Matthew 28: 5-8
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 and 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.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Mary had quite an encounter there at the empty tomb of Jesus, so it’s tempting to dismiss her reaction as a valid comparison to our own, but its best not to go there. We are each responsible for our own reaction to Christ’s resurrection, not hers. She was given a direct order to go and tell, as are we. She was afraid, as are we. She was filled with joy…but are we?
Her joy easily overwhelmed her fear, and so she went and told the others the good news. We all know that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), so why do we still experience fear when faced with the opportunity to share the Gospel? I think the answer is easy: our joy is not enough to overwhelm our fear.
If you struggle with sharing your faith, ask the Lord to help you discover the joy you should have as a result of your salvation! Are you ever shocked by the fact that you are saved? Do you ever contemplate just how much you ignored God while He remained faithful to you? Do you ever consider the fact that He came after you and not vice versa?
These amazing facts should give life to your joy…your joy will overcome your fear...and then you will find it much easier to “run” and tell people the Good News!
