Mark 16:6

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

‘Don’t be alarmed?  Really?  We’ve come to see Jesus, who we watched die a horrible death, but he’s not here.  And you’re telling us he’s risen, but not to be alarmed.  Are you kidding me?’

This is what I imagine would be going through my head if I were one of the women that day.  How could you not be alarmed? 

Sometimes it’s easy for us to read the Bible and think ‘how did they not see that coming?’ but we have the benefit of hindsight.  Often, when I try to place myself as a character in the story, I find myself questioning or doubting as well.  This is where we are called to trust – in fact, the definition of the word faith is ‘complete trust or confidence in someone or something’.  So putting our faith in Jesus means trusting him completely.  As was this case for these women, this can be easier said than done.

When do you need to trust Jesus more?  When are you tempted to get carried away by the situation and not take it to God?  Why not pray now:

Dear heavenly father, we confess that there are situations that overwhelm or scare us, but we don’t turn to you.  Instead, we focus on the problem, or finding a solution.  Help us remember to first turn to you, as our source of peace and calm, before working out the next step.  Help us to trust you with our whole lives, for we know you care about every detail.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Janet Sutton – Creek Road