So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
Matthew 28:8 NKJV
Interesting combination: “fear and great joy”. Can joy accompany fear? Not the way we think of fear.
The fear they experienced here must not have been fear for their lives or fear of something terrible happening to them. We might think of this type of fear as ‘awe’.
Encountering Jesus they knew that they were in the presence of One much greater than they had ever imagined. They suddenly realized His plans were perfectly executed. He was in perfect control all along. He had conquered death! That resulted in great awe.
They had been with Him for so long but really didn’t realize Who they were dealing with.
I wonder if I don’t really realize Who I’m dealing with. Does my fear of Jesus accompany my joy?
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