God speaks in our moments of despair. Luke 24:4

Reading in preparation for Easter Sunday, I was touched by the following verse.

Luke 24:4  "And they came into fear because of this."

Who is they?  The women at the tomb who came to finish burying Jesus, or at least to pay their respects after the burial.  And what is "this"?  That would be the empty tomb.

In their minds, the events of Friday were final, and they were struggling to deal with the reality of Jesus' death, as well as the death of their own hopes and dreams of a future with the Messiah as friend and Lord.

And then they saw that the tomb was empty.  The stone was rolled away.  And their reservations and disappointments and depression turned to utter fear and emotional disarray.  (My assessment of their emotions is based on two things.  1) The participle aporeisthai, which basically describes a feeling of surprise or uncertainty, and 2) the term egeneto which brings an image of change in their demeanor.  They were already emotionally spent from the weekend, and resigned to the new reality of life without Jesus.  But, whatever they were experiencing, it became more as they saw the empty tomb.)  It seems to me that their minds and hearts were now completely shaken again. 

And I find it ironic that the very sign of God's good news may have actually caused them to fall further into emotional confusion.  How many time does God does something wonderful in life, only for us to misunderstand his work at first? 

But God would not let this transformational moment pass by.

Luke 24:4b.  "And behold, two men (angels) appeared (epestesan, out of nowhere) to them, clothed in radiant garments."

God sent them a witness.  God sent them a heavenly witness.  As a matter of fact, Luke notes two witnesses, which is significant for legal representation and factual affirmation in local courts.  Since Luke is concerned with presenting the Christian testimony in a way the proves its validity in Roman courts, this is a significant notation for his Gospel. 

So, I find it very comforting to know that in the depths of emotional despair, and compounded by an unbelievable turn of events, that God waited until the right moment.  Then, sent a divine testimony to affirm the faith (as small as it was) of those who were seeking truth in the face of death and the tomb.

And in that moment God himself unleashed the Gospel testimony that has become so precious to those who believe:  He is not here.  He is risen, just like he said he would do.

And in the face of death, the Gospel message was proclaimed.  In the face of despair, hope had arisen.  In the face of confusion, the truth was known.   And God himself made it known through his messengers.

Does anyone need a word from God?  Does anyone need to know that God speaks in our confusion and frustrations?  Is anyone afraid that God is no longer speaking, or even absent?  The resurrection story reminds us that God himself is present, even in the face of the grave and death.  And he speaks clearly through the testimony of his servants:   Jesus Christ is risen!  Hope lives!  Truth lives!  Peace lives!  God has said it is so. 

Now, go and tell the others . . . . .