RESURRECTION
Watercolor with pen & ink and colored pencil on watercolor paper

"There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.";
Matthew 28:2-4 NIV

I find it almost amusing that the guards protecting Jesus' tomb from would-be thieves had no idea this was going to be an inside job. The scriptures don’t mention exactly when Jesus rose from the grave, but a good guess would be when the angel moved the stone with an earthquake and then sat down on it almost like he was showing off. The men may have been so frightened and the angel so bright that they didn’t even notice Jesus rising up into the heavens in front of them. Scripture says "For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross" (Heb. 12:2). As He rose, I can imagine Jesus reveling in the fullness of that joy He so perfectly earned. Unbroken love. Unwavering obedience. Thank you Lord for Your love for Your Father and for us, and now, as someone else has said, even death has been robbed of its sting!