Daily devotional · April 8
He Is Not Here
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you.” So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him. “Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.””
Two women came at dawn to a tomb, expecting to grieve, and instead they heard the angel say that Jesus was not there because he had risen. Notice their reaction: fear and great joy at the same time. Resurrection does not erase our emotions; it gives them a new center. Then Jesus himself met them on the road and said, do not be afraid. The Christian hope is not an idea but an event that changed the disciples from hiding to witnessing. If Christ is risen, death does not have the last word over our losses, our failures or our fears. Today, tell someone the good news in your own words, even in a simple message: he is risen, and that gives me hope. Let the joy show up in your voice, your kindness and your patience.
Prayer
Risen Lord, fill me with joy and courage to share Your good news today. Amen.