March 28 – Matthew 28 

March 28 – Matthew 28 

Our Jesus, we praise You, for You are Salvation. You are Hope. You are Peace!  We love You and want to draw near to You.  Be with us as we come together to spend time with You and worship You. 

He is risen!  Yes, he has risen indeed!!!!  I love Easter season because unlike Christmas, we can celebrate it every single day! For it IS an every day celebration, one filled with praise and worship.  One filled with eternal life, hope, and expectation.

A celebration of not just what happened, but because we now know the Saviour for who He truly is. He’s been and always will be.  Hope eternal!  We have been adopted into God’s family, we are saved from death, we do not need to fear anything!  We know His voice…. And He knows us!

Verses 4-5 are very telling.  1. The message from the angel was not for the soldiers, so they became as if dead.  2. They did not know this Jesus they were guarding.  The two Mary’s though, they did.  They were so unafraid, they didn’t ‘fake almost dead.’  This occurrence did not appear to shake or frighten them.  ‘But, Melissa’, you say. ‘The angel said, ‘do not be afraid.’  You are correct, he did.  But I understand it as, he was prepping them for what they were about to see, an empty tomb.  No Jesus. Absence of the one they sought.  That, that would be frightening for them.  An angel… totes norm.  An empty tomb hidden behind a wicked huge boulder? Impossible!!! God knew that in their human form, that this would be horrifying to them, unnerving, and scary. So He sent an angel with a message for them, don’t be afraid of what is to come.  What would seem impossible, wasn’t. God was still in control, and He wanted to remind them of that truth, that truth they already knew. When we know Jesus, are expecting Jesus, Spiritually heavenly happenings won’t sway or shake us.

And isn’t it just lovely to know that Jesus often just speaks to His children; He takes away distraction and brings us into a safe place to chat?

Today, as you worship and praise Him, remember that the Saviour of the world, the satan crusher, and death defeater knnooowwsss you!  He calls your name, and He loves you eternally.

Rest your hope in Him. Praise His holy name.  He is coming again for His children, and He will not be late nor become lost.  Rest assured in His perfection that His promises will be fulfilled. Live and know Him more and more.  Happy Easter, dear sisters!

My Verse: Matthew 28:4-5, “And for fear of Him, the guards trembled and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.”

My Response: I praise You with all of my soul, all of my mind, with all that I am!!! 

What’s next? 

Now, friends, we have some time before Easter starts.  This was done deliberately because as I wrote this, I wrote it as kind of an Easter Advent to prepare our hearts for the Easter season.

Now it is your turn to put into practice what we have been learning about: spending quiet time with Jesus; self directed time.

What will you be studying and/or reading during these next days leading up to Easter?  Share in the comments; we’d love to know!

Don’t know what to read? Here are some lovely suggestions from our own Sharon: Isaiah 53, 1 Corinthians 11 and 15, or the gospel accounts of the crucifixion.

And feel free to pop back in here after Easter and let us know what you learned about Jesus during your quiet times.