praise of thanksgiving to Thy Holy name, for we have a resurrected Savior. Help us, Lord, to be full of great joy throughout this day as the women were that morning when He appeared physically in their sight. And may we feel incumbent upon us the need to spread these glad tidings throughout this day. We rejoice in Thee today! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”