(Mark 16:1-8) 

 The women must have used the entire Sabbath day to reflect on what had transpired, not only in the past week, but in the past three years. They had followed Jesus and cared for His needs . They heard His teachings. They witnessed the miracles He performed. They trusted Him to be their Master and the Messiah. And when they witnessed how helpless He was at the cross and how He died, their faith must have been thrown out the window. They were disheartened, discouraged, and dismayed.

 They went to the tomb expecting a dead Messiah. Since they bought spices, they were resigned to the fact that Jesus was dead—together with His promise to live again! Three times Jesus predicted that He would suffer and die but live again (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). I’m quite sure these women heard and remembered those words—He will rise again! But at that moment, it did not sink in their hearts. Instead of anticipating a Risen Lord, they expected a dead Messiah.

 How many times are we like the women? We know God’s promises. We know the teachings of Jesus. But it doesn’t sink in our hearts. It is not evident in our lives. Unlike the women, we know the ending of the story—Jesus Christ resurrected and is now reigning at this very moment, directing our lives! Shouldn’t we have more reasons to be faithful followers of Christ? Maybe we need more courage to take that step of faith!

The courage of these women was amazing. Even though their faith collapsed, they found courage. They risked going back to the burial site to give Jesus the proper anointing. They never thought what they would say to the Roman soldiers so they could enter the tomb. Very early in the morning, as they were rushing towards the tomb they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  The women forgot how they could roll away a very large stone. All the men had gone into hiding and no one was to help them. But God provided a solution to their predicament. “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.”  

As the women entered the tomb, the angel declared, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. HE HAS RISEN! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘HE IS GOING AHEAD OF YOU into Galilee, THERE YOU WILL SEE HIM,  JUST AS HE TOLD YOU.” 

What a glorious reminder that CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED! What a confident assurance that CHRIST WILL ALWAYS GO AHEAD OF US. Wherever we will be, there we will see Him. Just as God said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5b). 

We face many obstacles in life that shatter our faith. Many times we feel helpless. We try many options to roll the stone away but it still doesn’t move an inch. The more energy we exert, the more we get hurt. The harder we think of solutions, the more we get confused. And we end up losing faith in God.

Remember Jesus Christ has risen! He is always ahead of us. He will be wherever we are. The Lord is our Helper! When your faith falters, have courage, look up, and let God roll the stone away.  

"Father God, may all the insights You revealed to me the past week give me a fresh start in my relationship with You. I pray that I will know You more as I pray and fast this coming week. May the life, suffering, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ—my Lord, my Savior—motivate me to live a life worthy of the gospel. All for Your honor, for Your praise, and for Your glory! Amen!”