Where did He go?

Luke 23:44-24:12
by Brian Knitter

Luke’s version of the resurrection is more mysterious than the other Gospel accounts. “The women” had watched Jesus die on the cross. They watched the centurion make sure He was dead. They watched Joseph of Arimathea place Jesus in his garden tomb, then off they went to prepare burial spices and balms. They fully expected to anoint Jesus with these spices and balms after the Sabbath. Early Sunday morning, they went to the tomb and found… nothing. Why were they even looking?

The women’s first question was no doubt, “Where is Jesus?” Secondly, they would have asked, “Who took him?” After all, dead people don’t just walk away on their own. And that is exactly the point, Jesus wasn’t dead. They just didn’t know it.
The women’s questions were soon answered by two men in gleaming white robes — angels. “Why look for the living among the dead?” they asked. “Did Jesus not tell you several times that He would die and be resurrected?”
Neither the women nor the disciples had understood what Jesus was talking about. They had not gotten it, or they had forgotten it, and they sure weren’t acting like people who were expecting Jesus’ return. The women and the disciples were respectively preparing Jesus’ body for burial and hiding in a safe house. The most amazing thing had just happened — Jesus had been raised from the dead, taking our sins upon Himself so we could be forgiven and live with Him forever in eternity; the temple curtain had been torn in two so that God might be accessible to all, and the women and disciples had to be reminded by angels about what Jesus had said. Did they have faulty memories, or were they lacking in faith?

Can we judge the women and disciples harshly for their lack of memory or faith? Of course not — they were stressed beyond belief, and may not have been thinking rationally. How about us though? We know the story, and proclaim that Jesus is alive, yet sometimes we expect to find Him dead.

Is He alive in our daily lives, or have we buried Him?

Christ is very much alive today and wants to be an active part in your life. He died so that we may live. He took upon Himself all our sins. We will be alive in Christ rather than dead to sin because of Him. Hallelujah!–Praise the living God! Thank Him today, and allow Him to be alive in your heart.