The Wrong Place to Look

Read‍

Luke 24:1-6 "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. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 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? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:'"

Think

Some of the hardest mornings are the ones right after something awful happens. You wake up, and for a few seconds, everything feels normal. Then you remember, and the weight lands on your chest all over again.

That is the kind of morning the women in Luke 24 are living through. Jesus died on Friday. They watched it happen. They saw where his body was laid. Now it is early Sunday, and they are walking to the tomb carrying spices to care for a body. They are not coming to see a miracle. They are coming to do the last loving thing they know how to do for someone who is gone.

When they arrive, the stone has been rolled away, and the body is not there. Suddenly, two men in clothes that gleam like lightning are standing beside them. The question they ask sounds almost like a gentle joke: “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” “He is not here. He has risen.”

The angels go on to remind the women that Jesus told them this would happen. And they remember. They run back to tell the disciples.

How do the disciples respond? Luke says the women's words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. That is one of the most honest lines in the Bible. The people who knew Jesus best did not assume a resurrection. They knew dead people stay dead. If you have ever quietly wondered, "Is any of this actually real?" you are in good company.

But look at what Peter does. He does not just shrug it off. He gets up and runs to the tomb. He bends over, sees the strips of linen lying by themselves, and walks away wondering what happened. Doubt does not stop Peter; it sends him to investigate.

Your questions can do the same for you. Christianity is not afraid of investigation. Paul later writes that the risen Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at one time, most of whom were still alive when he wrote it (1 Corinthians 15:6). Paul was basically inviting people to go ask them. The same disciples who were hiding in fear on Friday were boldly preaching in public within weeks, and many of them suffered for it. Something turned them around.

The resurrection is the final evidence that Jesus is who he said he is. Anyone can claim to be the Savior of the world. Only one person walked out of the grave to back it up. If Jesus rose, then everything he said about forgiveness, the Spirit, and the Father's love is true.

Here is where it gets personal. In Ephesians 1, Paul prays that believers would understand God's incredibly great power for those who believe. He says it is the same mighty strength God used when he raised Jesus from the dead. Think about a car with a dead battery. You can turn the key all day, and nothing happens. It needs power from outside itself. Trying to change your own heart by sheer effort is a lot like that. The resurrection means the power that brought Jesus out of the grave is at work in everyone who belongs to him.

That is the power behind everything you read about this week. It is how a baby in a manger turned out to be the Savior. It is how temptation loses its grip, how prayer becomes more than words, and how you are never left on your own.

Maybe something in your life feels dead right now. A friendship. Your motivation. Your faith. Your hope for your family. The women walked to that tomb expecting nothing but grief, and they found it empty. Before you decide that thing is finished, remember who you belong to. The God who emptied that tomb is not done with you.

Apply

Bring your questions – Write down one honest question you have about whether Jesus is real or whether the resurrection happened. This week, ask a parent, small group leader, or Mix staff member about it, and read Luke 24:13-35 to see how Jesus met two confused followers on a road.

Pray

Jesus, some days my faith feels strong, and some days I have real questions. Thank you that you are not afraid of them. I believe you rose from the dead, so help me live like your power is at work in me. Bring life to the parts of me that feel dead. In Jesus' name. Amen.