Responding to the Resurrection: An Easter Sunday Reflection
Easter Sunday - it’s the day that changed everything! That’s because the resurrection of Jesus isn’t just a metaphor or religious tradition - it’s a bold declaration that life triumphs over death, light overcomes darkness, and hope is alive. It’s the moment where God breaks into the darkness of this world with extraordinary news: Jesus is alive - and death has been defeated!
Without the resurrection, the cross would be a tragedy, not a triumph. But because of it, Easter becomes the doorway to forgiveness, renewal, and eternal life.
Three Responses - Then and Now
The resurrection didn’t just require a reaction 2,000 years ago - it needs a response today. In Luke 24:1-12, we see three very human responses to the empty tomb of Jesus, and they mirror how many of us respond to this central Christian claim of Jesus’ resurrection now:
#1. The Women - Mary Magdalene and her companions were the first to encounter the empty tomb. Though initially afraid, they believed - and shared the news. Their courage challenges us: if Jesus is really alive, how can we stay silent?
#2. The Disciples - When the women told the others, they were met with disbelief. “Their words seemed like nonsense” (v. 11). It’s a reminder of how we often dismiss what doesn’t fit our expectations.
#3. Peter - Peter ran to the tomb. He didn’t understand it all, but he was willing to explore. That openness led to a life-changing encounter with the risen Christ.
Which response resonates with you? Will you believe and share it? Will you dismiss it? Or will you be curious enough to take a closer look?
A Credible Claim
Like Peter, I decided to check it out for myself many years ago. Though I was raised in a Christian home, I didn’t want to rely on inherited belief. During my Theology studies at Cambridge, I was confronted with hard questions and serious challenges to the Christian faith. But instead of shaking my belief, that process deepened it - and my eyes were opened to the solid bedrock of truth that the Christian faith rests on. What I also found was that the resurrection isn’t just spiritually meaningful - it’s intellectually credible and compelling (I also realised that rejecting the resurrection often isn’t about evidence, but about presuppositions - a refusal to consider the possibility of a supernatural explanation for the empty tomb). My faith today isn’t blind; it’s grounded in historical evidence, shaped by personal experience, and sustained by a living relationship with Jesus.
How Will You Respond?
Easter isn’t just about what happened 2,000 years ago - it speaks to us now. If Jesus really did rise from the dead, it redefines everything: who we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going when we die. It offers something deeper than worldly success or earthly comfort - it brings us real meaning, lasting peace, forgiveness, and a hope that death can’t destroy!
The events of Easter morning remind us: Jesus is not in the grave - He’s alive! So now it’s your move - how will you respond? You can doubt. You can dismiss it. Or - like Peter - you can lean in, ask questions, and discover for yourself.
The question isn’t just what happened that first Easter - but what you’ll do with it now.