By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

He Is Not Here!

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“He is not here; He has risen!”
Luke 24:6a New International Version

The women on that first Easter came looking for a dead rabbi to anoint and for a beloved friend to grieve.  Instead they found an open tomb, a risen Lord, eternal life.  That moment changed everything about the rest of their lives.

What are you looking for?  Are you seeking the living among the dead?  Are you hanging out at the cemetery of sin and death when He has forgiven you and given you life?  Are you grieving because of the dire, painful, tragic circumstances of this world?  Should you be about the whole process of living out the mission that the risen Jesus gave you or are you sadly just waiting to die?

Jesus appeared shortly after His resurrection and gave His followers this mission; “…. make disciples of all nations….” To do that you have to leave the cemetery and bring the Good News of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus Christ to the world.  What a shock it is to realize that Jesus is alive and because He is alive, we have work to do.  Leaving the cemetery is not easy after we lose a loved one.  We stay and ponder the whole meaning of life without our beloved.

But Jesus has called you to leave the cemetery.  He calls you to live and not die, to speak the Good News and not be silent, to be about His mission of life in a world of death, to be about the mission of forgiveness in a world of sin.

Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit that we may not stay in the cemetery, but bring Your message of life to a dying world.  You are risen!  You are risen, indeed!  Alleluia!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado