Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Matthew 28:1–10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (NRSV) 

Reflection

Resurrection is the element of Christian faith without which none of the other elements can be interpreted intelligibly. Without the empty tomb, the story of Jesus should be shelved alongside all the other volumes of agitators and reformers who threw themselves on the gears of empire for the cause, their sacrifice praised and their commitment emulated, even as the conditions they struggled against persist.  

Resurrection means that the conditions have changed. In fact, resurrection means that what we took to be the conditions before weren’t the conditions at all. Not for God. Resurrection grounds our faith in doubt — doubt that what we see is all there is and doubt that death is the end of life.  

Resurrection is an earthquake that liberates some even as it knocks down others. The powerless and the powerful do not experience resurrection in the same way, do they? What shakes loose salvation and deliverance for those on the underside of power unmoors those at the controls. Mary sang just as much before Jesus was ever even born: “God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts ... brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”

Hear the Easter good news, then: he has been raised, and the world is not the same. The guards are on the ground, the tomb is empty, and so we continue to meet the Lord in our day-to-day; God continues to find us, even in despair. He has been raised and everything is possible.  

Amen.  

Prayer
Glory be to you, God, our strength and our redeemer. The vacant cross and the empty tomb vindicate your claim that the love which suffers is the love which saves. So fill your people with joy and your church with celebration that the world may know that your holy Son Jesus is not a dead hero we commemorate but the living Lord we worship, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be our praise forever. Amen. 

(From the Church of Scotland Book of Common Order) 

Reflection written by Rocky Supinger, Senior Associate Pastor

Reflection © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email