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To read: Luke
24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the
tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone
rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find
the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and
bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do
you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has
risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that
the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and
on the third day rise again." Then they remembered his words, and
returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all
the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of
James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.
But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not
believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and
looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went
home, amazed at what had happened. |
To think about:
Perplexed, unbelieving: that’s how people reacted to the news that
Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead that first Easter Day.
Still today, 2100 years later, some who hear this surprising news
are perplexed and do not believe. Dead men stay dead, they say; the
dead do not rise to life. But the good news of Easter is that Jesus
Christ is risen; he is risen indeed! Alleluia.
What difference does this perplexing, unbelievable news mean to us?
It means this One who is risen from the dead is alive. He is alive,
just as much as we are alive. Because he is alive, we can talk with
him. We can look to him for help; we can listen to him. We can
receive his love; we can receive his gift of life. Because Jesus
Christ has conquered death, we can look forward to a future without
fearing death.
With joy and thanksgiving, we can tell others this amazing news,
whether or not they believe what we say. Thanks be to God, a new day
has dawned for the world. |
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To pray:
Living Lord, in you we have life. With
joy we give you thanks for the good news that Christ is risen from
the dead. Use us to tell others, as you used the women at the empty
tomb. Grant that this amazing news will be told throughout the
world, that many will hear and believe. We ask this in the name of
Jesus Christ, who frees us from the fear of death. Amen.
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