By Pr Isaiah White
Key Text: Luke 24:1-12: Let me recap for you the events of Holy Week that leads to both the passion and resurrection for us all.
From Monday to Tuesday, the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders escalated. On Wednesday, Judas met with the religious leaders and arranged for Jesus’ betrayal.
On Thursday, Jesus met with his disciples in the Upper Room and shared the Last Supper with them.
Later that same night, He was arrested while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Early Friday morning, Jesus was tried before Pilate and sentenced to death.
By Friday evening, Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. Saturday was a day Jesus was in the grave.
And so, at last, we come to Sunday morning. Only seven days had passed since the triumphal entry, but so much had happened in between.
Imagine how the disciples felt at this moment. They were in shock from the events of Thursday and Friday. They were in mourning over the death of their Lord and friend.
And they were hiding in fear for their own lives. Jesus had warned them that the road to Jerusalem was the road to suffering and the cross, but somehow, they did not understand.
But Sunday morning had arrived, and everything was about to change (Read Luke 24:5-8 and pray).
Jesus asks
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5).
That is a great question! We do knowingly and unknowingly look for the living among the dead.
There are people right now whose hopes are in their culture, education, religious leaders, political power, or in their arsenal and weapons.
Some people seek life from their doctors. People are running up and down, praying to, and invoking the spirits of the dead for solutions to their everyday challenges.
I have met people in business seeking solutions in the graveyards or shrines. The Easter to all of these and others is: Why do you seek for the living among the dead?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ establishes an empty tomb forever and among all the saviours known to this world.
Jesus the only Saviour
Jesus Christ stands alone in the history of this world as the only Saviour with an empty tomb.
Only JESUS lives and is alive. Him alone is life and salvation. He, therefore, cannot be looked for in the grave for he is living.
This is Easter we are all warned not to seek the living among the dead and today we have many shrines and many centres under the name of the church but in reality graves and dungeons of the dead.
It is would be absurd for seekers of Jesus who is the way, truth and life (John 14:6-7) to look for him in these graves that label themselves as the church. It is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are who we are.
Resurrection is hope
The resurrection of Jesus Christ offers so much hope to the world. We live in a world filled with bitterness and doubt, but the empty tomb speaks of belief.
We are surrounded by people filled with depression and desperation, but the empty tomb promises deliverance.
To people filled with fear, the empty tomb speaks of the fearlessness of faith. To those bound by their sins, the empty tomb offers them a Saviour and Redeemer.
And it turns people worried about punishment into people focused on praise.
No other religion in the world offers this kind of hope. No matter what world religion you might think about, their founders are all lying in the tomb, gathering dust.
But if you stop by the tomb where Jesus was buried, the body is not there.
He is risen! Filled with the Holy Spirit, David had this spiritual intuition when he said: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor let the body of your Holy One experience decay” (Ps. 16:10).
The angels asked the women: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words (Luke 24:5-8).
These women showed up with spices at Jesus’ grave on Easter morning, looking for a dead man.
The angels rightly asked them: “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
The Easter good news
Folks, that is the good news of Easter. Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and the grave.
He rose from the dead on Easter morning. He is alive and well today. You will not find him among the dead, for he is among the living.
And he offers a new life for you. The Bible tells us that those who trust in Christ will share in his resurrection.
The fear of death and judgment is taken away. That’s good news when we’re in the middle of a pandemic, right?
That’s good news anytime! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
