Easter: Everything Changed

April 5, 2026

Happy Easter! Have you ever been to a surprise party where the person is really surprised?! That’s the best! Easter is a real surprise! There are four accounts of Jesus’ life: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In each account, Jesus rising from the dead is a total surprise. His followers all expected him to stay dead. But he didn’t! He came to them alive!

None of the four gospel writers wrote the story of the resurrection with somebody saying, “Oh, I believed Jesus would rise.” Or “I knew the resurrection would happen!” Instead, Jesus’ followers were all devastated when he died. Before he died, Jesus had told them that he would go to Jerusalem, suffer and die, and on the third day be raised to life. But they thought, no Jesus, you won’t die! They didn’t like the idea of Jesus dying one bit! And Jesus raised to life? That part didn’t make any sense to them.

Jesus did go to Jerusalem as he said and suffer and die on a cross. After he died, Jesus’ 11 remaining disciples were afraid they would be next! They went into a room and locked the doors out of fear! Their whole world was turned upside down when Jesus died.

Luke tells us that while the men hid, the women went into action. Somebody had to take care of Jesus’ body and properly prepare it for the tomb. So, the women set off to anoint his body with fragrant oils, because they expected him to stay dead! None of Jesus’ followers go to the tomb on Easter morning, counting down, 10, 9, 8, 7 and expecting Jesus to rise and come out!

Jesus died on Friday, and the next day is the Sabbath, so the women have to wait until Sunday to go to the tomb. Sunday morning comes, and while it is still dark, they come to the tomb. They find the stone rolled away! They go into the tomb, but Jesus’ body is not there! They assume what we would assume, someone stole the body! Then two men in clothes that shine like lightning stand there! They ask the women, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” They tell the women, remember Jesus told you he would be crucified and rise from the dead? Oh yeah! The women remember: they thought Jesus was just talking stupid when he said he would die. Wow!

The women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and some other women, go and tell the disciples that Jesus body is missing, and these two sparkly men told them Jesus would rise from the dead! The disciples don’t believe the women because their words sound like nonsense! Peter runs to the tomb to check it out. He looks, but Jesus is not there!

Finally, Jesus appears to his disciples! John tells in John 20:24-29 that when Jesus first appeared to his disciples, Thomas was not there. Later they tell Thomas, “We have seen the Lord!” Thomas doesn’t believe them, and he says he won’t believe until he sees and touches Jesus wounds for himself.

Then Jesus appears to his disciples again, and Thomas is there this time! Jesus says, “Peace be with you!” He says to Thomas, put your finger here in my wounds, where the nails were, and your hand where they pierced my side. Stop doubting and believe!

Thomas doesn’t need to touch Jesus’ wounds. He believes! He says, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas knows that if Jesus is risen from the dead, that changes everything! It means that Jesus isn’t just a rabbi, or a miracle worker. He is something more! He is God, in human form! The resurrection moves Thomas from not believing, to believing in the resurrection of Jesus, and believing that Jesus is God. He is convinced that God has come into the world in Jesus, to make himself known. Jesus came so we don’t have to wonder what God is like and who God likes. He came so we would know, God loves us!

Thomas believed, and we can believe, too. We believe, not because the Bible tells us so. It’s the other way around, we have the Bible, at least the New Testament, because Jesus rose from the dead! Because He rose, his followers believed! We have their eyewitness accounts. Because they saw the risen Jesus, they wrote the New Testament. The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of their faith and our faith. Even those today who don’t believe in Jesus have been impacted by the values Jesus passed on of love for enemies, love for the least of people, and forgiveness.

The resurrection changed Jesus’ followers! The disciples went from hiding to risking their lives in Jesus’ name, so others would know Him. The women changed from being anointers to telling the story of all they saw.

We believe because of their eyewitness accounts! We believe because people who never expected it, saw the risen Jesus. Because he rose, they knew Jesus was God.

Because of their witness, I believe, and believing has changed my life, and changed my family. It’s changed many of you.

You are invited to follow Jesus. The first disciples followed when Jesus called. And as you follow, you will come to believe he is who he says he is. Because of the first Easter, everything changed!

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to teach us who you are. Thank you for his faithfulness to the cross. Thank you for his resurrection! You are Lord and God. We dedicate, or rededicate ourselves to follow you. Amen.