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5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: (Luke 24:5-6)


They had just seen the teacher they had followed for the better part of three years, treated like the worst of criminals, executed and nailed to a cross. The hopes they had following him were wiped out in one fell swoop. And three days later, still mourning, still in grief and still in shock, the women went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. It wasn’t the male disciples. They were still hiding. It was the women who went to the tomb, looking to cover Jesus’ corpse with the spices they had prepared.

They went expecting a corpse, but instead they were greeted by an empty tomb and two angels, who said to the women, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!” They came looking for a corpse, but instead found an empty tomb, proof of a resurrected saviour. They should have known not to look for Jesus there as Jesus had told them, “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” They should have known that Jesus would be alive, but how easily they forgot in light of what had happened a few days before. How easily they forgot because of their circumstances. They should have remembered Jesus’ words and his promise to them, but after seeing him nailed to a cross, and after seeing him die before their very eyes, they forgot. They forgot because of their circumstances.

With all that is going on around us now, many have forgotten God’s promises to us. With all that is going on in the world right now, many have become anxious and afraid because we do not know what lies ahead. We have let our circumstances pull us away from Jesus and we have taken our eyes off of our Lord. But this is why we must cling even more to the words of Jesus. “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” Jesus was crucified like the worst of criminals, but he is now risen and he is alive and the tomb is empty. We may not know what lies ahead in the coming days, weeks, months or even years, but we know that God with us, who came in the flesh, who was executed and nailed to a cross, is alive and is with us now. So while we may not know what lies ahead, we know the one who is with us through it all has already conquered sin and death. And that truly is good news and that is why even in the midst of tragedy, and pain and suffering, there is hope. Because Jesus conquered death when he rose again from the dead. Death has no power over us because the one who conquered it is with us, today and will continue to be with us in eternity. Amen!!