Source/Author: Dr Michael Dalseno

A greater appreciation and realization that we serve a Living God just might challenge us to rise to a new level of calling and commitment. There are inevitably old bondages to break, self-imposed barriers to crack, new heights to climb, and more land to possess. Is He a Living God to you? “Who do you say that I am?” (LK.9.20).

“WHY SEEK THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?”

Dr   D

On the first day of the week women came to the tomb of Jesus, bringing spices and perfumes, but to their surprise they found the stone rolled away from the entrance (Lk.24.1-2). Worse still, the body was not there either (v.3). It is perhaps a great understatement of Luke when he calls the women “perplexed” (v.4) for they were probably speechless, confused, shocked to the core.

But a bigger shock was about to come, for the Bible says they became “terrified, and bowed their faces to the ground” (v.5). Two “men” showed up; they kind of looked like men yet were somehow ephemeral, mysterious, even otherworldly. Something dramatic, hitherto unprecedented, was happening. But it may be said that the “men,” who we now know to be angels, perhaps were more greatly surprised than the women – not over the resurrected Christ, for that was obvious knowledge to them, but over the reaction of the women to the empty tomb.

“Why seek the living among the dead?” (v.5) In other words, “did you really expect to find a dead man here?” This Jesus, who explained a number of times that He would be “delivered into the hands of sinful men, crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead?” (v.7). Hence the poignant clarifying note; “He is not here, He has risen!” (v.6), and the appeal for them to “remember” (v.6) what Jesus had already told them. Then the women went out with great excitement, uncontainable we might say, and “reported all these things” (v.9).

We can glean a number of profound teachings from these passages of scripture, but let us focus on one for the time being, namely, we serve a “living” God! There are many in the world today who systematically tout their popular mantra of material and eternal wellbeing, be they famous religious figures of history, heroes of war, philosophers, scholars, even finance and technology gurus. But one common thread apparent among all their founders is that they are d-e-a-d. Standing in stark contrast, we serve a living God!

Perhaps we could do with a reawakening of this fact, and what better time than over this Easter season. I don’t simply mean “knowledge” that He is a living God, but actually fathoming and understanding it – something like the revelation Peter had when he exclaimed; “I know who you are! The Christ of God!” (Lk 9.20), or like David “how dare he [Goliath] insult the armies of the living God” (1Sam.17.26). A greater appreciation and realization that we serve a Living God just might challenge us to rise to a new level of calling and commitment. There are inevitably old bondages to break, self-imposed barriers to crack, new heights to climb, and more land to possess.  Is He a Living God to you? “Who do you say that I am?” (LK.9.20).