The Living Savior Provides a Fresh Start – April 9, 2021

“Go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Mark 16:7

The Living Savior Provides a Fresh Start

At first glance, it might seem strange that the angel sent the women who saw him on Easter morning to tell Jesus’ disciples about Jesus’ resurrection. After all, they had deserted him when he was arrested. Why not leave them behind? Wouldn’t it have been better to send the first witnesses of the resurrection to Caiaphas, Herod, or Pilate for a little “I told you so”? Actually no. “I told you so” was not the mission Jesus had come to accomplish, and it wasn’t the message that he wanted to send.

Besides, Jesus’ disciples needed to hear this good news of the resurrection more than anyone else. After all, their fall from grace had made the loudest crash.

Regardless of what they deserved to be called, the angel did not call them “traitors,” “cowards,” or even “underachievers.” After all that had happened, they were still called Jesus’ “disciples.” It’s not because they’d merited the moniker. They were disciples by grace.

The same is true for all of Jesus’ disciples. The truth is we have all given Jesus good reason to distance himself from us, to make a clean break from us and leave us behind. And we need so desperately to hear the good news of a living and gracious Savior, who in his mercy still rejoices to call us his disciples.

The empty tomb was so many things to Jesus’ disciples. Evidence of promises kept, of Jesus’ divinity, of victory over death. Here’s one more thing the empty tomb meant for them: a fresh start.

So also for Jesus’ modern-day disciples! Because of the forgiveness he won for us, every day is a fresh start—an opportunity to follow him more closely and serve him faithfully.

Prayer:
Send me your Holy Spirit, living Savior, that I may rejoice in the new life of Easter and live each day in your service and to your glory. Amen.