Living Among The Dead - Luke 24:5

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?”  - Luke 24:5

    The women came to Christ’s tomb seeking to dress His body with a spice mixture designed to anoint Him. They came seeking the ravaged body of the man they called “Lord.” What they encountered when they arrived at the tomb caused them great concern: they found the stone barricade rolled back and an empty tomb. Suddenly, two angels appeared to them and asked them a question; the answer to which became a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith: Christ resurrected from the dead!
    The importance of the risen Christ can not be amplified enough. Theologian, R.C. Sproul wrote, “The resurrection of Jesus is the sine qua non of the Christian faith. Take away the resurrection and you take away Christianity.” (Sproul, R.C. , “Who Is Jesus”1983)
    The resurrection of Jesus give us the assurance of eternal life; a life without pain or fear; a life without sickness; a life everlasting. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16.
    Of course we must believe in Christ Jesus, but faith must accompany our belief in Him. “ . . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9
    But the question posed in our title verse could possibly be seen from a more subtle and ominous place; one that should bear witness to the unbelieving masses. The final four words “. . . living among the dead.” Posed as a declarative sentence in the present tense, it speaks to the eternity of those who refuse to believe, to those without faith. They will forever live among the spiritually dead. Their existence will be one filled with the darkness and eternal misery of the absence of God. Is it any wonder that we who believe celebrate Christ’s resurrection? For us it means everlasting life, saved by Christ to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.” For us Christ’s resurrection means everything!
    Let us praise our Lord today, Resurrection Sunday, and let us share the Good News with those who have yet to enjoy the assurance of God’s rock solid promise to all who believe in His Son, our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ!