Our Focal Scripture tells the tale of how Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, got sweet spices with which they planned to anoint Jesus’ body. These women knew or heard that Jesus had been crucified; they probably knew that having died, there was no more life in Him; they knew the humiliation and pain He had been through, they knew He had been crucified and buried, but they got spices and came looking for Him.
Someone who was buried two days earlier would have begun to decompose gradually, things would have gone out of shape and out of control, things would have gone amiss in the corpse of Jesus assuming He was still dead and in the grave; but these women would not be deterred. Despite all that was wrong and had gone wrong, they still went looking for Jesus. Their faith could have been badly tested, but they still went looking for Jesus.
Friend, there comes a time when you do not know what to believe again; there comes a time when your faith suffers strain; there comes a time when you have done all you should do, yet without results; there comes a time when you simply have run out of ideas because your best ideas have fetched you nothing. At such times, don’t give up; keep seeking Jesus; keep following hard after the Master.
Those women had every reason to give up, but they didn’t. Even if you have good reasons to give up, don’t give up; even if your faith has failed you, don’t give up; even if you have reasons to quit the chase for your desired results, don’t give up. Even if it makes no sense to continue, don’t give up; even if it is more profitable to give up and cut your losses, don’t give up.
Those women did not give up, they pressed on, and they saw the open grave and heard from an angel that Jesus had risen. If you don’t give up, good news awaits you.
