The women were Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, mother of the disciple James. They’d witnessed the crucifixion of Christ, had been present when Joseph of Arimathea buried Christ, and arrived first at the tomb that Sunday morning, to anoint their Lord’s body with spices.
But as they approached, a violent earthquake threw them to the ground and an angel, bright-white as lightning, descended from the sky. Even the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb became frozen with fear.
The angel paid them no attention and set about rolling the massive stone away from the tomb. Then he sat upon it. The women warily peeked inside; Jesus wasn’t there.
No doubt they huddled in fear as these events unfolded in rapid succession. But the angel reassured them, “Do not be afraid.” He then announced Christ had risen from the dead, and they must go quickly to tell his disciples (1).
Can you imagine their conversation as they hurried to the upper room where these men would likely be gathered?
“I’ve never been so frightened in all my life! My heart is still pounding.”
“And I’m still shaking! Have you ever seen someone glow like that?”
“No indeed!
“I can scarcely believe what he told us. How is this possible?”
“Jesus did raise Lazarus from the dead. It must be true.”
“But what if the disciples don’t believe us? They’re going to think we’re crazy.”
And so, with trepidation the two Marys made their way to the house with the upper room.
Yet their hearts were also filled with joy. Jesus was alive! It was the most glorious news they could hope to hear. And they’d been chosen to announce it.
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We too experience fear and joy at the same time, in spite of the fact these emotions occupy opposite ends of the spectrum.
Think how you felt when hired for that highly-desired job. Worries may have included: Will I be up to the task? Able to fit in with other employees? Get along with the boss? But you were also thrilled for the opportunity God had provided, just as you’d hoped and prayed.
Think about your wedding day. You and the love of your life would soon promise to cherish one another for the rest of your days. The thought certainly brought great joy, but perhaps a niggle of fear as well. Will our love last, or will we fall prey to division?
Think about the birth of your first child. No other joy compares to bringing new life into the world. But, this tiny, fragile creature is now your responsibility for the next eighteen years—at least. It’s a fearsome thing to contemplate.
This joy-and-fear combination is also part of our experience with God, all-powerful and awe-inspiring as he is, capable of fearsome acts. After all, he once annihilated an enemy-army of 185,000 in one night (2).
To fear God—reverence him and highly respect him—is a wise choice!
Then, as we face worrisome unknowns and fears begin to rise, we can still take joy in such blessings as:
- God’s unfailing strength and goodness to carry us through
- Scripture-promises to quiet our spirits
- Enhanced intimacy with God as he draws especially near with comfort and encouragement
And during the process of the unknown becoming known, we discover God’s plan includes multiple delights.
Steve and I saw this occur in all six churches where he served as pastor during forty years of ministry. Each seemed a fearsome challenge for different reasons, and yet we also felt the joy of expectation, to see what God would do.
And each church did provide multiple delights, as God blessed us and others.
Praise God, he “guides us only into that which will finally result in our joy and radiance, even if it means passing through pain”(3)–or fear, we might add.
Imagine the joy and radiance of the two Marys as they followed the angel’s instructions and made their announcement!
The same pleasure can be ours—in spite of fear—as we follow God’s guidance for us.
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Notes:
- Matthew 27:32-61; 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-7
- 2 Kings 19:32-36
- Dane C. Ortlund, In the Lord I Take Refuge, 90.
Image credits: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net (Marina Shemesh) & http://www.canva.com; http://www.freebibleimages.org; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.dailyverses.net.
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Nancy, your energized testament opens anyone’s heart to feel the joy shared from these Marys’ witness of Christ’s empty tomb. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Richard. That’s always my prayer, that what is shared here would always open hearts to the joy of knowing Jesus, who loves us, grants us peace and joy, and offers us the best gift of all: eternal life.
Fear and joy can exist in the same breath, Nancy, and you have so perfectly illustrated this truth in the retelling of the Easter story through the eyes and hearts of the Marys. You truly made me feel the entire experience of their encounter as if I were right beside them as they hurried to tell the disciples. Thank you! Blessings always!
And thank you, Martha, for your encouragement.
🧡
Thanks, Mitch!
The two Marys went from indescribable sadness to unimaginable joy. I love the way you narrated how they might have felt as they realized Jesus had risen from the dead. Thank you, Nancy, for your encouragement to embrace the joy of obedience. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy. Sounds almost ludicrous, doesn’t it–the joy of obedience–given our human penchant for independence and self-direction. But there’s another given we’re better off heeding: God’s loving aspirations for our best lives, as we follow his ways. Our all-wise Maker knows what’s best!
One more nail in the coffin of the accusation that Jesus and Christians disrespect women as second class citizens. Just look at who was chosen to discover the empty tomb and the risen Lord!
Right you are, Linda! It would seem God sent a clear signal that among Jesus’ followers, women would be held in higher regard. Jesus didn’t go out of his way to urge women’s rights, but the fact he included them in his teaching circles and travel certainly set him apart from other rabbis.
“To fear God—reverence him and highly respect him—is a wise choice!” Amen!!
Thank you Nancy.
Blessings always,
Pam
Thank you for the blessing, Pam. Feeling blessed today as Steve and I enjoyed a breakfast date under sunny skies with balmy temps!
Thank you for sharing this post with us! God always wants the very best for His children! In prayer, we seek God’s guidance in all things. He knows our hearts as no one else ever could and He understands our every fear. That alone is such a great comfort.
Amen, Linda. God is SO good to lavish upon us such wonderful blessings as you’ve mentioned. And yet there are more, right?! Incredible when we stop to count them and thank him.
That phrase, “Do not be afraid,” is written so many times in the Bible. There are times when we simply cannot not be afraid. It’s those times that make us most vulnerable. Even during the little things, we should always trust that God has our best interests at heart. He loves us so much, our fears haven’t got a chance. Thanks for your positive thoughts.
I read somewhere that “Do not fear” appears 365 times in the Bible–one for each day of the year! Don’t know if that’s exactly accurate, but you’re right, Kathy–the reminder frequents the pages of scripture often. I love what you said: “He loves us so much, our fears haven’t got a chance!” When we focus on God and all the ways he expresses his love for us, our fears do lose their power over us. Such wonderful comfort!
[…] With Fear and Great Joy […]
[…] With Fear and Great Joy […]
This reminds me of last November when my Mom had her accident, totaling her car after she passed out at the wheel. There was great fear as I waited to learn about her condition; but immediately following that was the great joy I felt as I watched the reconciliation of two of her great-granddaughters (sisters) who had been estranged for years. They are now sharing a double and are best friends.
Now THERE’s a wonderful example of Romans 8:28 in action! Thank you, Cheri, for sharing.
Nancy—this is very encouraging—where have you been all of my life? SMILE…Might I share this and other psts with my readers, Christian and non-Christian alike? It’ll be with a link back to your original post—all credit to you. In fact at least one of the above commenters also graces the pages of my blog, BY THE MIGHTY MUMFORD, https://bythemightymumford.wordpress.com.
Thank you, Jonathan. Of course I’m delighted you found this post encouraging and worthy of sharing with your readers. Yes, you may share any posts you like.
MORE SHALL BE BLESSED!
[…] Leave a reply With Fear and Great Joy […]
Love that you invite us to imagine that conversation between the women. I will ponder this more. Great image I am sure. Plus this post reminds that I’ve read that joy and sorrow are sisters. Fear and joy are too!
I can see that, Jean–joy and sorrow being sisters. Without sorrow as a comparison, joy loses much of its power. We need one to experience fully the other. And like the fear and joy of the two Mary’s we sometimes experience them at the same time. A difficulty can also bring with it blessing.