Week 12 | Day 3 HE IS NOT HERE Matthew 28:1-15 | Luke 24:1-12 | John 20:1-25

Early on the first day of the week, three women came to the tomb where Jesus was laid and discovered it empty. Angels announced that Jesus had risen just as He said, and the women are instructed to tell the disciples. Though fear and confusion mixed with joy, the resurrection message began to spread. Meanwhile, religious leaders attempted to suppress the truth by bribing the guards, showing that denial of the resurrection began immediately. In John’s account, Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ personally, and the disciples moved from grief and fear to amazement and belief.

The significance of this passage cannot be overstated: the resurrection confirms Jesus’ victory over sin and death and validates every promise He made. The empty tomb transforms despair into hope, fear into faith, and followers into witnesses. The resurrection is not merely a comforting belief—it is the cornerstone of the gospel, declaring that Jesus is Lord, that death has been defeated, and that new life is now available to all who believe.

APPLICATION

1. Live with Resurrection Hope

Because Jesus lives, despair and death no longer have the final word. There is victory of sin, death, and judgment.

2. Move from Fear to Faith

Like the first witnesses, faith often begins amid uncertainty but grows through encounter with the risen Christ. Faith in the resurrection is the essential ingredient to the Christian life.

3. Proclaim the Truth Boldly

The resurrection demands to be shared, even when others attempt to deny or distort it. We are heralds of this good news in what we say and in how we live.

4. Believe even When You don’t See Everything Clearly

God invites trust that rests on His promises, not just visible proof. Faith knows something is certain even though it might not be visibly apparent. Like the wind, we know it to be true because we see its effects.

5. Let New Life Reshape Your Identity

Resurrection power changes everything. It changes how we live, love, and follow Jesus daily. If there is no change, then there has been not true transaction of grace.

PRAYER

Risen Lord, thank You for conquering the grave and filling my life with living hope. Help me move from fear to faith, doubt to trust, and silence to bold witness. Shape my life by the power of Your resurrection, that I may live with confidence, joy, and obedience until the day I see You face to face. Amen.