Opening Prayer
I rejoice today, Almighty God! Thank you for the gift of life made possible because of the resurrection of Jesus.
Read LUKE 24:1–12
Jesus Has Risen
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.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Christ the Lord is risen today, Allelulia.’1
Think Further
Today, we celebrate Easter, and we declare, ‘Christ is risen: he is risen indeed.’ However, when we read the resurrection account in Luke 24, no one seems to believe in it. The women who went to the tomb did not expect to see a risen Christ. They brought along spices to anoint the body of Jesus – and this shows that they expected the body to be there. Without any expectation of a resurrection, they needed to be convinced that Jesus was risen. It was not until they were asked why they were looking for the living among the dead, and reminded of the words of Jesus that he would rise again, (vv. 5, 6) that the women finally believed.
The disciples were skeptical when they heard the testimony of the women. They considered it as an idle tale and did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter decided to visit the tomb to see for himself—and he wondered at what he saw. The reality was slow to sink in. It shows how much Peter struggled to understand the reality of the resurrection. It was not until Jesus appeared to the disciples later on that they finally believed (vv. 36–49).
No reason was given for the disciples’ initial doubt and failure to believe. The point of the narrative is not to highlight the reasons for their doubt, but to emphasize that they moved from doubt to faith. Some of us may be like them. We have doubts about our faith in Christ. Remember, Jesus is not shocked by our doubts. Just as Jesus helped Jairus,2 as well as the women at the tomb and the disciples, to see and believe, so he wants to do the same with us today.
Apply
Jesus’ invitation to take the next step, moving from doubt to faith, love, adoration, and worship, remains open to all. Let us move from doubt to faith.
Closing prayer
Father in heaven, you fulfilled your promise—Jesus rose from the dead! There is no promise you have not kept nor will not yet keep. Help me to hold fast to your promises fulfilled that give me faith for those for which I wait.
Last Updated on March 31, 2024 by kingstar
