He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 NABRE
One commentary on the Gospel of Matthew declares the Gospel of Matthew would not be a Gospel at all if it were not for Chapter 28. Everything Jesus said and did in earlier chapters await their verification on Easter morning. The empty tomb, the angels, the touching of the risen Messiah all serve to establish the event that all Christianity rests upon. Jesus said he was going to die and then come back to life in three days, then He did it! Several woman, including Mary Magdalene, went to the tomb and an angel greeted them saying, “I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” This is the joyful proclamation that stands at the center of the Christian message. On their way home to tell the others what the angel told them they meet Jesus and He greets them. They approached, embraced his feet and did him homage. Everything changed in these moments. All that we call the bible, the mission of the church and the promise of salvation would likely never be heard if this Easter event never occurred. From this point forward in time the message of Jesus’ death and rising is told again and again, with an extraordinary message of hope.
For he has been raised just as he said. For he has been raised just as he said. For he has been raised. We won’t see Jesus be crucified, die and then greet us on the road. We depend on these stories from the gospels, written so we might believe. Our faith does not come by seeing but by hearing. We believe based on the testimony of those who were there. This is the first telling of the Easter story, it will be told over and over again, so that all may believe.
Do you believe? Where does your faith begin?
We won’t see Jesus be crucified, die and then greet us on the road. We depend on these stories from the gospels, written so we might believe. Our faith does not come by seeing but by hearing. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus#christianity #dailybibleverse@youversion #BeAnEncourager#raised #believe #Matthew#everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist#jesussaves #godisgood#dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture#bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray#prayer #goodnews #loveeachother#godisgreat #bocaraton #youversion#everythingalways