by The disciples had been on a 3½ year spiritual high. They met the Messiah they were taught about as children, the Deliverer their prophets prophesied of. Jesus gave them a message of eternal hope. He presented them with the keys to His Kingdom. He promised that they would rule and reign with Him in His earthly kingdom. In turn, they gave their lives literally to Jesus.
3½ years later, they were living in fear. Their Messiah, the One who promised peace and a new Kingdom was murdered by crucifixion. They feared the authorities that crucified their dearest friend and Savior. They feared being separated from Jesus and feared what their future held. Their faith and their hope were shattered. The women also feared and were unsettled as to what they might find at Jesus’ tomb. Would things be the same as they left them? Would the guards allow them to minister their burial rites? Would they even be able to roll back the stone?
When they arrived at the tomb, an Angel gave them a message of hope, “Fear not ye” (Matthew 28:5-8). Both “with fear and great joy,” these women took this message back to the disciples. They all were refreshed and renewed in their hope with courage to continue on for Him. These men would go on to turn the world upside down with the Gospel. Their persecutors would be saved, and they would go out and continue to turning the world upside down with the Gospel.
“Fear Not Ye” is a message of hope for us today! We have the same hope of salvation. We have hope that when we carry the power of this same Truth, that men and women and even our persecutors will be saved and go out to do the same.
