This morning, I reluctantly attended my weekly worship gathering out of a sense of obligation/obedience. Lately, I have been in a heightened state of anxiety and worry. I’ve been really ‘feeling’ all of the hatred and cruelty that is spreading across our world of late. Can anyone relate?

I intentionally chose the early meeting which usually has a lot fewer people, and sat through the service with my head and eyes straight ahead, because I felt too emotionally exhausted to greet, smile with, or extend pleasantries to anyone. My emotional exhaustion translated into physical exhaustion, so despite adequate nutrition, I felt tired and lethargic: like I needed to take a nap within a few hours of awakening.

Matthew 28 was the first scripture reference that was shared in the sermon, and the Holy Spirit immediately drew my attention to vs 5 which says, “Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be afraid!… I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.'”

I have read this scripture numerous times before, and it wasn’t even the focus of the sermon this morning, but my Abba Father, demonstrated His love for me by giving me exactly what I needed and prompting me to share it with others who need to hear it as well.

In this scripture, the angel, the messenger from the Lord spoke to the women: the ones with a greater propensity for emotional responses, the gender of ‘feelers’, the ones more likely to become overwhelmed, anxious, and fearful following a traumatic experience. Today I was the woman being spoken to, and my journey today, in some ways, paralleled that of the women in this scripture.

So, what were the women in this passage experiencing? They had recently witnessed Jesus being arrested, brutally beaten, publicly crucified, and buried in a sealed tomb that was being guarded by Roman soldiers. It was more than just the loss of their teacher/Rabbi, the hope of “Messiah” they had been clinging to, was now dead. Beyond that trauma, as they approached the tomb there was an earthquake, the stone that sealed the tomb was rolled away by a supernatural being (an angel), and the mighty Roman guards collapsed in fear. In addition to grief, they were likely feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and afraid.

Despite their weighty emotions the women, out of obligation/obedience went to the tomb to complete the ritual custom of applying spices and aromatic oils to Jesus’ body after death. Like me, they went early, when there would be fewer people around, and their obedience was rewarded.

I love that our Heavenly Father met them right where they were and addressed exactly what was happening in their hearts. The angel’s first words to them were, “Don’t be afraid!”.

To the women reading this who, like me, and the women in the passage, are weighed down by fear and its resultant anxiety and feelings of overwhelm, God, your Heavenly Father says to you today, “Don’t be afraid“.

Whatever you are facing that is fear-inducing is under the power and authority of God Almighty. When God says to us “Do not be afraid”, it’s not because there’s nothing frightening occurring, or because He’s dismissing or minimizing our feelings and emotions, it’s because what He is about to reveal is bigger than what is inducing the fear. He sees the bigger picture, so pay close attention to what He says next.

The next thing that stood out to me was that the angel addressed the women’s intention, he said “I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.”: they were on their way to encounter Jesus, just as I went to the worship service to encounter Jesus. The angel gave them hope, by informing them in verse 6, that, “He (Jesus) isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen,” then inviting them to “Come, see where his body was lying.” The hope of “Messiah” was restored, and it was affirmed that what he had promised them was in fact the truth. Jesus their Rabbi wasn’t a dead fraud, He was the risen Messiah.

Sometimes it feels like God’s word makes light of our emotions: telling us that we are healed when our symptoms say otherwise, or saying that God loves and cares for us when everything around us screams the opposite. We are sometimes faced with insurmountable mountains that we have been told will move when we speak to them, yet after many years of speaking, they seem more daunting than ever.

Today I want to share with you, the hope that I received today, and invite you to re-establish your trust in Jesus, our risen Savior, and to be assured that what he has promised is indeed the truth.

Unburden yourself to your Abba Father and allow His peace to ‘guard your heart and mind.’ God is real and He loves you so much that He interrupted my day, to have me write these words, just so He could minister to you through them.

I invite you to pause here, and go to our Heavenly Father who sent the angel, just as you are, and right where you are, with all of your emotions and thoughts, because He is alive and His word is true:
‘He is touched by your emotions‘, as Hebrews 4:15 says,
‘His power working within you can achieve immeasurably more than you can ask, or even think‘, as Ephesians 3:20-21says and
‘He loves you unconditionally‘, as Romans 8:31-39 says.

The women who came to Jesus heavily burdened, left with more than just restored hope, they also left with a mission: they were sent to bring hope to others who were in despair. After addressing their needs, and calming their fear, the angel said in verse 7, “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead.” For me, through this scripture, the sermon today, and my connection with fellow believers, I found hope, and was commissioned to share that hope with you.

According to Matthew 28:18-20, we, as Christ followers, have been commissioned to share the Gospel: the message of hope, that Jesus, the Son of God, died for humanity’s sins, rose from the dead, and offers salvation (a new, transformed life of peace, joy, and divine connection). It doesn’t require us to stand on a stage or in front of a crowd, we can share it by encouraging a friend, by being ‘a light’ wherever we are, as described in Matthew 5:14, or by being obedient to the Holy Spirit and doing whatever He instructs us, as I have done in writing this blog post.

Share your hope with others!

Heavenly Father, I pray that each person reading this will experience your ‘peace that surpasses human understanding’, Philippians 4:7. In the midst of all that is happening in our world today, we can begin to look inwardly at our own human frailties and limitations. I pray that you would help each of them to focus their gaze on you, as instructed in Hebrews 12:1-2. Remind them that your word says in 1 John 4:4, “… we have overcome them (the world): because greater is He (the resurrected Christ) that is in us, than he that is in the world.” Help them to learn to silence the lies of the devil with your word, and to be carriers of hope wherever they go. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!

If you’ve never asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, please pause and pray the prayer below. ‘Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sin please forgive me, cleanse me, and make me your child. I commit my life to you today, and ask you to be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, amen.’

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