It is very early in the morning, just after sunrise on the first day of the week, when three women go to the tomb of their teacher and Lord. They are still overwhelmed by grief at the death of Jesus, which seemed far too early for them. They loved him and wanted to serve him with his disciples. But he had died and they are going to the tomb to pay their respects to him by bringing spices to anoint his body.

It is a quiet morning. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary until they arrive at the tomb and find that the stone at the entrance has been rolled away. How was that possible? What had happened? They don't have to ponder too long for when they enter the tomb itself, they encounter a young man dressed in a white robe. And when they see him, they are alarmed. That is always the reaction of sinful human beings when faced with God's heavenly messengers. But they do not need to be afraid or alarmed at all because this angel has been sent by God himself to tell the women the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

The angel begins by reassuring the women and telling them, "Don't be alarmed." The angel is patient with their weakness and fear. He speaks comforting words to them in their time of distress. The women are emotionally overwrought by all that has happened and now they also meet an angel, which is the cause of even more anxiety for them.

Yet this meeting of an angel actually gives reason for great joy because he has wonderful news to tell them. They may hear from God's messenger that their teacher and Lord has risen from the dead. He says to them, "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified. He has risen!"

In the angel's description of Jesus, he emphasizes his humiliation. He calls him "the Nazarene," the one who comes from Nazareth, that back-water town in Galilee, from which nothing good could possibly come (cf. John 1:46). Throughout his life on earth Jesus suffered much humiliation for our sake. He was mocked and ridiculed. He was hated and attacked and crucified. All this happened according to God's plan for him so that he would fulfill all righteousness.

In his crucifixion, he entered hell itself by being forsaken by God during those three hours of complete darkness. He cried out to God but did not receive an answer from him. In his crucifixion, he took upon himself the curse which lay on us (cf. LD 15). He was crucified in our place so that we would not need to receive God's curse over us, but may instead receive his blessing.

Now this Jesus who was from Nazareth and was crucified has risen from the dead! That is why Jesus' body is no longer in the tomb. The women don't need their spices because their Lord lives! The crucified one is now the resurrected one! When he hung on the cross he was rejected by God, but now he has been accepted by God again because he fulfilled the task which his Father had given to him. He has made atonement for the sins of the world, of all those who believe in him. The price for sin has been paid and the new life which God promised has now come about in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Death could not hold Jesus in its grip, but he shattered the bonds of death and arose victorious over sin and death. He rose from the dead as the first fruits of the new mankind. He is the first of many who will be completely restored and glorified. He is our Head and we are members of his body. Because we belong to Christ, we may also look forward to the complete renewal of our souls and our bodies. One day we too will rise from the dead, or we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.

May we encourage each other with the gospel of Christ's resurrection and the certainty of his coming again. May we live as those who have been raised up to a new life, a life which finds its fulfilment and direction in loving God, desiring to do his will and exalting him, who has given us such amazing gifts in his Son Jesus Christ.