Even So, 'But Go!'...

“He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.’ There you will see Him, just as He told you.”—Mark 16:6-7

This morning, and the 51 other Resurrection Days to come, we who consider ourselves Christ-ones are reawakened to the mind-boggling reality of the greatest victory…ever. There has never been a more joyous triumph—because unlike even the most amazing and exhilarating sporting events or personal accomplishments, the eternal joy of the reality of the Resurrection never fades or becomes diminished with time or fleeting memory. Death and hopelessness met Love, and were destroyed once and for all. And what could possibly be better news than that?

The “He is risen!” of the angel shouts that not only was the cross not the end of the story, but that the One who is very much alive is God Himself who was, and is, and is to come. Just as He said it would be, over and over and over again. He is still the One who became flesh and “moved into the neighborhood.” He is still God with us, and yet so much more—now Christ in us, the hope of His glory before a world in need of more hope than ever.

Eternal reality is one thing. Living it out is another. And on those days (sometimes weeks) when the cares and stresses of life are compounded by an accelerating unraveling in every corner of the world, it’s good to remember that God has great patience, encouragement, and a relentless Resurrection-living call on our lives, no matter how imperfect and weak our faith may be at times.

In fact, according to the Gospel of Mark, here’s the kind of week the very first ones who followed Christ in person had during His last days physically on earth:

 

They fell asleep when they should have been alert

They deserted Him when they said they wouldn’t

They ran home where it was safer

They followed at a distance hoping no one would notice

They caved in to public opinion

And even on this day at the empty tomb, they doubted, were filled with confusion

And ran some more

And some 2000+ years later, we have all, at one time or another, sung together: “Owned the t-shirt factory!”

All the more reason why Resurrection morning is a reminder to “but go….” and join the weak-of-faith who’ve gone before us at Galilee, to worship with renewed awe, wonder, and joy even if hounded by the tiniest of doubts and fears, and to be reminded of our purpose in this lifetime—and especially that the strength for the journey is His anyway:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations….and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

"The point of your life is to point to Him.

Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His."—Francis Chan