Remember his words

LUK 24:1-8 MSG

At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus. They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.

One of the most important realizations we must come to in the wake of what happened after Christ rose from the grave is the onus on us to remember his words.

The Evangelist Luke tells that woman came deep in the morning or at twilight (Meyer). They came, with hearts broken and eyes bloodshot, to meet the one they'd known as life, who'd been taken from them at the hands of me-driven men.

The Evangelist tells us they came at the cracks of dawn.

"Sorrow and love are light sleepers, and early dawn found these women on their way." (MacLaren's Expositions)

The possibility of his rising alive from the death was "heard, but not heard" (MacLaren) and in their mind theirs was the obvious duty to show love, though Joseph of Arimathea had already taken on himself the duties of embalming Christ's dead corpse.

"These women's love gift was as 'useless' and as fragrant as Mary's box of ointment. [But] whatever love offers, love welcomes, though Judah may ask 'To what purpose is this waste'?" (MacLaren's Expositions)

With heavy hearts and legs they came early to the tomb to add their part to his intricately embalmed body. Though these actions were somewhat darkened by their failure to remember well his word that he'd rise to life on the third day; the very angels, who rolled the stone away to evidence Christ's rising from the dead at his word (Christ had already walked right through the tomb door) would serenade them as they did others at Christ's birth in Bethlehem.

Interstingly, their message to these winsome women, first to the tomb, was half a rebuke, [but] wholly a revelation. Though they'd forgotten that this subject and star of prophesy-Christ-could not be held indefinitely by death but would break its shackles in time, rising alive; God's way was to affirm their good intentions and honor them with the distinct privilege of being first witness to the empty tomb and the angels, who rolled the stone away at his rising from the dead. God's way in growing us is to affirm us even while revealing to us our sin.
God bedazzled these woman into a more fervent belief in his word, he emboldened their faith to receive his words by faith as he does time and time again in our lives. The wonder of his work helps us better treasure his worth and word to us.

"The message flooded the women's hearts with better light than [the angels' garments] had spread through the tomb."
(MacLaren's Expositions)

God give us ears to hear your word. As the nickler, knows the sound of a rightly made nickel; may we live attune to your voice-ready to hear it, rejoice in it, and act on it consistently. May we be known as a people, who believe and live out your words. May we remember your words, for they are life and light.