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Have you ever had chills of fear run up your spine? I remember hunting deep in the woods of Northern Michigan many years ago. I was alone and the sun had set. I started walking the half mile back to my car when I discovered I had forgotten my flashlight! I walked down the trail with all my senses alert when something startled me. I felt the jolt of fear!
Evidently, seeing an angel can also be a fearful thing. More than once in Scripture, the first words angels say when appearing to people is “Don’t be afraid.” That certainly happened on the first Easter Sunday. Matthew 28 tells us a few women visited Jesus’ tomb, where an angel appeared. The Roman guards posted there were paralyzed by fear. The first words the angel said to the women are recorded in verse 5. He said, “Don’t be afraid.”
That is the first thing to remember as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus today. Don’t be afraid! I like even better the translations that say “fear not!” This is a message of hope!
The angel had more to say as well. He told the women to “come and see the place where he lay.” He concluded with a message they were to go quickly and tell to his disciples. This week, we will focus on the message of the angel. We will “come see” and “go tell.”
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.