FEAR AND JOY!

They hurried away from the tomb, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:8 

The two Marys had come to the tomb Easter morning expecting to make final preparations for the ultimate burial of their Teacher. What they encountered was far beyond anything their minds could have imagined. A massive earthquake shook the region. An angel of the Lord sat on the stone which had covered the tomb. The seasoned soldiers guarding the tomb fell in fear as if dead. And then the angel who reflected the glory of God spoke to the women. “Do not be afraid. Jesus has risen just as He said. Come and see. Then go and tell the disciples.” 

Their encounter left them flooded with the two emotions anyone who encounters the mighty deeds of the Lord will have: fear and joy. 

Scripture reminds us that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Bounded by the depths of our sin, we have no right on our own to stand in His presence. When we see His actions in our world, we tremble in unworthiness. We see His power and might, and at the same time, we see our own weakness and inadequacy. The Marys felt this when confronted by the works of God’s hand on this day: the earthquake, the empty tomb, the soldiers paralyzed in fear. What did all this mean? 

But God would not have them, or us, live in fear. There is no fear in love, but complete love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who continues to be afraid has not been brought to the goal in love. (1 John 4:18) God wants all people to experience the joy that comes from knowing His love. He wants all people to come to a knowledge of His grace. This was the joy that the Marys experienced. Their teacher was not dead but alive. The angel brought them this joyful hope with his message and with showing them the empty tomb. They left with great joy. 

But their joy would also be compounded manifold times that morning as their Teacher Himself would come to them, greeting them and driving away their fear. The Marys witnessed His resurrection personally. They saw Jesus face to face and fell at His feet in worship. They heard His calming voice. They knew His love for them once again. 

Do we live lives of fear? Are we burdened by our failures and transgressions? Are we crippled by anxieties and the fear of the unknown? Do we secretly wish that our Jesus would come to us personally and assure us to not be afraid? He has. He has in a multitude of promises made to us. He has assured us that He is the resurrection and the life. He has assured us that He will never forsake us. He has assured us that His blood cleanses all unrighteousness and that His blood atones for all sin. And in His resurrection, He has assured us that we, too, shall rise to everlasting joy with Him on the Last Day. Blessings on your Resurrection Day celebration. 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal/Staff Minister

Coming up at Immanuel Lutheran School: 

❖ Our Easter break for ILS begins on Good Friday and will continue through Friday, April 14. We will return to school on Monday, April 17. 

❖ Blessings to Mrs. Routhieaux as she returns to the classroom from maternity leave on Monday, April 17. 

❖ We will be holding a Grandparents’ Day celebration on Thursday, April 20. We will begin at 8:30 AM with a special chapel. This will be followed by a sing-along, a craft activity, and a spaghetti luncheon. Following lunch, any grandparents wishing to take their grandchildren home for the day are welcome to do so. 

❖ We could always use surrogate grandparents for any children who do not have grandparents in the immediate area. Think about possibly attending with us on April 20.