The Messiah’s undeterred obedience leads Him through trial, torture, and death. But the story doesn’t end there. Love endures! After three days in the grave, sacrificial love turns to risen love, and the Savior emerges, fulfilling the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:39-40). He conquered sin and death at once. The angels give quite a start to the three befuddled women and bring sudden clarity to their confusion. Don’t you remember? Exactly what he told would happen has taken place. “He is not here; he has risen!”


The remaining eleven disciples had trouble accepting the words of the women who had been greeted by angels and witnessed the empty tomb. They were blinded by their grief. Maybe it seemed too good to be true. Some doubt-ridden days it still does. Our celebrations at Easter time and throughout the year remind us that this is not just a flannel-graph story; it is the actual account of Christ’s resurrection and the basis for our salvation: “Christ is risen, He is risen, indeed!”