Monday of the Octave of Easter
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, "You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
"Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, Him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; Whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope, Because you will not leave my soul in Hades, Neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
"Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, He foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn't left in Hades, and his flesh didn't see decay. This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear.
I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel. Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, Neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"
They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."
Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, Saying, "Say that his disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. If this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry." So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.
The women running from the tomb carry both fear and great joy—a combination that perfectly captures the Easter mystery. Their hearts pound not just from running, but from encountering something that changes everything. Notice how Jesus meets them in their movement, in their very act of sharing the news. He doesn't wait for them to arrive at their destination; he intercepts their journey with his presence.
Peter's bold proclamation in Acts reveals another kind of movement—from denial to declaration. The same man who once cowered before a servant girl now stands before crowds, proclaiming the resurrection with unwavering conviction. What transforms him isn't just witnessing the empty tomb, but encountering the risen Christ who meets us exactly where we are, not where we think we should be.
The psalm David wrote centuries earlier suddenly makes perfect sense in light of Easter morning. His words about not being abandoned to the grave weren't just hope—they were prophecy. This reminds us that God's promises often unfold across generations, sometimes in ways we can't immediately see.
Meanwhile, the chief priests scramble to contain the story with money and lies. Their response reveals something profound: when confronted with resurrection, we either embrace the transformation it demands or desperately try to explain it away. The same choice faces us daily.
The women's fear mixed with joy mirrors our own experience of grace. When God breaks into our ordinary Wednesday afternoons or our sleepless nights of worry, there's often that same unsettling wonder. We're afraid because we sense everything might change, yet joyful because we glimpse what that change might bring.
What fears are you carrying alongside your joy today? Where might the risen Christ be intercepting your journey, meeting you in your movement toward others? How do you respond when God's promises unfold differently than you expected?