“Why Do You Seek the Living among the Dead?”
(Luke 24:1-10 – Easter – April 5, 2026)
Luke 24:1-10 – 1Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” 8And they remembered His words. 9Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.
Dear Redeemed, in the name of our risen and living Savior, Jesus Christ:
Have you ever done a bunch of work, only to find out it was completely unnecessary? Maybe after laboring at some project for hours, trying to get it right, feeling frustrated and weary, finally someone arrived in time to say: “Oh, you didn’t need to do that! It’s already been done! So-and-so took care of it.” We might say to ourselves: “Why did I wear myself out for nothing? Why did I forget so-and-so said he was going to do it?”
Today we see a similar situation. Jesus’ disciples have been wearing themselves out with grief. They have been focusing on the painful task of burial, grieving, and saying their last “Goodbye” to Jesus, now that He had died on the cross. But it was all completely unnecessary. They had forgotten His promise that He would take care of all their grief and burden, by His resurrection on the third day!
That is why, as the grieving women came to Jesus’ tomb, the angels asked them: “Why Do You Seek the Living among the Dead?” With the disciples that first Easter, when we are weary, burdened, and troubled in life, let us also be reminded: 1) You have a risen Lord! 2) You have His reliable Word! 3) You have His Good News to share!
1) You have a risen Lord!
First, you have a risen Lord! Instead of living as if Jesus were dead, we are encouraged to live in the joy of His resurrection.
That first Easter morning, as the women approached the tomb where Jesus had been laid, they were looking for someone who was dead, not someone who was alive. For this reason, we see how they were needlessly weary, burdened, and sorrowful.
After Jesus’ death on Good Friday, they hadn’t had time fully to prepare His body for burial, because the Sabbath was near. So they had waited until after the Sabbath. Then early on the third day, they got up and set out for the tomb. In their hands they carried a burden of spices to finish preparing Jesus’ body. In their hearts they carried a heavy burden of sorrow.
As they walked along, they also worried about the stone that had been rolled in front of the tomb. It was very heavy, and it had also been sealed with the Roman governor’s own seal. In Mark’s account, we hear the women asking each other: “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” (Mark 16:3). It seemed like an insurmountable obstacle.
When they arrived at the tomb, they found it already open. With sorrow, they went inside looking for a dead man. But to their surprise Jesus’ body was gone! We read in the account: “It happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’” (vs. 4-5).
There is a gentle rebuke in the angels’ words – a rebuke for a lack of faith, a rebuke that says, “Why are you living as if your Savior were still dead?”
Often, we deserve this rebuke too. Like those women, we carry around needless burdens. Sometimes we carry around burdens of guilt because of our sins. Maybe at times it is because we try to hide our sins instead of confessing them. We may try to deal with our guilt by living in denial, or busy ourselves with work and other activities so we don’t have to think about it. But we are still bearing that burden of guilt. Maybe other times, even when we have confessed our sins, we have trouble taking to heart God’s Word of Absolution, and living in the forgiveness of sins Jesus won for us on the cross. We go on bearing that burden, living with heavy hearts and dark thoughts, as if we were lost in our sins and all was hopeless. Then we live as if Jesus were still dead.
And like those women as they approached Jesus’ tomb, we often worry and fret about things in life when we really have nothing to worry about. The women fretted about the heavy stone in front of the tomb, and who would roll it away. Sometimes we also worry about the stones that lie ahead of us, and how we will move insurmountable obstacles we face in life. We fret as if our Lord were unable to help us in every need, as if He were unable to help us through challenges and difficult times in life. Then we live as if Jesus were still dead.
The women came to the cemetery with hearts weighed down by grief, expecting only to find a dead body. Sometimes, we may stand in the cemetery and focus only on the death of a loved one. We may focus on our own death to come. We live in grief. We live in fear of the unknown. At times, the darkness threatens to take over and drive away hope. We are tempted to live as if Jesus were still dead.
But then, we hear those life-changing words the angels announced to the women: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!” (vs. 5-6). The good news of Easter is that we have a risen Lord, who took away our sins on the cross and lives to give us His forgiveness. We have a risen Lord, who is with us to hear our prayers and help us with the needs and burdens of life. We have a risen Lord, who has broken the power of the grave, so we can look forward to rising from the dead with our loved ones in Christ one day.
2) You have His reliable Word!
Though we cannot see Jesus today, as the disciples soon did that first Easter; yet like them, we have Jesus’ reliable Word, His trustworthy promises we can count on today.
Why did the women look for Jesus’ dead body at the tomb? It was because they had forgotten Jesus’ words of promise. So the angels reminded them: “Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again’” (vs. 6-7).
Jesus had told His disciples all that was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem, including His betrayal and arrest, and His suffering and death. They had witnessed these things. But they forgot that Jesus foretold one more thing – on the third day He would rise again to life!
They had forgotten His Word of promise. That is why they were bearing unnecessary burdens and fretting about things that turned out to be no problem at all. That is why they were grieving over a loved one who had died, and living as if Jesus were still dead, when in fact He had risen and was alive again!
Let us remember that we have Jesus’ reliable Word. When we hear the angels’ question, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” let us remember Jesus’ promises in His Word. He says: “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). He says: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
So instead of carrying around an unnecessary burden of guilt, let us remember that Jesus already carried that burden to the cross for us. There He suffered and died to free us from sin’s condemnation. His resurrection on the third day powerfully declares that His work of salvation for us is finished! Now our risen and ascended Savior is at the right hand of God, interceding for us (Romans 8:33-34). As we confess our sins, Jesus reminds His Father that He paid for all our sins at the cross. And for Jesus’ sake, God justifies us. He removes all our sin and guilt. He cleanses and covers us in Jesus’ perfection. We have His reliable Word.
Again, when we find ourselves worrying and fretting about overwhelming obstacles, feeling weak in the face of great challenges and difficulties, let us remember our living Savior’s promise: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Jesus is in control. He promises that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). We have His reliable Word.
Again, when we come to the cemetery and grief begins to take over and drive away hope, let us remember that Jesus is not dead anymore. God has raised His Son from the grave; death could not keep its hold on the Lord of Life. And our risen Lord promises to raise from the dead all who fall asleep in Him. Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).
3) You have His Good News to share!
Now, knowing that we have a risen Lord and that we have His reliable Word of promise, let us also remember that we have His Good News to share!
The angels’ question to the women contained this reminder: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” They needed to stop poking around as if Jesus were still in the grave and all was hopeless. They had a living Savior. They had His life-giving Gospel and His living hope to share, and there were people who needed to hear it. After hearing the angels’ announcement, “He is not here, but is risen!” they remembered Jesus’ promise. Then they left the tomb and went to tell the disciples and everyone the good news of the risen Savior.
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The question is still asked of us when we are tempted to poke around in our lives as if we had no hope or purpose. We have been given “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). We have His Good News to share, and there are people who need to hear it. We can share the good news that our crucified and risen Savior has won forgiveness for sinners, and that all who believe shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). We can share our living hope in our risen Savior with family and friends. We can share it with people around us in our daily activities. We can help in the Great Commission Jesus has given His Church, telling the world the Good News of our living Savior (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15).
So let us rejoice on this Easter, and every day of our lives. We have a risen Lord! We have His reliable Word! We have His Good News to share!
Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain,
Who sitteth in glory and ever shall reign.
(Hymn: “He’s Risen, He’s Risen”)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.