Someone said, “I don't like surprises. I am afraid of them because surprises are either too good to believe, or too bad to accept.” Like them or not, surprises are inevitable in this world. God gives us some surprises throughout our lives. Abraham was surprised by three visitors while he was resting under a tree (Gen 18) and was surprised to hear that he was going to have a child at the age of 100. Mary and Joseph were surprised by the visit of angel to tell them that they are going to be the parents of the savior of the world. Moses was in the desert when he found God in a burning bush, Isaiah was in Babylon with exiled people when he prophesied, Job was in the midst of pain and calamity when he experienced the surprising power of God.
The one consistent element in the gospel accounts of that first Easter morning is that everyone was surprised. No one expected an empty tomb, much less the presence of the risen Christ. The women who came to the tomb had good reason to be surprised. They had watched Jesus die. Those women stood by the cross and watched as his body was removed from the cross and taken away for burial. They had followed Joseph to the tomb. They had heard the heavy thud of the stone that was rolled in front of the opening. They knew Jesus was dead. Then they departed for home. On Sunday morning, they resolved to honor one last time the man they had followed. They prepared embalming spices and perfumes to anoint his body. Here they are at the tomb to find it open wide and empty. They were surpise, confused and puzzled. The death and burial already took a toll on them, now the body is not there. They probably felt defeated and devastated. Since we know what happened next we may not understand the amount of disappointment the women felt. It is difficult to hold on to the promises of God in times of grief and devastation.
‘Surprise’ is defined by dictionaries as an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing. God is not limited and does not have unexpected events, fact or thing. God doesn’t have surprises, but humans do. We are limited by time and space. God is the author of all things and sustainer of all that is seen and unseen. Jesus had told them several times that he would rise again on the third day. But they failed to remember. But the Jewish leaders remembered that, and they asked for soldiers to guard the tomb. Then out of the darkness, comes the sound of the angel. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen.” - Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV). God knows what we are going through. He knows what we are looking for. We want the old Jesus back, or at least his body back, so that we can anoint him. But God has a better plan. Jesus has a transformed body now, that does not need anointing with spices.
His risen body is proof that He has the power to transform our situations. He will transform the situation of our surprise moments to experiences of excitement. When we go through the dark valleys, turn to the promise of God, “though I walk through the dark valleys, You are with me.” God’s promises are true today as they were on the day of the first Easter. God’s promises comfort us even in the middle of a grave.
Easter celebrates good news hidden in surprising places. We hold easter egg hunt in many places. In some places, they put certain clues in place so that children can follow the clues that would lead them to odd places in the campus, into the yard, and even into the streets. Scrambled messages encourage children to look in unexpected places. You can see the joy and excitement in children when they find Easter goodies waiting in strange places!
A man was sitting in his car in an intersection waiting for the light to turn green. Another car turning from the other side sid swiped his back left fender. When the man got out and walked back to the car that hit his car, he found a young woman behind the steering wheel, crying her eyes out. She said, "Oh, I am so sorry, I cant believe I've done this. My dad is going to kill me, I just graduated from High school and my dad gave me this car as a graduation gift, and already I've wrecked it. He will be very disappointed. I've never had an accident before, and I don't know what to do." The man reassured her and tried to calm her down. But when he told her that he would need her name, address and insurance information, she started crying again saying, "Oh, I don't have insurance information." The man said, "it's probably in the glove compartment." Sure enough, it was there, and attached to the insurance envelope, was a note from her dad: "Honey, in case of an accident, remember that I love you and not the car!" Easter reminds us to see the possibilities and love notes from God in unusual places when we least expect it.
To many, this is an emotional Easter Sunday. To some it is a disappointing Easter, and another person said, "the worst Easter in my life." But is it so? This may well be the best Easter we ever had in our life time because we belive that there is a God who is not idle in the background. He is working behind the scenes to prepare a better tomorrow.
I met a cancer patient who endured months of treatments, underwent two major surgeries and a series of radiation and chemo therapy. His father died during this time while he was going through this ordeal. I told him, “This must have been the worst year of your life.” He then paused for a few moents and looked at me and said, “You know, it may have been the best." He continued, "I realized that throughout those difficult days I had been comforted with a profound sense of Christ’s presence.” I was awakened by his response to know that Christ is not in the grave any more, but He is in the business of transforming us through our struggles to new life and new hope
On Easter morning, the women were surprised to encounter a risen Christ in the midst of their sorrow and tears. At times we think that God has forgotten us, but God promises to find us even in the darkest valleys and the farthest corners. We should not be surprised to discover God wherever we need Him most. In hospital rooms and nursing homes, in moments of fear and worries, in times of disagreement and confusion, God astonishes us with grace and love. When medical tests reveal some type of rare disease that invaded your body and you find out that it is terminal, Easter story gives hope. Because Jesus rose again, we have reason to believe that he would rescue us.
We may be going through personal experiences of pain and sorrow. We may be pricked by the thorns of questions, doubts, and uncertainties; but let us hold on to God’s promises. Because of Easter, we can look for the buds of new life. With hope and faith, our pain and suffering will end in new life. That is God’s promise at Easter.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen. He is going ahead of you to Galilee, There you will see him." (Matthew 28). It is reason to be more excited than surprised because he is already there ahead of us waiting at the 'Galiliee' of tomorrow. This might very well be one of the best Easters ever if we open our eyes, hearts, and spirits to recognize God in unusual places. May God increase in us faith for today and hope for tomorrow. Amen.
Blessings
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