Fear and Great Joy

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Fear and Great Joy

His ravaged body was placed in a cold, dark tomb after the cross had finished its cruel work. Then night fell. Eerie silence followed. Where were His followers now? Most likely huddled together in grief and confusion. What else do you do when your world collapses? Every hope crushed while His body lay stone cold in the grave.

The morning after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and another Mary went to the tomb to finish the traditional burial process. On the way, the earth began to shake. An angel appeared. The stone that had once separated the living from the dead was now rolled away [Matthew 28.2-3]. The angel announced that Jesus was no longer dead, “He is not here for He is risen, just as He said” [28.6].

Matthew described the emotion of the women as they rushed to tell the disciples of the impossible. The women were very frightened and filled with great joy simultaneously [28.8]. Fear and great joy just don’t sound like they go together, right?

There is a fear that debilitates. There is a fear that ravages. But there is another kind of fear, a holy fear. It neither debilitates or ravages, but rather evokes humility and awe. Instead of cowering in fear and terror, in bends the knee in humility and shakes the soul. It removes all the false fear replacing it with profound hope and joy. 

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. Matthew 28.8