So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Matthew 28:8-9
There were three clear emotional responses to the news of Jesus' resurrection that swept through the first people to hear the news. These two women were privileged to find out first that Jesus had indeed conquered death. And there immediate response after being told by the angel that Jesus is risen and that His disciples should meet Him in Galilee was to run with the news to the disciples. And the driving feelings were adrenaline filled! They were filled simultaneously with the conflicting feelings of fear and great joy! And that is really the kind of thing that happens in my heart when I contemplate the reality of Christ's life in me. It is fearful thing to know that He has destroyed death: the great fear of my heart. It is also a joyful thing, because this great God Who has suffered and died for me also loves me enough to provide safe passage into eternity by His blood.
The fear and the joy were deeply felt as they ran from the tomb. And then they ran smack dab into Jesus Himself. And those feelings welled up into the most expressive and personal worship they had ever known. They threw themselves down at His feet, hugged themselves around His ankles and worshiped Him. The fear, the joy, the wonder, and the thrill of it all fell into that marvelous act of complete surrender to His authority. And how wild that moment must have been. They were simply greeted by Jesus, almost nonchalantly, and they were profoundly affected by the sight of the One Who is our victory!
My risen Lord is worthy of my worship. He will come to me in my day as well, not dramatically, but in simple greeting. He has done so just in the last few moments as I have done the "simple" act of opening His Word, reading the text, and letting Him speak clearly to my heart. And there is a tingling of awe and joy that leads to worship. It is an important daily experience of that which is ultimately transcendent. It is fear and joy and worship.
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