It had been a dark two days and two nights. Shortly after Christ’s crucifixion, the Father saw his Son hanging on the cross and forsook Him as the angels in Heaven bowed their heads in sorrow and grief. Conversely, as soon as Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb, it seems as though Hell erupted as the demons danced, shouted and jeered in celebration. In totality, it felt as though Hell had engulfed the Earth and covered it with complete spiritual darkness. Meanwhile, while all of these cosmic emotions were simultaneously taking place, Jesus’ disciples were attempting to make sense of all that had happened.  Let us consider the following:

  • Thomas the doubter is unconvinced.
  • Matthew the tax collector is skeptical, he’s calculating.
  • Peter the fisherman is depressed, he denied his Lord.
  • James the fisherman is doubtful. The resurrection is supernatural. He deals in the natural.
  • John the fisherman is concerned, he is nervous about the future.
  • The remaining disciples are embarrassed as they all forsook Jesus on that fateful night three days earlier.

In summary, Christ’s crucifixion was wrought with confusion for many and deep emotions for all.

Moreover, when reading Matthew 27:45 – 28:10 in detail, we can see that one unexpected emotion stands out: FEAR. In fact, it is stated four times in this passage and implied at least twice more. The reason for this is because Jesus had previously claimed that “….after three days, I will rise” (Matthew 17:23; Mark 9:31). By studying each individual presentation of fear from this passage, we see that each are like one piece of a jigsaw puzzle that, when properly assembled together, presents one unified picture. One of these presentations of fear is….

The fear of a dead Savior

In the early verses of Matthew 28, we see that two women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, went to visit Jesus’ tomb. While there, an angel appeared to them and stated the following: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay” (Matthew 28:5-6). At this very moment, we see that Jesus’ previous teaching was validated!  Because Christ had risen as He said, His previous teaching was trustworthy. What joy these women must have felt when they heard these three fear-dispelling, faith-assuring and soul-comforting words when the angel stated “as He said”.  Likewise, what a comfort these same words are for born again believers today. Because Jesus’ words regarding His resurrection were proven to be true, we can be assured that all of His spoken words are true. Furthermore, since the entirely of scripture is based on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (and the fulfilled promise), we can be certain that the entire Bible, God’s written word to us, is true.  What an amazing blessing that is! However, as humans living in a world corrupted by sin, we doubt. So, what words has Jesus spoken through His word do you doubt? Do you doubt that He will provide for you? Do you doubt that He will protect you in times of trouble? Do you doubt that His work on the cross is sufficient to save you from eternal damnation? If so, remember this: Jesus rose from the grave as he said He would; thus, you can fully trust Him with every aspect of your life, including your eternal security! Friend, If you have not yet trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, what keeps you from believing His words and trusting in Him today?

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