Resurrection is always Good News!

Good News! Easter is the Good News. It is the Gospel of our Lord. It is the best news ever: Christ has risen. He has risen indeed.

Death and the grave could not hold Jesus! Good Friday was not the end. Darkness, suffering and death did not have the last word.

Resurrections are great news, because they happen rarely. Because it is something rare, something that we don't really expect, the resurrection of Jesus is the greatest event in history.

Over 2000 years of the story of God dealing with his people, the Bible only records 10 resurrection miracles. Resurrection is rare, unusual and simply amazing. What makes the resurrection of Jesus ultimately unique, is that he never died again. In the other 9 stories of resurrection the people grew older, and eventually died again. But Jesus never dies! Jesus is alive!

The resurrection of Jesus was totally unexpected by his followers. We are told that the women who came to the tomb "bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body" (Mk 16:1). They expected to find Jesus the same way as he was when they buried him - dead! Resurrections are amazing news, because death and loss are no longer what we fear it to be! It no longer is darkness and decay. The women watched Jesus die from a distance. (Mk 15:40). We all hesitate to come too close to death.

We are all horrified when we see death - especially a violent, painful death such as the crucifixion was. We also try to keep as much distance as possible from our own deaths. We try to be healthy, be fit, eat responsibly, take our medicine, go for checkups. We try our very best to keep death at a distance.

But at Easter's resurrection the sting of death was removed. Death was finally and completely overcome! This is the reason why the angel at the grave told the women to pass on the good news:
(Mk 16:7) “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” This is why we meet Sunday after Sunday – to tell the good news, that death has been conquered.
Jesus has risen! Once fearful and despondent disciples, became powerful witnesses and excited believers - because Jesus has risen!

May the living Lord bless you with abundant life.