Healing Rays of Righteousness

Probably no one has ever loved Jesus more than Mary Magdalene. She had sinned so much, and His gracious, full forgiveness completely changed her life. She could never forget His love and kindness toward her.

That’s why, being overwhelmed with grief, she stands outside the tomb weeping. She knew Jesus was dead. The spear that pierced Jesus side had also killed her joy and left her hopeless. Now gone was all purpose and meaning in her life. And she weeps in awful, miserable aloneness and silence.

Bending down to look again into the tomb she sees “two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been,” who ask her, “Woman, why are you crying?” Blinded by her tears, she didn’t recognize the angels. Turning around to look away from the tomb, she sees another person standing near her who also asks, “Woman, why are you crying?” Thinking he was the gardener; she asks for Jesus’ dead body. That’s the most she could hope for.

Then Jesus speaks her name, “Mary” and suddenly the morning became more glorious than she could have ever imagined. She sees Jesus alive and speaking her name. Her joy and hope are restored and the emptiness in her soul is filled with His living presence. Her Lord is no longer dead, but alive and standing by her side. I think her feet must have felt like wings as she ran to tell the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”

Each Easter Sunday we again hear the story of Jesus’ resurrection from death to life and are invited to make His story our story of believing faith. Can we say with Mary, “I have seen the Lord.”?  Are we convinced that Jesus has risen, that He is alive? Are we experiencing the presence and power of this gloriously triumphant living Christ in our daily lives?

In writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul declares that Christ Jesus “has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus did not do away with death. We still experience it, but He did deactivate death’s power, and now death is powerless and cannot destroy us. By his glorious resurrection, Jesus destroyed death’s power over us with all its mystery and finality.

In the Gospel writer’s later life, being banish on the Isle of Patmos and facing death, John is given a vision of Christ, who encourages him, and us, with these words, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Rev. 1:17b-18).

Tommy Dorsey, jazzman and gospel songwriter, was singing in a revival meeting in St. Louis when he got the awful new. This young performer was handed a telegram that read, “Your wife is dead.”

He had left her at home in the last month of pregnancy. The last look into her face was of Nettie sound asleep. All seemed well. Now, she was dead. She had given birth to a son, but within a day he also died. Both were buried in the same casket. Tommy fell apart in his soul, his inner peace was shattered, his faith severely damaged.

The following Saturday he meandered close to a piano, sat down, and started to fiddle with the keys. A new melody surfaced as his fingers softly struck the keys. Heartfelt lyrics formed in his mind, and out of the sorrow of death, came these words of faith that we still sing today:
          “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand,
           I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
          Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light,
          take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”

That’s our faith. Because Jesus “destroyed death’s power” with his resurrection, we can face the apparent mystery and finality of death, with this song of prayer and faith in our heart and on our lips. “Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”

As the morning sun rises in the east, announcing a new day, let us always remember that most amazing and wonderful morning when Mary and the disciples discovered the tomb was empty. And, just like Mary, Jesus sends us to go and excitedly tell others, “I have seen the Lord.”  Yes, He is risen! He is alive! Hallelujah!

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – April 15, 2020
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com
Ray M. Geigley