“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’” Matthew 28:5-7
I’ve been captivated by this scene this Easter season. The Sabbath day of rest has ended and the women are at Jesus’ tomb first thing in the morning to anoint Jesus with spices and prepare his body for burial. The earth quakes and an angel rolls away the stone. Stunned, the women realise Jesus is not there.
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said,” the angel speaks. “Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’”
The resurrection is mind blowing enough, but another part of the angel’s words have caught my gaze this year. He is going ahead of you into Galilee.
“Why Galilee?” I wondered, as an American Hilary Duff song slowly floated into my mind. An image of my thirteen-year old self sang along as the lyrics drifted into my present-day consciousness. “Let’s go back, back to the beginning...”
“This is too random to not be God,” I thought to myself.
Suddenly, it clicked. “Oh! The beginning! Let’s go back to the beginning.” Why Galilee? Galilee is the place where everything began for his disciples. Jesus went ahead to the place where they were first called. Where they first encountered him. Where they chose to follow him. But this time was different. This time he had the keys to the Kingdom. Death was defeated. Darkness had not won. Everything had changed. Authority was back in its rightful place. Jesus is alive.
Where is your Galilee this Easter season?
Where is Jesus going ahead of you and inviting you to meet him? Perhaps it’s not a physical place, but instead a mindset or a moment. Does he want to meet you in the midst of your fears about the future? Your questions about that relationship? Your desires for your family? Your thoughts about his goodness?
And where is your beginning with Jesus? How is Jesus inviting you to remember your first encounters with him? What aspects of his nature is he reminding you of as you step into this next season with faith? As you remember what he has done, what is he inviting you into?
And who will you go ahead of?
Fusion exists to help students “find hope in Jesus and home in the local church.” As Easter approaches, who can you be home for? Who will you prepare a place for? Who will you tell, “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you.” Whether that looks like preparing the way by praying out loud for a stranger who is struggling or forgiving a family member for hurting you or trusting God through radical generosity, how will you help people see the risen and fully alive Jesus this Easter?
Jesus, thank you that you are alive. Thank you that you are victorious. This Easter, I give you permission to open my heart wide to the joy that was set before you when you endured the cross. Help me enter your story in a fresh way this year. Help me see you and help others see that your resurrection life is available to us now. Thank you for preparing a place for us to encounter your love and grace. Amen.
