City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh.

The Word

¹ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵ And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” ⁸ And they remembered his words, ⁹ and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, ¹¹ but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹² But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

–Luke 24:1-12 ESV

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses spark hope and wonder after a tumultuous time of feeling as though all was lost. The women who were with Jesus at His crucifixion came to prepare His body for burial, and instead they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty! Further they saw angels affirming Jesus’ words that He would be crucified and rise again. 

Let’s take a moment to imagine their shock and awe. Sure, they might have heard those words come out of Jesus’ mouth, but did they actually believe they were true? Seeing as how they prepared spices for a corpse, I’m inferring the pain of seeing Jesus crucified before their eyes was still fresh in their hearts and minds, that they could hardly think of anything else but His death. 

I love that the scripture says they found the stone rolled away from the tomb (Luke 24:2). This highlights the graciousness of God to beckon them into a new era of God’s peace, mercy, and goodwill towards men. That stone being rolled away is like a divine wink from God indicating there’s hope and a fresh beginning ahead. 

While the sin of humanity caused separation and a great divide between God and man, God’s love bridged the gap! The rolling stone and empty tomb show us that the sin debt we owe God is paid in full, and He is fully satisfied with the judgment rendered on Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection is living proof that God has dealt with sin freely, fully, finally, and forever. 

This gives us great reason to hope. No longer can the enemy taunt us with our past mistakes and the shame of sin. While it is true we all fall short of God’s glory, it is also true that God’s forgiveness flows freely in the blood of Jesus poured out for our transgressions to all who would receive it. God is satisfied with the finished work of Jesus, and the empty tomb is the confirmation. 

Application

In what ways have guilt, shame, and condemnation crushed you? Be of good cheer because the Lord wants to roll that stone away. He wants you to live in freedom from your old life, and He wants you to put on your new nature in Christ. 

As the year draws to a close, take some time to reflect on how God has brought you out of a life of sin and into His glorious grace. You are no longer bound by your past or the painful things that have happened. Let God, the Master Builder, shape your life and forge your path.

Prayer

Father God, I could not begin to imagine where I would be if I didn’t have a divine encounter with Your love and compassionate grace. Thank You for saving my soul and rolling the stone of my sin and shame away. I want to live out each moment for You in joyful surrender. In Jesus’ name, amen.