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Hello! I’m so grateful you’re joining me again this week! If you’re working along with me, I hope the Spirit revealed something awesome to you in your study since last time. Remember, if it seems He’s directing your focus to different parts of this passage than He’s using with me, it’s okay. That simply means we’re at different places in our walk with God. If we all stick closely to God’s Word and heed the Spirit’s guidance, we can be confident we’re discovering exactly what He wants us to see.
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
As I mentioned last week, I think the Spirit is drawing me to notice the experiences of the women in this passage. Like them, I am a follower of Jesus who’s also felt He was gone from my life. I intend to focus primarily on their interactions with the angel (vv5-7) and with the risen Christ (vv9-10).
That’s a pretty large chunk of the passage, but I’m confident that the Spirit will help me narrow it further as I continue to work with Him.
The other part of the text I examined this past week was setting: who’s involved, and where and when did the action take place?
WHO (CHARACTERS)
I started by looking most closely at Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary.” I need to find out who this other Mary is. It occurred to me if she is Jesus’s mother, she’s already experienced one angel-siting in her lifetime. That might explain why the women didn’t react to the angel the same way the guards did (v4), even though they apparently did feel some fear based on the angel’s reassurance (v5) and Matthew’s statement (v8). And despite—or maybe because of—their fear, they were quick (v8) to obey the angel’s command to go and tell the disciples (v7). How I wish I could say I don’t let fear stop me from doing what I believe God is telling me to do!
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
Two locations are relevant to my focus area: the tomb, where the Marys received their marching orders (v1). And somewhere along the way to the disciples (v9), where Jesus met them. I think it’s interesting that these two activities didn’t happen in the same place, nor did Matthew specify exactly where Jesus appeared to the women, or even where the disciples were.
WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
But the most amazing thing I noticed this week was Jesus Himself came to the women and reinforced the angel’s command after the women took some action in obedience (vv9-10). Isn’t it just like our God to give us a command that scares us, but when we respond in obedience, He shows up for us in ways we never anticipated?! He is so good!
Dig-In Challenges
I can’t wait to learn more from this awesome passage! This coming week, I hope you’ll join me in one or more of these challenges:
- Start each study session by reading the prayer we wrote in Step 1.
- MINE: Notice if Matthew repeated any concepts in this passage and, if so, how that repetition might be relevant to the treasure the Spirit’s revealing in this study.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, and warnings) that connect with the treasure we’re digging into?
- MINE: Ask the Spirit to show us any lists (3 or more similar items mentioned in the text) and their relevance to our personal focus.
I hope to see you next week!