Bible Study with Danelle

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

When I was a child (and even into early adulthood), I never fully grasped the full importance of Easter. Christmas was always my favorite holiday and placed a lot of emphasis on the baby Jesus and the miracle of the virgin birth. But the full extent of the importance of Easter I did not fully grasp for a long time.

As I have grown in my walk, my heart is full on this Easter knowing better what I know and understand now. Just as I have done previously while reading Mark’s account, I put myself in the story as if I was there. Trying to fully grasp what the women and disciples would have experienced..

As we close out Mark’s account, we find that early the next day after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome have come to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus. Remember, it was a rushed burial, they may have wanted to anoint Him as they did not get to when Joseph and Nicodemus were there.

To their surprise, the extremely heavy stone was rolled away from the opening. Inside they find what is described as a young man (an angel) dressed in a white robe. Jesus was gone and only the linen cloths remained.

He is risen; he is not here.

Mark 16:6

I can only imagine the fear and disbelief that overcame them. They did not fully understand what had happened. They did not know the true implications of what it meant that the tomb was empty. Over the next few days, Jesus reveals himself to them and finally to all the remaining eleven disciples. Even as Jesus is revealing himself to them, they still do not fully believe.

Jesus then gives them the great commission to proclaim the gospel to the world. Thankfully, the disciples wrote their stories, shared them with others, and spread the message of Jesus.

Hallelujah, we have the wonderful knowledge of what the empty tomb means! We know that because the tomb was empty, Jesus overcame satan and death.

I enjoyed this commentary, especially when the author states “The death of Jesus on the cross was the payment, but the resurrection was the receipt, showing that the payment was perfect in the sight of God the Father.”

I pray that this Easter, you have grown closer in your walk with Jesus. That you understand even more the ultimate sacrifice that he made for you. I pray that like the disciples, you will go out and continue to spread the message of Jesus to others. That you will share the light of the world for all to see.