Three reasons not to weep this Easter

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Angels asked of the women who came to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning (Luke 24:5). There are three actions taken from this question.

First, the question calls for an investigation. Luke describes two men in dazzling apparel, angels, observing that these women are looking for something. "Why do you seek ...," the interrogation begins. More specifically, who do you seek?

They were seeking Jesus. The one they loved. They accompanied Jesus' body when it was placed in the tomb before Sabbath began. No time to prepare the body before the day of rest began they laid him and left. Now, early in the morning, they arrived at the tomb only to find it empty. They were now seeking what they were afraid was taken from them.

Second, the question identifies an expectation. Their expectation, everyone's expectation, is Jesus is dead. The torture he endured before his crucifixion, his execution by the hands of the Roman soldiers, combined with the piercing of his side producing fluid indicative of a pericardial effusion left no doubt in the minds of the eyewitness -- including these women -- that Jesus was dead. They expected to find his body just as they place it.

Lastly, the question presses for a personal application. You are looking for the living among the dead. The following verse reads, "He is not here, but he has risen."

They expected to find his body. They investigated the situation when it did not meet their expectation. Now they are confronted with the reality there is one alive among the remains of those who are not.

When you attend a funeral, you are confronted with your mortality. No matter how deeply moved you might feel in that sobering moment your own demise is oft-forgotten as you walk out the door. We know our lives will end but practically we live as if we will live forever.

The declaration Jesus is alive is a poignant reminder that today we still look for the living among the dead. We seek what cannot satisfy and wonder why we still hunger. We pursue making earth like heaven only to miss both.

Jesus conquered all-consuming death. By faith on this side of heaven, he satisfies and opens the gates of heaven for eternity.