Mar. 31, 2021
Contributed by Communication Group Staff
Heluhelu Baibala
Bible reading
ʻŌlelo maila ka ʻānela i ua mau wāhine lā, Mai makaʻu ʻolua, no ka mea, ua ʻike au e ʻimi ana ʻolua iā Iesū i ka mea i kaulia ma ke keʻa. ʻAʻole ia ma ʻaneʻi, no ka mea, ua ala aʻe ia e like me kāna ʻōlelo ʻana; e haele mai ʻolua e nānā i kahi i waiho ai ʻo ka Haku. E haele koke ʻolua e haʻi aku i kāna poʻe haumāna, ua ala aʻe ia mai ka make mai; aia hoʻi, e hele aku ana ia ma mua o ʻoukou i Galilaia, ma laila ʻoukou e ʻike aku ai iā ia. Eia hoʻi, ua haʻi aku nō wau iā ʻolua. – Mataio 28:5-7
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.” – Matthew 28:5-7
He manaʻo o ke kahu
KS Maui Kahu Kalani Wong KSK'74
The women approached the tomb to treat Jesus’ remains, scared of what lay ahead. How would they get past the Roman guards? God took care of that with an angel whose arrival shook the earth and caused the powerful guards to faint. The angel called out, “Be not afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen. Come see where He lay. Then go tell his disciples: He has risen and is going ahead of you into Galilee.”
Be not afraid – standard greeting for angels. At Jesus’ birth, angels greeted the shepherds with, “Be not afraid. We come bearing glad tidings of great joy, for unto you a child is born.” This angel too, comes bearing good news of the rebirth of God’s son, the act on which Christianity rests. We worship a risen Savior giving us peace and hope. With the shaking of the ground and His appearance, the angel cleared the way for the women. Not to prepare Jesus’ body but to see for themselves that Christ had risen.
As believers, we should never be afraid. Though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea, though waters roar and foam and mountains. He is the truth and the life. In Him all things have been made. In His life and death and resurrected life, we have a Risen Savior who paved the way for our lives to be made new. Let’s go forth as Easter people – people who are not afraid. People who are confident of the hope that Christ brings to our lives and that because of that, there is hope for our world. Don’t be afraid to share that news for as Jesus went before the disciples, He will go before us.
He manaʻo o ka haumana
Bailey Ventura KSM’21
The appearance of angels is described many times throughout the Bible, not in the way we now picture them. In Matthew 28:3-4, it says, “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.” The women were approaching something that looked so scary, something that knocked out two men. Yet, they stayed and listened to the angel knowing that Jesus was there, alive or dead, so the women did as they were told. Knowing that Jesus is here with us, that with the help of the Holy Spirit is guiding us, we should not be afraid. Though there will be things of this world that are frightening, we need to trust in God that He will lead us to good, just as the scary angel led the woman to Jesus.
KS Maui senior Bailey Ventura and KS Maui Kahu Kalani Wong KSK'74 encourage us to go forth as “Easter people” who are not afraid – people who are confident in the hope that ke Akua brings to our lives and to the world.