March 31st - Luke 24:1–3

Luke 24:1–3 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As dawn broke on Sunday morning the women were determined to get to the tomb as early as possible to anoint Jesus’ body. Imagine the shock when they got there to find that it was empty. Their astonishment and surprise was then magnified many times when they met two men in dazzling robes. They questioned the women as to why they were looking for Jesus in the tomb, because he had risen from death. We cannot be exactly sure where the tomb that Jesus’ body was laid was. In Jerusalem there are two main places that are identified as the possible site of Jesus’ tomb and one of them is in a beautiful garden, called the Garden Tomb. I have been there many times, and the guides always take pleasure in telling the visitors that the one completely authentic fact about the tomb is that it is empty! And that’s what matters before anything else. Everything in the Christian faith turns on the fact that Jesus rose from death. The apostle Paul spoke very plainly in his first letter to the Corinthians about the importance of the resurrection. He wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) In short, if Jesus didn’t rise from death then Christianity is pointless. Paul staked his life on the fact that Jesus was the Son of God and that through his death and resurrection Jesus broke the power of sin and death. As we thank God for the blessing of Easter let us praise him that through these amazing historical events we are able to live a new life, not just now but for eternity. Question How would you explain to a non-Christian friend the importance of Jesus’ resurrection? Prayer Living Lord Jesus, help me to live each day in the light of your resurrection. Amen