Matthew 27:55-61

"As evening approached [after Jesus' crucifixion], Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for....."

What do you mean, Easter comes more than once per year? Jesus' tomb was simple and unadorned, yet the place everything changed for all of us.

God is at work even when nothing appears to be happening! Max Lucado reminds us during this special week of a day that is so often neglected: Saturday, the Sabbath, when everything appears to be silent and that Satan has triumphed, yet lying still in the grave, Jesus' body belies the truth of God.

"Among [the women at the cross when Jesus was crucified] were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John,...."

Jesus died. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. Each one of those facts reminds us that Jesus was not some antiseptic hero from a distance. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that Jesus died and was buried and that his burial has special significance for us.

"The Roman officer and the other soldiers at [Jesus'] crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "This man..."

This seemingly innocuous transitional passage in the gospel of Luke is one of those hidden gems we often overlook! Phil Ware continues his reflections on his daily reading in the gospels, this time focused on Luke 8:1-3 and how this forgotten gem opens our eyes to the importance that women played in Jesus' ministry.