Week 7 – April 5 - Love Wins (Easter Sunday)
Week 7 – April 5 - Love Wins (Easter Sunday)
Luke 24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went 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 the hands of 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.
It’s been a long journey to this point. In the last week or so, Jesus has clashed directly with the powerful Jewish leaders in the Temple. He has shared a last supper and spoken words of blessing and leavetaking with his disciples. Then, in a matter of three days, Jesus was violently arrested, tried, beaten, mocked, tortured, and crucified. His disciples scattered, and only a few of them, some women who had followed him from the very beginning, remained nearby, witnessing the location of his body’s burial.
There is confusion, fear, and most of all grief. In the face of the swirling emotions, the women do what they know to do: they prepare to anoint their Lord’s body one last time.
At early dawn, as the light is just creeping over the horizon, the women go to the tomb. Instead of a sealed grave, they find the stone rolled away and immediately look around for Jesus’ body. In the middle of their concerned wonder, two dazzling men appear, whom the women immediately recognize as messengers of the divine. The men ask, why do you look for the living among the dead? And they tell the women that Jesus has been raised, just like he had told them he would be.
The women remember that Jesus had said this, and they realize what has happened. That Jesus, really and truly is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior, the Lord that they had hoped he’d be all along. And that even death could not prevent the love and grace and power of Jesus from bursting forth for the sake of the world.
It is obvious that as much as they tried, as much as they wanted, as much as they had reason to believe that Jesus was who he said he was and who he showed them he was, they could not quite fully comprehend the full impact of what he was trying to reveal. They had heard him talking about being raised, but they couldn’t quite believe it. Otherwise, they would not have gotten up early to head to the tomb at all.
Sometimes it is difficult to really understand the power that love has in our lives and in this world. Sometimes it is easier to hate, easier to let fear take over, easier to give into despair. Sometimes we only have eyes for what is dead, and can’t imagine that new life is possible. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ revealed something that morning to the women, and then to Peter and the other disciples, and now to us today.
The resurrection revealed that love is, and will always be, alive and well. That love is with us and for us, and that not even death can stop it from working to bring the glory of God’s goodness to all of creation.
This is what we celebrate on Easter morning, and every day. That love lives, and love wins. When we receive this true and abiding and sacred love and offer it to others, we too can be raised to new life, fully participating in the love of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, now and always.
Where are you being invited to look for life again?
How can you let love bring life to you and others this season?
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went 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 the hands of 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.
It’s been a long journey to this point. In the last week or so, Jesus has clashed directly with the powerful Jewish leaders in the Temple. He has shared a last supper and spoken words of blessing and leavetaking with his disciples. Then, in a matter of three days, Jesus was violently arrested, tried, beaten, mocked, tortured, and crucified. His disciples scattered, and only a few of them, some women who had followed him from the very beginning, remained nearby, witnessing the location of his body’s burial.
There is confusion, fear, and most of all grief. In the face of the swirling emotions, the women do what they know to do: they prepare to anoint their Lord’s body one last time.
At early dawn, as the light is just creeping over the horizon, the women go to the tomb. Instead of a sealed grave, they find the stone rolled away and immediately look around for Jesus’ body. In the middle of their concerned wonder, two dazzling men appear, whom the women immediately recognize as messengers of the divine. The men ask, why do you look for the living among the dead? And they tell the women that Jesus has been raised, just like he had told them he would be.
The women remember that Jesus had said this, and they realize what has happened. That Jesus, really and truly is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior, the Lord that they had hoped he’d be all along. And that even death could not prevent the love and grace and power of Jesus from bursting forth for the sake of the world.
It is obvious that as much as they tried, as much as they wanted, as much as they had reason to believe that Jesus was who he said he was and who he showed them he was, they could not quite fully comprehend the full impact of what he was trying to reveal. They had heard him talking about being raised, but they couldn’t quite believe it. Otherwise, they would not have gotten up early to head to the tomb at all.
Sometimes it is difficult to really understand the power that love has in our lives and in this world. Sometimes it is easier to hate, easier to let fear take over, easier to give into despair. Sometimes we only have eyes for what is dead, and can’t imagine that new life is possible. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ revealed something that morning to the women, and then to Peter and the other disciples, and now to us today.
The resurrection revealed that love is, and will always be, alive and well. That love is with us and for us, and that not even death can stop it from working to bring the glory of God’s goodness to all of creation.
This is what we celebrate on Easter morning, and every day. That love lives, and love wins. When we receive this true and abiding and sacred love and offer it to others, we too can be raised to new life, fully participating in the love of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, now and always.
Where are you being invited to look for life again?
How can you let love bring life to you and others this season?
Posted in Lent 2026
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