"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Matthew 28:1,2,5+6 (The Bible)
A Sunday morning in our household is not usually a relaxed lazy morning but involves getting children fed and dressed, revising memory verses, packing snacks, last minute prep for Sunday school, etc before leaving the house at 9.45am to get to Sunday school followed by the remembrance meeting. This Sunday morning found us in a somewhat altered position, no rush to get dressed, a more relaxed breakfast, no snacks to prepare, for we had nowhere to go.
We all found ourselves sacrificing those things which ordinarily are so important to us, and of course we should be making these relatively small sacrifices to our daily lives, as we consider the sacrifice being made by the brave healthcare workers and others across our land who again this morning said goodbye to their families and loved ones as they headed off to work, all with the same looming question on their mind, 'would today be the day'? They are making the much greater sacrifice as they each day head into the unknown of their hospital wards, care homes, surgeries, etc. Knowing they are putting themselves in harm's way to be there should we or our loved ones need them.
It is quite something to sacrifice oneself for one’s fellow mankind. Who knows which of us would be brave enough and strong enough to rise to this challenge? And yet in considering the sacrifices made by these brave hero's, it is hard not to consider another who made the ultimate sacrifice for those He loved.
Places of worship across our land this morning sat for the first time, in some cases perhaps after hundreds of years, empty. The walls did not echo the hymns of praise, the collective voices did not resoundingly repeat Amen, a simple loaf of bread and cup of wine did not pass from worshiper to worshiper as silent praises arose. But these empty buildings are just that, empty buildings. They are just the places where God's people have up until this point gathered for collective worship, and in due time will fulfill this purpose once more.
For now, the believers who gather in Dungannon gospel hall, like those in many other places across our land, must remain in their homes as we fight this battle. We can comfort ourselves with the thought however that the God we serve, the Lord and Saviour we seek to worship is not glorified by buildings of brick and mortar, but in the hearts that rise up in praise.
On that Sunday morning nearly 2000 years ago as those dear ladies gathered at a sepulchre to mourn the loss of the one they loved so dearly, they hadn't imagined, that they would find an empty grave. Upon leaving that tomb, bewildered by the words of the angels, they were met by someone they had not expected to see, the risen Lord Jesus, who upon seeing they fell at his feet and worshiped. When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, it was a sign to us that God was satisfied with what had been done. On Calvary's cross, where He the sinless one had suffered in those hours of darkness, the Lord Jesus had borne the punishment due to us, that we the guilty ones might go free.
It is our prayer and heart felt desire that at this time of unprecedented turmoil in our world, that each one reading this message would know the unsurpassed calm found only in salvation. We do not know what the future holds in relation to COVID19's impact upon our world. But each one today can know the peace of sins forgiven and the eternal security of our salvation.
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