All of us can point to a time when an event changed our lives forever. Sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. At those times, we often faced the events with fear, doubt, uncertainty, and a feeling of – “what now Lord!” Good Friday would have been such a day for the women who stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mom. For Up until Jesus declared, “It is Finished!” and took His last breath, the hope that He would somehow have the power to overcome death on the cross had sustained those who loved Him. But Jesus died! And when Jesus died Satan came with his lies and his deceit and he told the women standing there and all the world that God had lost, hope was gone and fear like never before experienced in God’s creation crept into the hearts of Gods’ children as they faced the reality of Jesus’ death.

For what must have seemed like an eternity, fear paralyzed the men and women who were followers of Jesus. However, as the sun began to rise up over the horizon on Sunday morning, some of the women followers of Jesus set off for the tomb where He had been buried. When they arrived they encountered an angel who told them to go and tell the disciples Jesus had risen. Still stunned by all they had just seen and heard, still filled with fear, still trembling from uncertainty; the women obeyed the angel and headed back into town to tell the disciples what had happened. However, on the way their lives were changed forever when Jesus came and met them saying, “Greetings!” In an instant, filled with power that came from God, their fears where changed into resurrection courage and the women rushed to Jesus and clasping His feet, they worshiped Him!

My dear friends in Christ, the resurrection of Jesus set the women free, it set the disciples free and it sets us free as well because the resurrection was accomplished through the power and action of God! We can be set free from the bondage of fear and our lives can be changed because our God who appeared to be silent on Good Friday had the last word on Easter Sunday! Our lives can be changed, and we can be filled with resurrection courage because the resurrection of Jesus was more than just an ordinary miracle; the resurrection of Jesus was a display of God’s supernatural power that changed the world. It was God’s plan to make right all that had been destroyed when sin entered creation. Our lives will be changed when we encounter the risen Christ because courage isn’t the absence of fear; rather it is the Holy Spirit bringing the power of the resurrection to us in the midst of fear. Courage is our response to being set free from the bondage of fear and the power of the lies of Satan who deceives us into believing there is no hope.

It is important for us to understand that being a follower of Jesus does not ensure a life of pleasure and ease with no suffering. What we are promised is that we will never suffer trials and adversity alone. For Jesus Himself promises to be with us always – even to the end of the age – and that means we are never alone in our times of adversity. My dear friends in Christ, whatever fears are you facing today, whatever chains of bondage you need Jesus to come and break today; whatever persecution, suffering, or adversity in the name of Jesus are you facing, I encourage you to take hold of the resurrection courage Jesus offers you, and allow the joy of being in His presence bring you hope!