Get Up and Serve Jesus
There are three things that the women got up and did on Easter morning that turned their misery into praise. I want to believe that you and I can do the same things as them!
First, like them we can get up and serve Jesus. We read: "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." (Luke 24:1-3)
Doing Something Special for Jesus
These women decided to do something special for Jesus. He had died, and they wanted to honour Him by anointing His body with special oil and spices as He lay in His resting place.
Even in His death, they wanted to serve Him. They wanted to express their love for Him. They wanted to use their gifts, their talents, their abilities, to serve Jesus!
I think this is beautiful!
We often speak of the lady who anointed Jesus before He died. Remember that? She had that jar of expensive oil and she poured it on Him and wept with her hair hanging out, and all the disciples thought it was so inappropriate, but Jesus said let her do it, she is doing a wonderful thing, she is anointing Me for My burial!
I wonder if these women on Easter Sunday weren't thinking back to that moment! Thinking: let's do a wonderful thing! Let's go and anoint His body as one last act of worship and devotion and love!
Even when they thought He was gone forever, they still wanted to worship.
Coming to Church to Serve
Why do you come to church? I hope it's not just to receive. I hope it's not just to get.
Sure, God is a giver, and when you come to church there's always an element of wanting to receive His blessing, His Word, His power, His anointing. For sure.
But do you see church as coming to the feet of Jesus to give Him your heartfelt worship? To give Him your heartfelt expression of praise?
Do you come to church, so to speak, with your 'spices' ready to anoint Him? Whatever that means for you?
You can bring your best to Jesus every Sunday, and every day, to honour Him and praise Him with your own 'spices' – your own gifts and abilities and talents.
This Easter - get up and do something! Bring your 'spices' and do something with them!
Quit sitting around! Quit complaining! Quit moping. Quit weeping.
Do something wonderful for the King.
The women came to the tomb to anoint Jesus - even in their grief, they wanted to serve Him. This Easter, bring your 'spices' and offer your best to the risen King.