«So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid» (Mark 16:8).
The word ektasis appears three times in the Bible to describe a sudden surprise, three times to refer to a state of indescribable stupor, and once to express great amazement.’ In the case of Mark 16:8, where in English we read “amazed,” the original Greek uses ektasis. That is what the women felt when they ran from Jesus’s tomb.
Ecstasy is a sudden emotion that reports a person out of their usual state, to such an extent that they can be completely absorbed by the situation that they are going through. It is a mixture of amazement fear, novelty, surprise, and joy.
The women who had gotten up so early to go out to Jesus’s tomb were rewarded with emotion. Would they had the same honor if they hadn’t bothered to visit their Master until later? Those who put God in first place will never be left last.
It is interesting to notice that after experiencing such great joy, they decided to leave in silence due to their fear. Only Mary Magdalene decided to stay awhile longer. Jesus appeared just to her, the woman He had cleansed of seven demons (see Mark 16:9). He rewarded her love by revealing Himself to the woman who had sold everything she owned to buy the most expensive perfume and had anointed her Master before His death. Thinking He was the gardener, she asked Him, ‘Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away (John 20:16). Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to Him, Rabboni! (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; bur go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God’ ” (John 20:16, 17).
Then Mary received the commission to share the wonderful news with the disciples. She ran to tell the other disciples and found them mourning and weeping (see Mark 16:10). They were deeply saddened by the death of their Master, and key missed out on they joy of the initial celebration because of their skepticism They did not believe (verse 11). When Jesus was with them, they had believed their own concept of the Messiah and His mission, and when He told them of the resurrection, they preferred to think it was foolishness (see Luke 24:11).
How many are still doing what these disciples did! How many echo Mary’s despairing cry, ‘They have taken away the Lord, … and we know not where they have laid Him! To how many might the Saviour’s words be spoken, ‘Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? He is close beside them, but their tear-blinded eyes do not discern Him. He speaks to them, but they do not understand.
_The Desire of Ages, ch. 82, p. 794. Jesus’s most beautiful promise is for you: He is coming soon. Choose to cling to this promise, instead of choosing to suffer. Choose to believe! Choose hope!
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Esteban Cortes
