The two Marys and Salome got up early that day, probably in darkness, probably darkness in more ways than one. Darkness because of the hour, and darkness because their world had been crushed on Good Friday. As they walked to the tomb as the sun rose, they fretted over how to roll back the stone, and were shocked when they saw that it was already rolled back. The scripture says they saw a young man in a white robe and were “utterly amazed.” Utterly amazed at the sight of an angel and utterly amazed upon hearing that Jesus had been raised. 

I would have been too! But the angel says to them, “Do not be amazed!” Do not be amazed, how can they and we not be amazed? I mean, He has been raised from the dead! The angel, however, has an important message for them and us that may not be readily apparent. The angel says, “He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him,” and here’s the key point, “as he told you.” 

As he told you. On the surface we all know that he is referring to all that Jesus said and taught. But the angel is pretty adamant saying, “Do not be amazed!” with an exclamation point at the end of amazed. The angel is not amazed because he knows that what Jesus says is truth, and that we are to trust him and what he says fully. It’s like he is saying to us, “If you just trusted, you wouldn’t be so amazed!”

Sure, we know we are supposed to trust Him, but do we? Do we trust like the angel is telling us to? And are we utterly amazed at what He did for us? I have been thinking that if I were more utterly amazed, then maybe I would trust more.  

Utterly amazed at Holy Thursday where he teaches us the meaning of service and institutes the Eucharist. Utterly amazed at Good Friday where He suffered immensely and took on our sin to rebuild that bridge to our heavenly Father. Utterly amazed that He rose to show us that eternal life IS possible through Him. 

I think of the angel’s message to me as, “Do not be amazed…Jim!” like a slap on the back of my head. Saying why are you so amazed at what your Savior can do? Why are you so amazed that He loves you this much? The angel, of course, is right. 

Listen, I am still going to be amazed. But I am going to try to heed the angel’s message and trust a little more every day so that amazing… is just what He does.