Go Back and Tell... Part 4

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:5-8 ESV)

In a sense, the women who came to the empty tomb were representative of all the followers of Jesus. At the time, they happened to be the most faithful and courageous of those followers. When the angel appeared to them to announce the resurrection, the first thing they were told to do was to go back to the others, especially the eleven, and report the news. But it was more than just a fact they were to report. There were implications to follow. Since He was risen, they would want to follow Him where He was going, so they could see Him. They had their instructions: Go back and tell. They would want to be there to see Him also. The same is true today when we know the Risen Christ: we want to follow Him, and we want to go and tell others so they can follow Him too.