I couldn’t believe it was true. My friends knew I had been suffering. They told me of a man who could help me –
that He had healed others of evil spirits and sicknesses. How I wanted it to be true, for seven demons
had been tormenting me day and night (Luke 8:2). But I was just a “nobody.” Why would a stranger care about my
problem? But I had to see Him with my
own eyes … just in case my friends were right.
And so I went to Him. I thought
He might turn away. I wouldn’t have
blamed Him because, with my disheveled hair and twisted face, I was nothing
much to look at! But this Man was
undaunted. He fixed His eyes on me and I
felt the most incredible sense of love pouring from Him. I trembled as He extended his gentle hand in
my direction. When He touched me, I felt
His power! Something had changed! The tension was gone and I felt my contorted
face fall back into smooth lines. I was overcome with emotion and couldn’t speak,
as tears splashed onto my lap. I don’t
know what happened, but I felt brand new!
My tormentors were gone, never to return again. This Jesus had lifted me from my agony and
had given me joy unspeakable! I purposed
in my heart to follow Him forever!
And that I did! My
friends and I went everywhere with Jesus and His disciples, and we gave
lavishly to help support them as they reached out and touched others (Luke
8:3). That was the least we could
do! After all, we owed a debt that we
could not pay for all He had done for us.
A lot of stories have been told about Peter, James, John, and the
others, and that is okay. Even though
our work was less visible, it was just as important! We were content to work behind the scenes,
just to serve the One who loved us.
Time and time again, we watched Jesus heal sickness,
raise the dead, and forgive sin. This
was no ordinary man! He accepted
everyone, no matter who they were; and one-by-one, people let Him into their
hearts and changed their sinful ways.
This was a good man in whom there was no guile. I wanted the whole world to know Him!
How stunned I was, then, when I heard that Jesus had been
arrested and beaten! Who would do such a
thing to love personified? There must
have been a mistake, I told myself!
Surely they had confused Him with someone else! But that was not the case. This was the man the crowd wanted to crucify
on a cross! We watched in horror as they
mockingly draped a scarlet robe over our Master’s shoulders and placed a crown
of thorns on His head. We followed from
a distance as they led Him away to crucify Him… and then we watched our Lord
suffer a devastating death on a cruel cross.
Words can’t express the emotion I felt. I cringed with the pounding of each nail, and
I looked around with dismay at the laughter of the cold, hardened crowd. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath as
my body heaved with grief. Darkness fell
over the whole land – and over my broken heart.
My Lord was unrecognizable when I heard Him cry out to His Father and
breathe His last (Mark 15:33-34, 37). I
heard Him say, “It is finished.” When
the centurion saw the resulting earthquake and the things that were happening,
he became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” But it was too late. My Lord was gone, and my life was over.
Or was it? For as
it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, my friends and I had gone to
look at His grave. What we saw was
unbelievable! There sat an angel on the
stone that had been rolled away! His
appearance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow! The guards passed out, and we were ready to
run! Then the angel spoke to us telling
us not to be afraid. He said that he
knew we were looking for Jesus. He told
us that Jesus was not there, for He had risen, just as He said He would
do. We noticed that Jesus was not lying
where they had placed him, and our hearts leapt with joy! We ran as quickly as our legs would carry us
to tell the disciples that He had risen from the dead.
As we were running, we beheld the glory of our Lord! It was HE who approached us!!! Overflowing with joy, we took hold of His
feet, fell down and worshiped Him. Then
Jesus said to us, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave
for Galilee, and there they will see Me” (Matthew 28:1-10). When I reached the disciples who were
mourning and weeping, and told them He was alive and that I had seen Him, they
refused to believe me (Mark 16:9-11) … until they themselves saw Him with their
own eyes! What a glorious day that was!
Jesus had conquered death … and now He lives on … as we
give love to one another. Our Lord had
RISEN – proving by His resurrection that He was who He said He was – the very
Son of God! Hallelujah!
