Panic, shock, disbelief and relentless sorrow washed over them. How could this be!? Their Jesus was dead. He had been buried and now His tomb was empty and there was no body!
Where was their Jesus?
They couldn't find Him and they wept and lamented. They tried to figure out what had happened. It had all been such a bombshell. Their Jesus had been invincible and performed miracles and rose people up from the dead. Yet now He was dead and his body had disappeared!
It was a mini-object lesson, so to speak of the here and now. Jesus had told them He was going away for a while but,
" ... again a litte while and you will see Me" (John 16:19 ESV)!
When the disciples and Mary and the other women found Jesus, or rather when He had found them in His resurrected state, they rejoiced. Their ...
" ... sorrow [turned] into joy" (vs 20).
And they spent forty days with Him before He ascended back into Heaven to His Father. This "going away" has become thousands of years on. Our hearts join the disciples holding the promise that we will see Him again (see Revelation 22:20).
We can keep our ears open wanting to hear His call to
"come up" (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 ESV).
We can keep this hope in our hearts and encourage one another with it and let it energize us to do His work until He comes. We can work so that others will have this hope and joy too.
Lord Jesus, we long to see You again. We look forward to that time when You call us, all Your children, up to be with You forever. Turn our sorrow into joy. We await this full joy. Come, Lord Jesus. We ask in Your name. Amen.
~ ERC November 2025 ~
Based on John 16:15-24 ESV.
Sing, How Great Thou Art, along with Hadleigh Baptist Church.
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