Acts 10:34a, 36-43; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18
Today is Easter Sunday—the heart of our faith, the reason we’re here. It’s not just about remembering what happened over 2,000 years ago. It’s about recognizing that Jesus is alive today—in our lives, in our struggles, in our hopes. Easter is about victory: Jesus’ victory over death, and our hope that through Him, we too will rise.
Let’s go back to that first Easter morning. Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb, grieving, confused, and expecting to find a sealed grave. Instead, she finds the stone rolled away and the body missing. Her first reaction isn’t joy, it’s panic—just like ours often is when life throws the unexpected at us. But then something changes. Jesus appears to her—not as a ghost or a vision, but as a real, living person. And what breaks her confusion? He calls her by name. Mary. And in that moment, she knows—it’s Him.
Jesus meets her in her pain, in her search, in her tears. And He does the same for us.
The resurrection changed everything for the disciples. These same men who were hiding in fear after Good Friday suddenly became bold, courageous witnesses. They had seen Jesus suffer and die. Their hope was shattered. But the resurrection gave them new life—a reason to go out and share what they had experienced. They didn’t just believe—they knew. They had seen the Lord.
Peter, in our first reading, stands up and tells others about Jesus—how He was good, how He healed, how He died and rose again. Peter had failed Jesus, denied Him, but now he speaks with conviction and hope. Why? Because the Risen Christ had forgiven him and called him to begin again.
Paul reminds us that Easter isn’t just about what happened to Jesus—it’s also about what’s happening in us. Because Christ is risen, we are raised too. Easter means we don’t have to be trapped by our past, by fear, or by sin. We can live differently. We can live with our eyes fixed on heaven, on what matters most.
Easter tells us that Good Friday was not the end. What looked like defeat became the greatest victory. The cross was not a sign of failure—it was the way to new life. And that’s the invitation for us today: to believe that no matter how dark things seem, resurrection is possible.
But Easter doesn’t stop at celebration. It comes with a mission. Just as Mary Magdalene was sent to tell the disciples, we are sent out too—to be witnesses, to live in a way that shows we believe Jesus is alive.
There’s a story about Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph. A friend once asked him what he did when he hit a wall in his work. Morse said he would kneel and pray to God for guidance. And when asked if he received that guidance, he replied, yes, always. Morse never saw his success as his own. He believed it was God who helped him.
That’s the Easter message. We are not alone. Jesus is with us—guiding, forgiving, and calling us to new life.
So today, let’s allow ourselves to be changed like Mary, like Peter, like Paul. Let’s listen for Jesus calling our name. Let’s receive His peace and carry it into the world. Easter isn’t just a day—it’s a way of life. Let’s live like we truly believe: Jesus is alive!
Amen.