In Matthew 28, on the morning of the Resurrection, the angel of the Lord appears to Mary Magdalen and gives three commands to all who seek Jesus. These commands summarize the Lord’s invitation to all who wish to call themselves disciples of Jesus, marking the spiritual path with signposts for all who seek new life in Christ and in his Resurrection: “Do not be afraid,” “Come, see,” and “Go . . . tell.”

The first command is something that each of us probably need to hear today: Do not be afraid. With lives marked by fear, disappointment, brokenness, and loss, it is no wonder we find this command hard to accept. Yet, the Lord is not asking that we sweep our feelings under the rug. He desires to transform and heal your brokenness. He wants to take your fears and exchange them for trust in Him. In 1935, Jesus appeared to a polish nun to communicate his Divine Mercy and his desire for souls to entrust themselves to Him so that He might cover them in mercy.

The second command is an invitation to come and see what grace has won on our behalf. Come and see how death was defeated. Come and see how Jesus transformed what looked like final defeat into victory and eternal life. We are commanded to come and see so that the truth and implications of the Resurrection might penetrate our inner world and change us to look more like Him.

The third command is to go quickly and tell others. Resurrection life is not meant to be kept to ourselves. The Lord, who is infinitely just and infinitely merciful desires all sinners to repent, believe, and experience his will for their lives, “which is love and mercy itself.”

Entrust all your fears to Him for He has proven definitively that He is Lord over all, even sin and death. He is ready to immerse repentant sinners in an ocean of love and mercy and now we are commanded to go and tell as many as we can that Jesus is alive and that the same Holy Spirit who created the heavens and the earth and raised Jesus from the dead is still active today, awakening and transforming hearts.

During this Easter season, let’s follow these three heavenly commands: Cast your fears upon the Lord, spend time marveling at the empty tomb, and then tell those in your world what you’ve witnessed.