Love Responds

Matt.28: ² Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. ³ His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.”

There was confusion in hell, satan and all his demons fell on their face just at the mention of the Name of Jesus. satan grabbed the demon’s throat, “I thought I told you not to mention that name in this place.” So, he immediately commanded that the gates be locked, and every guard mount their post. When Jesus got to the gate, an angel shouted, “Lift up your heads oh ye gates, even lift them up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in”. By this time, satan was peeing in his pants, “Who is this King of glory?” he asked. The angel replied, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads oh ye gates and ye be lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in!” “Who is this king of glory?” they asked again, trying to put up a resistance. The angel said, “The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory” [paraphrased from Ps.24].

Immediately, the gates shattered to pieces and Jesus matched into hell. The Bible says, He took the key of death and hell from Satan and smashed his head for you and me. Then according to Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 [please read], Jesus led captivity captive, He led a train of Abraham, Isaac, David, and the rest of them to heaven. David was probably leading the choir. Jesus had in His possession the key of death and hell, the Blood of atonement that He was taking to the altar in heaven to secure an eternal future for you and me. But on His way, He heard Mary crying, “Where have you kept Him?” Jesus was faced with a choice to complete my mission, then come back and attend to Mary. Is He to ignore a bruised reed, a smoking flask, a contrite heart and go and accomplish His mission? Or should He tell father Abraham and the others to wait while He attends to Mary?

Love chose to respond to the cry of a lady. Listen, your tears are not wasted, they are precious to God. Our pain, especially when it is sincere, is important to God. Jesus put the whole work of salvation on the line to attend to Mary, He said, “Who are you looking for?” She responded, “If you have found Him, tell me where you put Him, I will go and carry Him.” She was a woman, this was not just a man but one that had been dead for three days; how would she carry His bloated corpse? She did not care, and Jesus could not resist that. Jesus said, “Mary!” not in the way you and I know it but in His own special way. She immediately recognized Him because only one person called her that way. Mary said, “Rabboni”

Prayer [song]: You were the Word at the beginning. One with God the Lord Most High. Your hidden glory in creation. Now revealed in You our Christ. What a beautiful Name it is… Amen!