Dear Christian friends:

"You are looking for the living One among the dead: Why?"

The angel asked the women who had come to Jesus' tomb that first Easter morning that question. They expected to find Jesus' dead body in the tomb although Jesus had told them that He will arise on that day. They failed to believe Jesus' prophesy. Therefore the angel asks them that question.

Perhaps the angel should ask you and me that question today. You maybe say, "No! We believe Jesus' Word!" Do we really believe Jesus' Word? Do we really believe the Easter story? I think we need to attend to this question this morning:


We need attend to this question because we, like these women, often doubt and do not believe Jesus' Word about the resurrection.

We have sung a happy Easter song. We have attended to the Easter gospel lesson. We have confessed our faith in the Apostles Creed. But do we really believe it? Do we believe that the body that died will rise?

We postpone thinking about our own death. Doctors and medicines help us delay it. We don't want to think about our dying. We delay planning for our funeral. We forget about death and also Jesus' death. If we fail to think about our own death we will also fail to think about Jesus' death.

Then we think church is boring and not exciting. We look for excitement, pleasure, fun and sinful pleasures in this world. We copy and follow the unbelievers of this world, those who are spiritually dead and on the way to hell!

We try to find life and happiness in this world, without God. But without God there is only disappointment and finally death, eternal death.

That first Easter the angel did not let the women continue in their unbelief. The angel reminded them of what Jesus had said, that, "He must be crucified, and arise on the third day. (Luke 24:7)

Jesus said that He "must" die. Jesus must die. Why? (See if anyone knows, if not explain it.) God is saying to you today, everyone of you: "Jesus died for you and arose for you that you can have eternal life and be freed from eternal death.

Therefore, why seek the living One among the dead? Why leave God out of your life? Jesus died for you and rose for you! He wants to give you true life, new life, eternal life!

One good thing about these women that first Easter is they were seeking for Jesus. True, they looked in the wrong place and they expected to find a dead Jesus, but they were seeking for Jesus.

Do we seek Jesus? This morning, before you came here, you looked for what? A clean shirt? Your car keys? Some money for the offering? Did you look for Jesus? When you arrived here you expected to find what? Pastor? Friends? Did you expect to find Jesus here? He is here, you know!

Today the children search for Easter eggs and candy. And we expect to have a fine Easter dinner later on. Perhaps the angel should say to us today, "You are searching for what? Better search for something important!"

We often fail to search for Jesus because we are satisfied without Him. But if you were the father or mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan or Iraq this past month, you perhaps would look for Jesus to get peace and comfort. If a doctor told you that you have cancer, perhaps you would look for Jesus.

But now, this Easter, we have no problems. Everything seems fine and okay. Therefore, we do not need Jesus and we really are not eager for church and Bible Study. Although we have not been searching for Jesus eagerly, He came to search for us and to find us. He said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

On the first Easter, after He had risen from death, Jesus came and appeared to His fearful, doubting disciples and showed them again and again that He had died for them and risen for them.

And since then and also today Jesus continues to come seeking us with the Good News of His death and His rising. Jesus comes to us through pastors, teachers and other believers. He says to us: "I have what you need most: life instead of death; food instead of hunger, drink instead of thirst.

St. Paul shouted it out to the Christian church at Ephesus: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:14)

If we have spiritual life, we have it because we see Jesus among the living ones. We are foolish to look for the Living One among the dead ones. We must look for Him among the living ones.

Who are the living ones? Here are the living ones. Here in our church we have the living Word and life-giving Sacraments. You and I should be the living ones. We have been baptized. Through baptism God gives us faith in Jesus. We love Him and are eager to follow Him walking in His holy, right ways. Those who believe in Jesus are the living ones!

Are you living? Does Jesus live and rule in your heart? Are you saying the Good News to one another this morning that Jesus lives, that Jesus has risen? Don't only say, "Happy Easter." The unbelievers, the spiritually dead ones, also say, "Happy Easter." We should say, "Christ is risen," to one another. Say to one another, "Happy Easter! Jesus is risen! Our Savior lives!"

We are the living ones. Jesus has given us spiritual life. This we should tell and show to people. Let us begin now, while we are here in our church. Let us really seek Jesus here today, really want to find Him and have Him in our heart and home today! Jesus promises: "If you truly seek for Me, you will find Me!"

We will find Him, because He has risen and He lives. And we find Him or better, He finds us when we attend to His Word and when we eat His body and drink His blood in the Holy Supper. May we faithfully do that!

Amen.