Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, April 4, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Jesus’ story is not finished. Neither is ours. The possibilities are limitless.
When the women traveled to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for burial with spices, they could not have imagined what they found there. The stone that protected the body of their lord had been moved. Two men in dazzling clothing appeared, and the body of Jesus was not in the tomb. It was likely a great trauma to behold all at once. It was unexpected and unexplainable. Even with the words of the men, they had no frame of reference to understand what they were trying to say. No one had ever truly been raised from the dead before. Even Peter was at a loss to understand what had happened.
Interestingly, in Luke’s account today, Jesus never does appear. The reality of Jesus’ return has not yet happened. Today, we are left with an empty tomb and a riddle. But we’re left with so much more. We are given the opportunity for Jesus to be alive. We are given hope that there is more to this story. We are given courage to look beyond the grave. And we are given the possibility that miracles can occur.
The unfinished nature of Jesus’ story means we need not be stuck in despair or wade in worry. We can hope, dream, imagine, wonder, and anticipate. We can walk in faith. It doesn’t matter whether we see Jesus with our own eyes or soar in the imagination of what Jesus can accomplish because he is alive! Or of what we can accomplish because he is alive! Our story is not yet finished, and the possibilities are limitless.
