So [the women] went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid (Mark 16:8).

Why would the women’s first reaction to Jesus’ resurrection be one of fear? What might they be afraid of? If the resurrected power of Christ really is running around loose in the world, what might that mean for us? What might Christ want to do in our lives?

In particular, think back over the last few weeks. You’ve been asked to do a lot of self-examination about your weaknesses, sins, and shortcomings. It is never easy to face up to such things. It requires a kind of death, doesn’t it? And yet, if you have been “crucifying the flesh,” as Paul puts it, you can also be assured of meeting the risen Christ, whose presence sometimes intimidates (after all, he’s asking us to change!), but whose love and power actually do transform us into the people he calls us to be.

–Mark Galli
This is part of Mark Galli’s guided journal, “Discovering the Untamable God,” a 12-week journey through the Gospel of Mark. Twice a week, you’ll receive a new journaling prompt encouraging you encounter the wild, untamable Jesus of the Gospel of Mark and let his radical sayings and actions transform your life. Use these prompts in your own journal or in group discussion. If you’re joining this journal mid-way through, you can start journaling at any time, and stay subscribed at the end, when the journal will restart and you can receive the prompts that you missed.