Blinding Light

Matthew 28:1-8
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Dear Jesus,

Blinding light. Earth-shattering. Quaking. Disappearing. Astonishing. Questioning. Empty.

Resurrection.

You are alive. Your resurrection is the hope of Your church and our world today. Resurrection transformation changed the dead to the living, the temporal to the eternal, the flesh to the spirit.

The hope of the resurrection. Your mortality took on immortality. My hope in the resurrection is the same. Recently, I have lost some dear friends. The hope I have in heaven is the hope of resurrection transformation–new bodies–“Like unto His own glorious body.”

Resurrection light shatters death’s darkness. “He was the real light, who, in His coming into the world, gives light to every man” (John 1:9). “There are still the partial lights; and there are still the false lights; and men still follow them. Jesus is the only genuine light, the real light to guide men on their way” (William Barclay in The Gospel of John, 1955, p. 32).

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sang: “And His resurrection power is moving in this hour that Jesus might be glorified.”

You are alive! Blinding light! Illumine my life today and help me to shatter someone else’s darkness through the power of your name. 

In the Name of my Resurrected Lord,

Amen.