MATTHEW 28:1-6: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 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, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Sometimes we may easily miss an important truth in a section of scripture because we don’t take time to go beyond the obvious to the not so obvious. That is why we must slowly read our Bibles and remember that every Word is God’s Word. Don’t rush, but cherish every single word. If not, we will miss most precious truths that will renew our minds, nourish our hearts, and encourage our walks. And one of those precious truths not to be missed is found in today’s scripture with just three words

As we enter into the riveting scene of our Lord’s resurrection follow the action. The two Mary’s come to the tomb. They are engulfed with grief over the death of their beloved Jesus. Staring at the tomb, the ground suddenly shakes. The stone sealing the tomb is moved by an angel who appears out of nowhere in blazing apparel. All humans, Roman guards and both Mary’s, react as any human would; paralyzed by fear of the supernatural. For the guards, the action and appearance of the angel of the Lord made them comatose. Not the Mary’s. They were immediately put at ease by the comforting words and hope that their friend and Lord was not dead – 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, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Now comes the three little words not to miss for they form the very foundation for all Christian living and the source of strength in tough times. They are “as he said”.

The angel of the Lord affirmed the truth of Jesus’ resurrection as the fulfillment of His promise. Did He not repeatedly tell His disciples that He would be crucified and after three days would be raised from the dead? Yes, often. And what we take away from this is what God says, God does. When God makes a promise, God keeps His promise. After the angel makes his statement, both Mary’s would have looked at each other saying, “Yes, Jesus did say this. Yes, He kept His Word.” And such thinking of what He had said in the past, now verified in the present, propelled them to greater faith, greater courage, and greater obedience to His sure Word. What happened after the angel’s proclamation? Jesus appears to them and they immediately obey His Word to go tell His brothers of His resurrection (Matthew 27:7-10).

The lesson? God’s Word may be trusted. Yes, we know that, but what we know will be tested. As trials come and severe testing enters our lives, do we trust God’s Word to be enough to sustain us? Do we abandon ourselves to His promises? We can because He who promised is faithful. And as we do, we will say, “He was true to Himself just as He said.”

PRAYER: “Father, I honor You for giving me Your unfailing Word that brings comfort, peace, and hope.”
QUOTE: “God’s Word is trustworthy and unchanging because it comes from Him who is trustworthy and unchanging.”