by Justin Morton
Today is a special day. Easter Sunday, sometimes called Resurrection Day, is a time when many will fill auditoriums for the purpose of worshipping and celebrating God’s great victory over death. If you are visiting with us today, we are so glad you are here! We hope you find our worship uplifting and God honoring. If you have any questions about what you hear or see today, please ask someone, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus’ followers during the three days His lifeless body laid in the tomb. After all the chaos and sorrow of Friday, those hours must have felt incredibly bleak. Despite Jesus telling His disciples about His death and resurrection on several different occasions, they did not understand (Mark 9:30-32; Luke 18:31-34). They were expecting their Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom and help the Jewish people break free from the grips of Roman rule. But like many other so-called “messiahs” before him, death seemed to swallow up any hope of Jesus being the long-awaited Messiah. Those hours between Friday evening and Sunday morning were probably filled with doubt and despair.
The women showed up at the tomb early that morning to prepare the body with spices for burial (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1). The disciples, who heard reports that the tomb was empty, did not believe it (Luke 24:11); a few translations say they thought it was “nonsense.” While there are many unanswered questions about those silent hours, one thing is fairly certain—the disciples were not anticipating the amazing events of that day.
But then, early on Sunday morning, everything changed. The women found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty (Luke 24:2-3). The body of Jesus was gone. In a state of perplexity, they heard some of the most encouraging words ever uttered, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:5-6). Those words transformed their hopelessness into hope. Immediately, the women went and reported what they had seen and heard.
Friends, the tomb that was empty a couple thousand years ago is still empty today. Because of that empty tomb, we gather each Lord’s Day to celebrate. The grave has been conquered. And thanks be to God, our victory has been secured because of Jesus Christ, our living hope!