Spring is the season of renewal, rebirth, and life emerging from dormancy.
Considering the Church calendar, Lent ushers in spring, which leads believers around the world to reflect on the death of Christ and the celebration of His miraculous resurrection. However, before we can rejoice, there must be brokenness.
Have you ever lost a valuable person in your life? Maybe it was a family member or a close friend. Perhaps it was a mentor or a leader you admired. Unfortunately, we all have and will experience a void like this at some point in our lives.
Finding Life In the Middle of What’s Dead
Jesus’ disciples were no strangers to the pain of loss. Luke 24 sheds light on the eyewitness account of the days following Jesus’ death on the cross.
Luke 24:1-12 in the NKJV says:
“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”’ And they remember His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen clothes lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.”
When the Surprises of Grief Leave You Perplexed
The women who followed Jesus throughout His ministry were grieving for a good cause. Jesus had significantly changed their lives, and now He was gone. Three days after His crucifixion, they reflected a typical first-century posture—they brought spices to anoint the decaying body. However, when they arrived, they encountered a few surprises.
The Stone (Vs. 2)
As they approached Jesus’ grave, they observed that the stone had been rolled away. This is significant because the account in Mark 16 presents another perspective of this trip.
“Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?’”
Mark 16:2-3, NKJV
The Linens (Vs. 3, 12)
Once they passed through the entrance of the tomb, they found that it was empty. As we read on in verse 12, we later observe that Peter found only the linens that had once wrapped the Savior’s body. This was a miraculous sign that what Jesus had said was true.
The Angels (Vs. 4-5)
The women expected to find the body of Jesus; instead, they encountered two men in dazzling clothes. These were no ordinary men, but angels, revealing that Jesus was alive and not among the dead.
Can you relate? Perhaps you, too, have been looking for life among the buried.
A friendship that you are holding on to because it is comfortable.
A job path that you have outgrown.
A dream that has hit a dead end.
Church, we must stop looking for life in all the wrong places! Jesus can’t be found in harmful relationships, the idolatry of success, and mindless coping devices like social media, drugs, and reckless living. He is risen and is alive and well!
So how can we move from graves to life? Let’s consider three ways to intentionally seek our risen Savior.
3 Actions For Discovering Resurrected Life
The miraculous thing about Jesus is that He conquered the grip of sin and death. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were also invited into a resurrected lifestyle. Here are three life actions we can take each day as we navigate the dire circumstances in our lives.
Remind
We serve a faithful God who provides reminders that reinforce the many ways He has been near to us in our trials. Just as the Lord sent the two angels to the women at the tomb (Luke 24:3-7), He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell within us and give revelation as we study His word.
Life Action Step: Set aside a time each day to read your Bible. Before you begin, ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of one of God’s unfailing promises.
Remember
After the two angels reminded the women of Jesus’ prophecy about His crucifixion, they remembered in their hearts (Luke 24:8). Hard circumstances have the tendency to shake our faith—unless we diligently remember how the Lord has provided for us in each dark valley. When we worship Him in the good and the bad, we will supernaturally unlock a remembrance that strengthens our faith in the one true God.
Life Action Step: Incorporate worship into your routine—be it when you’re getting ready for work, on your commute, or cooking dinner. As you lift your voice, remember how He has shown up and prevailed over your life.
Respond
In Luke 24:9-10, we see that the women chose to respond to Jesus’ crucifixion. In their grief, they responded by providing burial spices for Christ’s body. In their forgetfulness, they responded to the news of the two angels. And in their amazement, they responded to the empty grave by running to tell the other disciples.
Throughout our lives, we will be given trials and blessings of many kinds. It is how we respond to it that matters.
Life Action Step: Consider the hard things you are going through right now. How can you respond in a way that strengthens your faith and magnifies the testimony of the Living God?
Church, we all have and will make mistakes when it comes to our faith. However, in His faithfulness, God gives chance after chance for us to repent and turn our lives around.
Are you dwelling on the hard things?
Are you holding on to something comfortable?
Romans 8:11, NKJV says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Surrender the things that are keeping you stuck and find life at the grave. His resurrected life is freely given to you. Will you respond?
For more on resurrected life, check out Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr.’s sermon, Looking For Life in the Middle of What’s Dead.
