On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
- Luke 24:1-3

This week we’re going to be looking at a passage from Luke’s Gospel that takes place after Jesus has died on the cross. This is the Easter story.

In today’s passage a group of women approach the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. What thoughts and emotions roiled through them in the pre-dawn journey to the tomb? Perhaps they cried. Or maybe they shared stories. Or maybe they were silent, emotionally numbed by the ordeal and the loss.

They expected to find a body, Jesus’ body, beaten into unrecognizability by the horror of his scourging and crucifixion. They were ready to face his body and honor his life. Their service to him would render them unclean, but they were willing to do it.

What they found at the tomb didn’t align with their expectations. The tomb was opened and the body was gone.

We cultivate our expectations to prepare ourselves physically and psychologically for the tasks and trials we have to face. We try to muster our resources and match pitch as much as we can. When our expectations aren’t met, we can experience disappointment, confusion, frustration, and anger.

How do you respond when situations don’t meet your expectations? Particularly, which emotion do you normally experience? How does this affect your relationship with God (who doesn’t always abide within our expectations)?