But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” (Matthew 28:5-7)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Alleluia! Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.
The angel’s message to the women was not complicated, yet completely unexpected and amazingly difficult to believe. Almost everything in their experience with life and death went against this simple message. Dead people are supposed to stay dead. It is highly doubtful this was the first time they had gone to anoint a body. However, every other time they had visited a tomb to anoint a body, the afore-mentioned body was still there. The notable exception, of course, being Lazarus – but even Lazarus’ resurrection was post-anointment and more importantly – – – Jesus was there and did that. Jesus is not standing outside the tomb this time telling Himself to get up. For the women, as well as likely most of the disciples, the hope of miracles and resurrection presumably died along with Jesus. Surrounded by sin, evil, and death, the women came to their own (logical given the circumstances) conclusion of grave robbery.
The women struggled with the news. The Gospel according to Mark’s original ending has the women going away scared and silent. Obviously, they didn’t stay silent forever (or we never would have heard). Eventually, they shared the message with the disciples, who also had a difficult time with it. They too struggled with the message. They also had difficulty believing that Jesus really did exactly what He had told them He would. The supposition of those who first heard the message was ‘death won’. Their grief was informing and encouraging a belief that sin and evil won and were, in fact, still winning. Even while receiving the news that Jesus was raised from the dead, those closest to Him experienced attacks on their faith.
Jesus has explained the upcoming course of events to them several times. Now that it had transpired, they struggled. Mark describes Jesus foretelling His death and resurrection to His disciples three times. Yet, despite having just witnessed His death, they still struggled with the news of His resurrection. He had prepared them for the message, but it still seemed impossible to them. With the amount of sin, death, and evil surrounding them, Jesus’ death seemed more believable than His resurrection. They seemed to grasp the despair, but not the hope. It was easier to believe the anguish, while the joy floated out of reach. The fear seemed nearer than the assurance.
Yet the voice of the angel proclaimed, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.” The messenger reminded those early followers of Jesus’ promise. The message brought the hope, the joy, and the assurance all front and center. That message is a reminder that sin, death, and evil did not defeat God, but God defeated them. Death did not get the last word. Life did. Specifically, life in Christ gets the last word. Resurrection is greater than death.
The message was not just for Jesus’ followers in the 1st century, it is also for us. Like disciples of time past, we too often find the words of hope, joy, and assurance drowned out by the sin, death, and evil in around us. We too find it easier to believe despair. We struggle with events around us that seem to point away from God’s kingdom and divine will.
The evangelist John begins his account of the life of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
The apostle Paul reminds us, “But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:8-11)
Jesus bestows life on you – now and forever. Jesus gives you light. Jesus is the “resurrection and the life.” You have been united to Him. Despair did not, does not, and cannot overcome hope. Doubt is curtailed by faith. Grief retreats in the face of joy. Fear is restrained by assurance. Christ is your light. Jesus is your resurrection and life. The darkness could not overcome the light years ago and darkness does not overcome the light now. The Son of God conquered Death. Death was and continues to be defeated by life – the life of Christ and your life in Christ. Jesus lives! You live!
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! You are raised in Christ! Alleluia! The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Lord. Amen.

In Christ,
Pastor Carla

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” (John 11:26-27)