The Place Where He Lay
Matthew 28:5-6
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
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The Place Where He Lay
When Jesus came into this world, He was laid in a manger and the shepherds came to worship and adore Him. The angel of the Lord had told them not to be afraid, that the Savior had been born. Now two women were coming, according to custom, to anoint the body of this same child, now grown, who had been crucified. This somber scene is far removed from the joyous one some 33 years prior. Yet this scene is the reason Christ came in the first place. And just as the manger was a mean crib and would not long hold Him, neither was a borrowed tomb the place for the Messiah; it could not hold Him. Just as the shepherds were told to not be afraid, so too were the women instructed to not fear. For death had been defeated, and a new life was now possible because of Jesus.
So it is for us as well. We are not to fear the trials and troubles of this life, we are not to fear sin, death, and the devil. The empty tomb those women found serves notice to all: Christ the King is victorious. The place where He lay is now empty because our God humbled Himself to the point of becoming like us in every way while remaining sinless, so that as our Good Shepherd, He would lay down His life for us. The tomb is empty, He is not there, He is risen!
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
+
The Place Where He Lay
When Jesus came into this world, He was laid in a manger and the shepherds came to worship and adore Him. The angel of the Lord had told them not to be afraid, that the Savior had been born. Now two women were coming, according to custom, to anoint the body of this same child, now grown, who had been crucified. This somber scene is far removed from the joyous one some 33 years prior. Yet this scene is the reason Christ came in the first place. And just as the manger was a mean crib and would not long hold Him, neither was a borrowed tomb the place for the Messiah; it could not hold Him. Just as the shepherds were told to not be afraid, so too were the women instructed to not fear. For death had been defeated, and a new life was now possible because of Jesus.
So it is for us as well. We are not to fear the trials and troubles of this life, we are not to fear sin, death, and the devil. The empty tomb those women found serves notice to all: Christ the King is victorious. The place where He lay is now empty because our God humbled Himself to the point of becoming like us in every way while remaining sinless, so that as our Good Shepherd, He would lay down His life for us. The tomb is empty, He is not there, He is risen!
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