In the Grave (by Cathe Laurie)
“And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him’” (Mark 16:6 ESV).
Light shines brightest in the darkest times.
Last weekend, we celebrated Easter Sunday. On Easter Sunday, we talk about life, resurrection, and new hope! It’s a bright morning full of floral dresses and pretty, lacey shoes. We pull out our Sunday best and take our family pictures in front of flowers and trees—the new life after the cold darkness of winter.
We celebrate how Jesus rose from the dead! How wonderful! How marvelous! How miraculous! We know the end of the story, so we can focus on the light.
But for those who lived the story—those who were there at His death and visited His grave—darkness seemed to win.
The Disheartenment After Jesus’ Death
I can only imagine the horror and sorrow that hung in the air as Jesus was nailed to the cross. How could it be? This Savior who had changed their lives was being killed before them. But they might have still had hope . . . if He was still breathing, things could change. Perhaps He’d put an end to it. Perhaps He’d spare Himself from death.
But Jesus died. They laid Him in a tomb. And a little more hope disappeared behind that giant stone they used to seal it. But still . . . maybe He would pop out. Maybe there had been a mistake. Maybe He wasn’t truly dead.
Saturday came and went, and that hope dissolved a little more.
By Sunday, Jesus had been lying in a dark tomb for two full days. If He wasn’t dead already, He certainly was now.
When the women came to prepare His body, they had no hope left. Even when Jesus appeared before Mary Magdalene, she thought He was the gardener (see John 20). There was nothing left to hope for, no possible life raft to cling to in the sea of darkness.
But Jesus had risen.
But Darkness Didn’t Win
My friends, if you hear nothing else, hear this: Darkness never wins.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5 ESV).
No matter how hopeless a situation seems, no matter how long you’ve been sitting in the tomb, darkness never wins.
When our power fails, God’s greatness breaks through. When we reach our breaking point, the Lord lifts us up. When the world says, “It’s impossible,” God shows us how wrong we truly are.
The darkness of Easter weekend led to the greatest miracle and gift the world has ever known. Perhaps, in your darkness, God is working a miracle.
I know it’s hard. I know it’s dark. But remember the Easter story: God took death and made it life, and darkness was conquered, once and for all!
Get these articles in your inbox!
—
Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.
