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Luke 24:1-12 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. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 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? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Philippians 2:1-11 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
He Is Not Here; He Is RISEN!
Today, we gather to celebrate the most powerful moment in history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day, everything changed. What once seemed like defeat was transformed into victory, and what looked like the end became a brand-new beginning.
Easter is more than a date on the calendar or a tradition we observe each spring. There is so much more to Easter than bunnies and Easter baskets. It is the foundation of our faith, the reason we have hope, and the assurance that even in our darkest moments, God is still at work.
Two thousand years ago, fear and sorrow filled the hearts of those who followed Jesus. The cross had shattered their expectations. But on that Sunday morning, an empty tomb told a different story—a story of life conquering death, of hope rising from despair, and of God keeping His promises. And that same message still speaks to us today.
No matter what burdens we carry into this room—doubt, pain, loss, or uncertainty—Easter reminds us that the story is not over. Resurrection IS possible. New life IS real. Hope IS alive. And Jesus Christ is risen from the grave. So today, let’s open our hearts to the truth and the power of Easter… because what happened then changes everything now.
This morning, let us walk with those women through the crucifixion and death of Jesus. We know that Mary Magdalene and Joanna along with other women had provided for Jesus’ ministry out of their funds. They had traveled with Him throughout Galilee. They had followed Jesus and heard Him teach and preach to many. They had seen the miracles, the blind saw, the deaf heard and the lame walked. They lived in a world where anything seemed possible for they believed the Messiah had come.
Then came the horror of Jesus’ betrayal and His trial. Suddenly everything was wrong, the world had gone mad. How could this be happening to their beloved Jesus? The women agonized as they watched Him die on the cross. They watched Joseph of Arimathea place His body in the tomb. All through that anguish-filled Sabbath they had mourned Jesus’ death. They knew his body had not been prepared properly; there had been no time left because His body had to be placed in the tomb before the beginning of the Sabbath when by Jewish law and tradition they could do no work.
On that Sunday morning, after the Sabbath, they journeyed to the tomb to finish the hurried preparations of Jesus’ body. They had watched Him die and their hopes had died with Him. They came expecting a dead body to prepare, a body that would bear the gruesome marks of the wounds inflicted during the crucifixion. These were practical, capable women and they were prepared to deal with death. They came to care for the dead body of Jesus; to wash it and prepare it. They brought with them the necessary spices for embalming. As they approached the tomb the only thing they expected was the stench of death.
Instead they found the stone was rolled away, Jesus’ body was gone, the tomb was empty. Luke tells us they were perplexed and well they might be. Where was Jesus? Where was his body?
Suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. The women were frightened, who wouldn’t be? Then came the angels’ question, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” What must they have felt in that moment? They went from grief and despair to hope and joy in an instant. Jesus had repeatedly told His followers this would happen but they had never understood. The angels reminded the women, “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then the women remembered his words. Words they had heard but never really understood.
The women run to tell the disciples the wonderful news but they aren’t believed. Luke tells us the disciples dismissed it as an idle tale, they thought it was nonsense brought on by grief. Only Peter runs to the tomb, finds it empty and goes home amazed at what had happened. At this point all anyone knows is that the tomb is empty. They still don’t understand, what did the angels mean when they said that He is risen?
All through Lent we have studied the same passage from Philippians that you heard read this morning. We have talked about having the mind of Christ that Paul wrote about in his letter to the Philippians. Paul lists the aspects of Jesus that we should emulate. Finally he said, “Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!”
Therefore, God exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus is exalted and God is glorified. Who would have expected glory to come out of death? Not the women at the grave, not the disciples, no one back then expected it. Yet that is how God breaks into our lives, in unexpected ways that bring God glory.
Today we are going to look at two aspects of both Luke and Philippians when they are considered together. First, the surprise of the empty tomb in Luke. The women went to the tomb expecting to find Jesus’ dead body but instead find it empty. They tell the disciples about this and the disciples don’t believe them. The angels had told them to remember what Jesus had told them while he was alive. “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
Yet when the women tell the disciples what they have seen, what the angels told them, the men don’t believe them. Peter does go to the tomb himself, he saw the empty tomb, he saw the grave clothes lying there empty but he didn’t understand either. We are told he went away wondering. How often do we feel like Peter? We hear the truth, but struggle to believe it fully. We see glimpses of God’s work, but still carry doubt. We stand at the edge of resurrection, but think like people of the tomb.
The resurrection disrupts our expectations. It tells us that Death is not final, sin is not ultimate and despair does not get the last word. You see, the empty tomb is not just an event—it is an invitation to rethink everything.
Second let’s step back and ask who is this Jesus who rose from the dead? Our reading from Philippians this morning gives us one of the most beautiful and profound descriptions of Jesus in all of Scripture. Paul tells us: Jesus was in the form of God, He did not cling to His equality with God, He emptied Himself, He took on the form of a servant, He humbled Himself to death—even death on a cross 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!
Think about that. The one who spoke the world into being, who now stands risen from the grave is the same one who chose humility over status, service over power, obedience over self-preservation
The cross and the resurrection are inseparable. The cross shows us the depth of Christ’s love. The resurrection shows us the power of that love.
Following his death Jesus is exalted. God has given him the name that is above every name so that one day every knee should bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
This is the great paradox of the gospel. The one who stooped the lowest has been lifted the highest.
So what does this mean for us? It’s not enough to admire the empty tomb.
It’s not enough to affirm the theology of Philippians 2.
We are called to respond. We are called to, as we have been saying all through Lent have the mind of Christ. We are to have the same love. We are to do nothing from selfish ambition but in humility, consider others more significant than ourselves.
Why? Because resurrection life looks like Jesus. If Christ humbled Himself and was exalted, then we are called to walk the same path. We are to move from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. The world says: elevate yourself. Jesus says: humble yourself.
The resurrection proves that God’s way wins, every time for all time. Jesus Christ has defeated death, the grave could not hold him and because He has defeated death we can have eternal life.
Consider again the reading from Luke. The women came in fear—but left with a message. Peter came in confusion—but left in wonder.
The resurrection doesn’t erase questions—but it transforms them. We move from, “How can this be?” to “What does this mean for how I live?”
The question still echoes, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
Where are we still looking for life in dead places? Are we looking for success that never satisfies or relationships that cannot save or habits that drain rather than restore? The resurrection calls us to stop searching for life among tombs. True life is found in the risen Christ. One of the most striking details in Luke 24 is this:“They remembered His words.” Everything changed when they remembered. And then—they went and told others.
That’s the pattern, Remember, Believe, Proclaim. Christian faith is not private information—it is public truth.
The women became the first witnesses of the resurrection. Their testimony, though dismissed at first, became the foundation of the gospel proclamation.
And now that same message is entrusted to us. We are resurrection people. People who live with hope in a hopeless world, who love in a selfish world and who serve in a power-driven world.
Luke 24 shows us the empty tomb. Philippians 2 shows us the exalted throne.
And between the two is the story of Jesus. He was humiliated, then glorified. He was crucified, then risen. He was servant, then Lord.
And here’s the invitation for us. Don’t just stand at the tomb in amazement. Don’t just admire the humility of Christ. Bow before the risen King! Because one day every knee will bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
The question is not if Jesus is Lord. The question is will we recognize Him now? This Easter, hear the words again: “He is not here. He is risen.” Let that truth shake your assumptions, strengthen your faith and shape your life.
And as you go from this place, carry both truths with you: The tomb is empty. The throne in heaven is occupied. Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Amen.