Easter Sunday

Luke 24:1-12

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 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: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Luke 24:1-12

Easter Sunday is the greatest day of celebration in the Christian calendar, on this day we especially rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. While many still doubt the resurrection we know from the Bible that it is a great fact of history and that we can say, Jesus Christ is alive today. Luke tells us that very early on the first Easter Morning some of the women who had known Jesus went to the tomb with spices to anoint His body. What they found there was startling – the tomb was empty, Jesus was gone. Then it all became even more amazing as two angels appeared with this wonderful message. “Why do you look for the living among the dead ? He is not here; He has risen.” So of course they headed back to tell the disciples this wonderful news. How did they react “they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

Soon after this Jesus appeared to the disciples and all their doubts and fears were removed. Then they knew that Jesus really had risen from the dead. Over the next forty days the evidence built up and Paul even tells us that on one occasion Jesus appeared to over 500 believers who were all gathered in the one place. What we can say to the sceptic even today is that Jesus really did rise from the dead. But pause for a moment and consider what the situation would be if Jesus had not been raised. He would have been proved to be a liar and a fraud. The Christian Church would lose its greatest foundation. Faith in Jesus would be a complete waste of time, because our sins would not be forgiven and at death we would all be lost forever.

Today we rejoice in our risen and exalted Saviour, we rejoice in the words of the angels, “He is not here, He is risen.” The resurrection is true and there is hope for people who believe in Jesus as their Saviour even in a world in the grip of Corona Virus. The cross of Jesus reveals God’s great love for us as Jesus suffered and died. It reminds us that our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus shows us that the Lord who raised Jesus has the power to raise every one of His people and bring them to their eternal home in heaven. Today we rejoice in our risen Saviour and declare for all the world to hear, He is risen, Jesus is alive.

Hymn – I serve a risen Saviour

By Wor. Bro. Rev. David Reid, Grand Chaplain