‘But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid,
for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.”’ (Matthew 28:5)

Even non-Christians are sometimes fascinated with angels. Angels are messengers, unseen ministering spirits. Here the angel was to speak and bring a message. The angel sat on the stone which had been rolled away from the tomb Jesus had been placed in. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God. The angel sitting on the stone replicates the Lord Jesus Christ. If the angel is sitting on the stone, then the stone cannot be rolled back. The angel sits, the angel shines.

The guards were fearful. The bravado of atheists disappears when they come into the presence of angels. The angel speaks to the women telling them, “Do not be afraid.” They had no need to fear the Lord’s body had been stolen, that death had won the day, no need to fear the angel.

The angel then continued, “For I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.” The angel had knowledge. Could that be said of you and me, that we are seeking the Lord Jesus who was crucified? Or are we seeking an earthly life – pleasure, friends, influence? It is a frightening thing if those are the only things you seek. The Lord might grant this but we are reminded, ‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?’ (Mark 8:36). Think what it is to love your soul, that part of you that cannot die, that part, orphaned and empty for all eternity unless you have called upon our Saviour. The Lord Jesus had these in mind in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

We may be seeking help with many things, such as an unforgiving spirit or jealousy. We need to know victory. Some might be unsure of their Christian life as they are tempted by the devil. We need to be sure we’re on the way and where we’re going. Our assurance may drain away. Perhaps in our prayer life we have been praying one prayer for years and become weary, wanting answers. Others may be ashamed they don’t know the Bible, how to handle it in the best sense and need to grow in understanding. Some may be very concerned about the lack of power; preachers want the oil of the Holy Spirit to come upon them as they preach. The angel might say to us, “I know what you are seeking.”

In the Old Testament when the allotting of the land of Canaan was being given to the tribes of Israel, there must have been great anticipation as to who would have the most fertile land, but for the Levites, the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance.

If you are already a Christian you may still seek and desire. A seeker is someone who asks questions, who is interested. Over and above all that you desire as a Christian you should seek after Christ, the very best. The women at the tomb were after the very best.

The angel did tell the women where they wouldn’t find Christ – in the grave. We won’t find Him in dead ceremonialism or moral reformation – by being kind, nice, well-mannered. This leads to death. The Lord Jesus Christ is so precious as a Saviour. Find Him in the scripture. The angel said He was not in the grave but in Galilee, that’s where the disciples would meet Him (Matthew 5:7). Galilee was the meeting place. Where is Galilee for you and me? There are three places we might find Galilee:

Search the scriptures. If we are a born-again Christian we don’t want to alter a word of the Bible, we wouldn’t want to part with our Bible for anything. Do we have this single-minded attitude that we are looking for Him? It’s only as we find Him that we will have eternal life. If all you do is read about Him, you need to find yourself with Him, perhaps in the house where He was anointed, or in Zaccheus’ house. The scriptures become your guide. He’s there in the Old Testament – in prophecy, in the pictures, in theophany. We see Him, for example, in Bethel with Jacob. We see Him as the tailor who clothed Adam and Eve in the Garden, a type of justification. When you go to your Bibles, don’t just go looking for guidance, look for Him, seek Him in the word.

The second Galilee is the assembly of God’s people, “For where two or three are gathered in my Name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). Jesus is here, we are in His presence, He is in the midst of us. We don’t make enough of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s here in the midst. Glorious! Christ is in our midst. Focus on Him. He must increase, we must decrease.

If you’re a Christian you have Christ in you, the hope of glory. Where is He in you? If you’re a Christian He’s in your thoughts. Train your mind upon Him. Our meditations of Him should be sweet. Think about Him when you’re doing your daily work, on holiday – don’t leave Him behind.

He’s in your affections. If you’re a Christian you will love Him because He first loved you. You’ll be like Peter and want to love Him more. There is love, your hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s in your will when you make a decision because He lives in you, dwells in you. We see in Psalm 4 we’re bidden to commune with the Lord. He is in our hearts. Have blessed fellowship with Him.

Do you seek Jesus? If not at this time, then may it be true.