Luke 24:1-8 NRSV
“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.”
Here we are Resurrection Day. We all know it and celebrate it now. While Jesus’ crucifixion and burial was public, his resurrection was private. But because of the public and private we have life. Because of what has already been done for us we can live victoriously.
Sometimes we don’t, and I hear the angels’ question to the women: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” The dead things in our mind -we can’t listen, we can’t hear, we can’t follow. The dead things in our heart- we harbor grudges, unforgiveness, we live in bitterness. The dead things in our will- we don’t want to give up our way to follow God’s way. But we don’t have to look for life among the dead things, because he has already freed us to live fully.
“Then they remembered his words.” The women had a close relationship with Jesus and he had already prepared them. He has give us himself in our relationship with him, and we can remember his words to us. And when we remember we can do as the women, and go tell. You see, someone needs to hear our witness. And we need to share it. We do all of that because it has already been done for us. Francis Frangipane says, “We don’t fight for the victory, but we fight from the victory already won byJesus.” It’s already done- we win, because he got up! more later
