But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen!”

Matthew 28:5-6

Have you heard the song Empty Grave by Zach Williams? If you haven’t, I recommend it. It’s not a traditional Easter song (although I would love to sing it in church one day).

I love humming it around Easter time and my boys get a kick out of it when I try to sing the low parts. This is the link if you’re interested 👇

Anyways, Easter is a weekend that has a sad beginning but the most amazing ending.

Jesus death was not glamorous. There was no epic battle scene or final victory. It was a slow death that would have been hard to watch as a bystander.

Being at Calvary, and experiencing it must have been horrible. Jesus was a friend and teacher, he was God’s son, how could he be treated in such a malicious way? I can only imagine the thoughts Jesus’ disciples had, not to mention his mother and the other women who stood at a distance to watch.

What they didn’t realize was that they were about to witness a miracle. They had been told he would rise again but would it happen? I’m sure in the moment of grief it was hard to believe anything good could happen. And then lo and behold it did happen, an empty grave! Not empty because Jesus had been moved or taken but because he rose again!

They must have felt overwhelmed, elated and filled with hope. Okay, the bible says they departed with fear and great joy… talk about mixed emotions. One day he was dead and the next he was alive!

I wonder if they knew that the event would be talked about for years to come. Here we are today still celebrating! We recognize the amazing miracle that happened over those three days. Christ our Lord rose again, death couldn’t hold him down.

He made the ultimate sacrifice for us and we should jump for joy!

So while Friday is more of a solemn day, we know that Sunday is coming. We know the angels will be singing and we should sing too. So praise God! What an amazing weekend we have in store for us.

Happy Easter!