And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
A few weeks ago, my mama threw me a baby shower. Over the course of an afternoon, she, one of my aunts, and a couple of cousins worked some magic and transformed my parents’ sun room into the Hundred Acre Wood. And the next day, the room was filled with family and close family friends.
Precious person after precious person spilled into the room, carrying armfuls of generous gifts. And generous is the key word. We left the next day with a car so full, we wouldn’t have been able to stuff another gift in there if we had tried.
As wonderful as those gifts were, however, what was so much more heartwarming was seeing how many people were excited to come celebrate with Jai and me. For many people, showers are about the gifts and helping the couple as they get started. But for me, the gifts weren’t the main attraction. More than the gifts, our family and friends’ presence and joy over our growing family meant more than any gift could.
What the Angel’s Message in Matthew 28:7 Really Tells Us
Now, I know it’s not Easter, but I was writing a freelance piece on this passage this past week, and it caught my attention and reminded me of my baby shower. How the thing that might have seemed to be the important part ended up being less important.
In this passage, the crucifixion has happened. Jesus has been buried, and Sunday has dawned. The women are at the tomb with the burial herbs and spices, ready to anoint a body that is no longer there. In His place, they find an angel who tells them that Jesus has risen. And then the angel gives them this message: He’s waiting for you and the disciples in Galilee.
The Surprising Detail Hidden in Matthew 28:7
I don’t think we realize how strange a reaction this is to the magnitude of the victory Jesus had just won. By sacrificing Himself on the cross and rising from the dead, He’d just defeated the powers of darkness and destroyed the power of death itself. He’d rewritten and redeemed the entire course of fallen creation.
No political or military victory could ever compare with the victory He’d just won. What would make sense is for Him to celebrate His victory. To make it public or deliver a message to the biggest group of people possible and get the word out. Maybe even to go to His disciples right away and send them out to spread the word. But that’s not what He does. Instead, He plans a get-together with His closest friends.
The Victory Was Always About Fellowship With Christ
I can’t pretend to know exactly what was going through Jesus’s mind when He chose to celebrate His great victory this way, but I do have a theory. For Jesus, the real victory wasn’t His victory over death. The real victory was the torn veil. The fact that nothing stood between Him and the people He so deeply loved.
While we weren’t there yet when Jesus rose again, we are still people deeply loved by God. We didn’t get to go to that first get-together, but I believe He is just as eager to spend time with us as He was with His disciples after His resurrection.
An Invitation to Spend Time With Jesus
So therein lies our action step for this week. Let’s take advantage of the invitation the Gospel affords us and set aside some time for a special get-together with our Savior. Let’s make spending time with Jesus a priority because that’s what His victory on the cross was really all about.
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