With Great Joy

It's the morning after the Sabbath for the Jewish women Mary Magdalene, another Mary, and possibly a third woman named  Salome (as mentioned in the gospel of Mark) who cared about Jesus and wanted to bring special embalming spices for His body.

They hurry to the tomb..........and discover Jesus is gone!

They were afraid.

The angel told them not to be and reminded them that Jesus did say He would rise again.

They left.  With fear.  Yet with great joy.

In reading the Scriptures about our Risen Savior this week, in preparation for what I consider to be the most holy of holidays, Easter,  I noticed for the first time the fact that the women were afraid yet joyful. I was raised in the church and knew they were all afraid at the tomb, yet I had never noticed that small word, "joy".

I think it shows us that even in the midst of our fears....

our battles...trials.....storms...whatever adjective you want to use,

that we can experience joy when we know Jesus.

The women mentioned in the Scriptures who went to the tomb on that morning of the first day of the week....and after witnessing the most horrible of deaths....a crucifixion....were afraid.

I think they were afraid of the angel, the great light, and the fact that Jesus' body was gone!

But I also know they knew Him.  They were His followers! They supped with Him, heard Him teach, heard Him pray, saw Him do miracle after miracle, saw Him mocked and killed.......

and now.....He was gone.

Why did they have great joy?

Because of the promise yet to come.....They were going to see Him again!

And it is with great joy that we look forward to that day when He returns or He calls us Home.

Without Jesus, we experience fear.

But with Jesus?  We can be afraid and yet still have that inner joy.

Because we know Him.

Do you??