Dear Christian friends:

That first Easter morning nobody expected Jesus to arise from death. The women, as our text tells us, were coming out of the city to the tomb with spices and perfumes to finish preparing Jesus' body for burial. The disciples were in the city, sad and afraid behind locked doors. They thought Jesus had failed them. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, and the Jewish leaders were glad that Jesus was dead and they had no hopes for Jesus' resurrection. They put the soldiers to watch the tomb so that the disciples could not come and steal His body and then lie and say that He had risen from death. Nobody expected Jesus to arise from death.

So Jesus' resurrection on that first Easter morning was a big surprise to everyone, both to Jesus' friends and to His enemies. Why? Because they did not believe Jesus' own words. They all knew what He had said, that He would arise from death. To His friends He had said, "The Son of Man must be given into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day." (Luke 18:31-33) To His enemies Jesus had said, "Destroy this temple (My body) and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:18-22) They all knew and understood what Jesus had said, but they doubted His Word. So they were very surprised when He arose.

Also today, people hear about Jesus' resurrection, and they know what the Bible says about the resurrection of the body, but they don't believe it. They will be surprised one day.

That is why you and I also have much grief and sadness. Although we hear Jesus' words and promises we often doubt.

So that our faith may grow stronger, let us attend to our text and hear again about


The first surprise to Jesus' unbelieving women friends was the stone rolled away from the door of the tomb. Our text tells us that as the women hurried from the city out to the tomb they said to one another, “Who will help us roll the stone from the tomb door?" (verse 3) But surprise! When they came near they saw that the stone had been rolled away. The tomb is open!

The second surprise is the empty tomb. The women expected to find a dead body beginning to stink with decay. They have brought with them spices and perfumes to embalm the body. But surprise! When they enter the tomb they see a living angel and Jesus' body is gone. The stone slab where His body had lain is bare! The angel speaks, "Don't fear! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they laid Him." (verse 6)

Truly these women are surprised and afraid, and they should be because they failed to believe Jesus' words and promises.

If we really believed Jesus we would never be surprised when good and wonderful things happen to us: our graduation from college, our wedding day, the birth of our first baby, our first new home, recovering from cancer or other serious illness. Always we are surprised when God does to us as He promises, because we always doubt His Word and promises.

God is very kind and merciful to us because He does wonderful things to us and for us, even when we doubt Him. See here how patient He is with these doubting women and all the disciples! Although they insult Him and hurt Him by their doubts and unbelief, He comes to them again; sends His holy angel to preach to them and roll away the stone, so that they and all people both enemies and friends may see the open empty tomb and stop doubting and believe.

Today God gives us another Easter day. He still sends His angels, His pastors, to preach the Good News to us, although many times we are not here to hear it. He still lets us sing the beautiful Easter hymns like the choir sang before:

"Alleluia! Jesus lives!
Won the battle glorious!
From the gloomy vault of death
He hath come victorious,
Leading to their heavenly home
Countless multitudes to come."
(Alleluia! Jesus Lives, hymn)

He is a wonderful God. He loves us very much. I pray that God will give us His Holy Spirit today and make our faith grow stronger. Then we will not doubt His Word and promises and not be surprised when good things happen to us. We will expect Him to do great and wonderful things for us, exactly as He says and promises in His Word. Then we will not be surprised when we arise from death with a new and glorious body and see Jesus in heaven and talk to Him face to face. But really, we will be surprised. It will be so wonderful words cannot explain, and our faith is never very strong.

But praise Jesus because He is very patient with us as He was with the first disciples on that first Easter morning! Jesus will have even a better surprise for us on the Last Day when He comes in all His glory to call us to awake from the sleep of death and arise to that eternal day of heaven!

Amen.