HE’S GONE

By Rick Mathes

John 20:13 (NASB77) ¹³ and they •said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She •said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

The sun was slowly approaching the horizon and the night air was thick like black velvet in the silence of the cemetery as Mary trembled in fear. Sobbing in remorse of having lost her precious Jesus, the nightmare of His beating and crucifixion throbbed in her nightmares of three days. The Sabbath hour had come and the skies were about to awaken to that special Sunday morning.

Groping her way from tomb to tomb she faced the hollowed sepulcher and realized the rock was moved and the entrance stood wide open. Terrible thoughts raced through her blurry mind as she frantically peered into the death chamber. The body was gone. Jesus wasn’t there.

As He stepped so quietly up to her she turned and said through tearful eyes, “They have taken my Jesus away.” How sad. Let’s pause for a moment and permit me to ask you the same question. “Have they taken your Lord away?” This may be true for you as it has been for me from time to time.

• Now let’s go through this check-list:
• Have you grieved the Holy Spirit?
• Do you mourn unanswered prayer?
• Are you suffering doubt?
• Do you miss being with Jesus?

You might be a seeking sinner that hasn’t repented. Or that evil nature you thought you left behind has reared its ugly head again. No tears left? Been there, done that. Are you having a hard time understanding the Word of God? I know the feeling, or lack of feeling well; shameful.

You’ve let them take your Lord away. Notice, I said that you let them because Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against you, He will never give you more than you can bear, He will always provide you a way out, no one can take you from His hand, He will never leave nor forsake you and where He is, you will be! Whew. I stand on these promises and you must also.

You are still without excuse because the sin you have is the sin you want more than Jesus because if you didn’t want the sin more that you do want the sin, you wouldn’t have it.  (Read this over several times)

Don t let them take your Jesus away!