“And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: snd as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:2-5)
In Luke 24, Jesus had already been crucified and buried in the tomb. The people who loved Him were heartbroken. Three women went to Jesus’ tomb, only to find it empty. As they wonder what happened, two angels reminded them that Jesus had taught His disciples He would rise up again after three days. The angels told the women that Jesus was not dead anymore–He is now among the living!
When the women told this to the rest of Jesus’ disciples, they did not believe the news. Peter and John ran to the tomb, and they also found it empty. They believed, but they were still very confused about what had really happened and where Jesus was if He was not in His grave!
A couple days later, two other followers of Jesus were walking along on a road with a stranger who had joined them. They did not realize it at first, but it turned out that the stranger was Jesus Himself, and He preached to them a message that showed the Gospel story from the Old Testament until His resurrection. Imagine how it would be if Jesus Himself came and talked over the Gospel with you, with His scarred hands and feet and all His knowledge of the Scriptures!
It was not until later that the men finally realized who had been walking and talking with them. In Luke 24:32, they say, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
Does your heart ever “burn within” you when you hear the Gospel story preached? If you are a believer, do you spend time thinking about what Jesus Christ’s resurrection means for you personally? Are you confused like Jesus’ disciples were at first, or have you really come to understand that Jesus is no longer dead? When we talk to Jesus and seek to know Him better, we need to remember to seek for Him among the living. He is not just a story. He is not a dead and buried historical prophet. He is God–so He is everywhere at once–and He is alive!
Jesus Christ is living, not dead! We can seek Him anytime, anywhere.
My Response:
» Do I sometimes pray or listen to preaching as though the Gospel were just a pretend story?
» What habits would I change if I really believed and acted like God is alive and everywhere?
» How can remembering that Jesus has power over death help me be brave in fighting sin and sharing the Gospel?