A Good Question
(Luke 24: 1-12)
Over the course of the past several years you have heard me speak fondly of my grandfather, the Rev. Clyde Rosekrans, who was a Methodist minister before the Methodists became united towards the end of the 1960s. He baptized me and I grew up in the small Methodist church he pastored in Warners, New York. He was also my day care provider until I made it to kindergarten. I have no doubt that I chatted him up while he was trying to write his sermons but he was patient and I am sure he seized upon the opportunities to see to my early spiritual development. The last time I saw him was when I made a special trip to say goodbye to him and my grandmother just before driving to Texas to go to college. Not long after that, he passed away. And over fifty years later I still miss him, and I wish he was still around so I could now ask him some of these perplexing and vexing church questions. I do try to talk to him, but he doesn’t answer. And that’s okay because I now have the Holy Spirit who is on call twenty-four hours, seven days a week, to talk to me as I bounce ideas off him. I was looking to the dead for answers when there was one greater who was alive and ready to talk with me, walk with me, and guide me along my journey just as he planned.
And that’s exactly what Luke is writing about in our scripture reading for this Easter morning. Why do we look for the living among the dead? It was early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, when the women went to the tomb, bringing the fragrant spices they had prepared for Jesus’ burial as was the custom in first-century Jewish culture. When they got there, they found that the large stone sealing the entrance to the tomb had been rolled away. Startled, they went in to prepare the body and saw that Jesus’ body was not there. The tomb was empty. As they stood there trying to make sense of it the women saw two men suddenly standing there among them wearing gleaming bright clothing. The frightened women bowed their heads down afraid to say anything when one of the men asked: Why do you look for the living among the dead? He isn’t here but has been raised. Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee, that the Human One must be handed over to sinners, to be crucified, and on the third day rise again. They then remembered what Jesus had previously told them on at least three occasions about his betrayal, death, and resurrection. When they returned from the tomb they reported to the eleven disciples and the other followers present what they had observed and the encounter with the two men. The words struck the apostles as nonsense, and they didn’t believe the women, but Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself. Seeing the empty tomb containing only the linen burial cloth he returned home wondering what had happened. He was looking for the living amongst the dead and couldn’t comprehend it. He thought it was over.
And here we are roughly two thousand years later with people all around us who are looking for God among the dead. They study the Bible as a mere historical document and go to church as if going to a memorial service. They just can’t see how a living God is relevant to their daily existence. They are too consumed with trying to do everything themselves, looking for answers to their questions and problems in sources and places that cannot offer lasting and viable answers and solutions. To admit or acknowledge that Jesus is not among the dead, that he lives means that they’ve gotten it wrong all along.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christian history. On it, the church is built; without it there would be no Christian church today. Only Christianity has a God who became human, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power and glory to rule his church forever. Try as they may, there have been skeptics for centuries and even today that expend all of their time and energy trying to disprove the story of the cross and they can’t. Jesus is not among the dead—he lives! He reigns in the hearts of Christians, and he is the head of his church. If you open your eyes and look around you, you will see him everywhere, even in the places and faces you do not expect to see him.
So, we have to ask ourselves: Do we look for Jesus among the living? Do we expect him to be active in the world and in the church? If the answer to both questions is yes, then devote your life looking for the signs of his power as they are all around you. Because it is not over. Live your life as if Christ lives within you because he does.
Let us pray.
Christ the Lord is risen today, alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, sing, ye heavens and earth reply, Alleluia! Yes, Jesus rose from the dead just as he said, and he reigns in the hearts of Christians all around the world who speak many different languages but who all also speak the same language of his love. He is the head of his church and, as his church, we must look for him among the living doing all that we can in his service to make God’s creation whole again and a welcoming place for all to live, labor, and love. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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4/20/25
A Good Question
Only Christianity has a GTod who became human, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power and glory to rule his church forever.