ルカ福音書23:56b-24:12 Luke 23:56b-24:12

Today is Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was crucified and killed while the Passover was being celebrated in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus had done nothing wrong, but people who envied his popularity made up charges that he had said bad things about God. They then lied that Jesus had defied the Roman emperor and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman governor, to be crucified. After Jesus’ death on the cross, it was a man called Joseph of Arimathea who buried his body in the tomb. In the Jewish country, the tomb is like a cave dug in the rock, where the dead body not burnt but wrapped in a cloth is laid.

On the third day morning after Jesus’ death on the cross, some women who believed in Jesus went to his tomb. The purpose was to anoint Jesus’ body with spices and ointments. However, when they arrived at the tomb, they found that the entrance of the tomb was open and Jesus’ body, which was supposed to be inside, was missing. When the women were perplexed about this, two men in dazzling apparel appeared to them and said: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” These two were angels sent by God. When the women heard these words, they went to Jesus’ eleven disciples and told them the news that Jesus had risen. But the disciples could not believe this news. Why did they not believe? It was probably because they thought it was impossible for a dead person to rise.

But Jesus really has risen. He showed us that death is not the end and that there is a resurrection. It is wonderful! Thus, Easter is a day when something incredibly wonderful happened. The disciples, who at first could not believe, were happy to believe when they met the resurrected Jesus.

On Easter Day, the church presents eggs. This is because eggs represent new life. When the egg laid by the mother hen with the father hen is heated, a chick is born. A new life is born from the egg. The eggs we are giving today are eggs bought from the supermarket, boiled and labelled with a sticker, so even if they are heated, no chickens will be born…

Jesus died on the cross, but he has risen in a new body of eternal life. And he showed us that those who believe in him can also receive the same kind of eternal life as he did. We human beings all die sometime after we are born into this world. Some die as children. Some die when they are young. Some die as adults. And some people die when they are old. Everyone will die one day, but those who believe in Jesus are connected to God the Father, the source of life, through Jesus. Therefore, when they die, their souls are called to heaven, where God is, and they look forward to the Last Day in peace. And on the Last Day, they can be resurrected with a body of eternal life, just like Jesus.