He’s Alive!

a narrative of Mary’s story, based on Matthew 28:1-10

For two days now, I have been living with grief, heavy upon me like a soaked blanket weighing me down. I can still hardly believe that our beloved Yeshua has been taken from this world.

I feel so empty inside, I feel raw and confused. Why did the soldiers have to be so cruel? While watching his whipping, tears were streaming down my cheeks, and yet, I could do nothing to stop his pain. Why was it necessary to make such a spectacle of Him? To mock him and crown Him with thorns?

I am fully awake this morning, not knowing what to do with myself, just wanting to be with him again. I wrap my scarf around myself and follow where my feet lead, heading out into the dark, early morning. I stop by Mary’s house as she has been coming with me each morning.

As we approach his tomb, something doesn’t feel right. I can tell, even though the sun is just barely giving a bit of light. Oh no, no, no, no, no! The ground beneath our feet is shaking. We try to keep our footing but can’t, so we stumble and fall to the ground.

After the dust settles, we look up and see that the stone has been moved, rolled away from the tomb, but that is impossible! Who could have physically done this? The soldiers must have come and stolen his body.

When we take a step forward to look closer, I am almost blinded by a light that is brighter than the sun. I close my eyes tight and fall to my knees because I am afraid. And then I hear a voice like thunder saying, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Yeshua who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.”

What has been spoken touches me deeply and stirs my soul. After a few moments, I look up and see that I am gazing upon an angel. I rub my eyes to be sure I am seeing correctly and I swipe away my tears, as the reality hits me of what has just been spoken and who is saying it.

He is risen? Wait, I know that Yeshua kept telling us he was going to die and then come back, but we didn’t comprehend that what he was saying could be literal.

The voice continues to thunder, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” I rush into the tomb to see only the cloths that he had been wrapped in, but no Yeshua.

I run back outside and the angel is still there. He continues, “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

I cry out, “He’s alive!” As this wells up in my soul, we race back to the village to tell everyone. The sun is fully up now, the dark has been replaced by the dawn. The Son is alive and His light will forever conquer darkness! This changes everything!

-Ché Ferreira