He Isn’t Here

16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) 5 Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. 6 But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him.”

Mark 16:1-6

The best news in the entirety of Scripture is three words, “He isn’t here.” Jesus, part of the very Trinity, was no longer where his followers thought him to be. He was … more. And it’s a reason to celebrate, for it is the reason we have a faith at all. Everything else in our entire understanding of who we are as people of faith hinges on this singular event. Resurrection makes the rest make sense.
But so often, our lives don’t make sense.

So often, we are stressed over the twists and turns that life puts in our path. We wish it was all a straight line, but it’s not. We wish our journey of faith took a defined path, but it doesn’t. But in our wandering and uncertain paths toward a bright and clear end, we can take comfort in the words of the angels, “Do not be alarmed!”

That applies to our lives together right now as well. “Do not be alarmed!” Yes, we are beginning a transition full of unknowns and full of change. But it will be okay. The hope and assurance of the Resurrection gives us the ability to look beyond the uncertainty and keep our eyes on the rock of Jesus. If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that we are able to remain faithful and hopeful amid life that looks different. I celebrate that energy with you.

Let the Good News of Jesus Christ risen from the dead give you the strength and vision to live even more fully into who God wants you to be. Let the Good News keep this congregation together and moving forward into a future full of opportunities to share that same Good News with the wider community. We are God’s people. God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Brian