“The First Day Stories”
April 20, 2025
Luke 24:1–12 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for 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 handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened. ***
The Enlightenment or the “Age of Reason” was an intellectual movement in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and significantly influenced the American colonies and the founding of the United States. `~
This intellectual movement valued human reason as the key to understanding the world and improving society. It gave rise to the scientific revolution. Notable figures like René Descartes, Isaac Newton, and Voltaire played crucial roles in the Enlightenment. But John Locke is considered the father of the movement.
The Enlightenment played a significant role in the development of American Exceptionalism, a belief in the unique and special role of the United States in world affairs, which was often intertwined with religious notions of freedom and destiny. We see these thoughts at play in our country in current times.
For Christianity, it led to a questioning of traditional Christian doctrines, such as the divinity of Jesus and the existence of miracles, as well as the authority of the Church. All of these heightened scholarly debate and definition.
The Enlightenment taught us that things are only true if we can prove them, that belief is only ever a matter of evidence, and that science is the final arbiter of reality.
Easter challenges everything our rationalist, scientific, suspicious minds think is true about the world.
“He is not here, but has risen.” There is really nothing more to be said. All we have is a message about life, hope and good news. “He is not here, but has risen.”
That is the message the women who first arrived at the tomb received. Nothing more, nothing less. The message has never changed. It is the same today as it was on that first Easter Day.
It does not make sense to me. Science cannot prove it. On Friday Jesus is killed, crucified. His body is enclosed in a tomb. On Sunday the tomb is empty and the body is gone. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” two men in dazzling clothes ask the women, “He is not here, but has risen.”
None of that matches my experience of life and what I know of death. Something about it did not match the apostles’ experience either as the women bring the news of Jesus’ resurrection to them. But Luke tells us, “these words seemed to them an idle tale.” The same Greek word idlei also translates to a medical term to describe the delirious babbling of a very ill person. That is what the apostles think of the women’s message.
Every time I read another story of violence, another school shooting, another senseless bombing of innocent Ukrainians, the Easter message begins to sound like another idle tale. When I experience death, sorrow, and losses in life, the good news of Easter sounds like an idle tale. When the craziness of the world becomes the norm, business as usual, the Easter message sounds a lot like an idle tale. Perhaps you can relate. There is so much about our world and life circumstances that would have us disbelieve and lead us to conclude that the Easter story is an idle tale.
I suspect that is why people show up for worship on this day. Despite the plummeting participation of people in the American Christian church, Easter Sunday remains the biggest church attendance day of the year. People show up because they want to hear the story one more time. They want to be reminded, “He is not here, but has risen.” They want to be told that despite today’s chaos in this country and world or their own life experiences, what we think we know of death, and what we see in the world, this story is true. We want to hear the Church proclaim, “Alleluia. Christ is risen!”
The Easter message was true yesterday, it is true today, and it will be true tomorrow. That is what I believe. That is what the Church proclaims. Everything about today says you can count on that message. The Easter message becomes an idle tale only when it is held in opposition to our life and world. Resurrection life and truth do not exist in spite of or in opposition to our life’s circumstances but because of and in the midst of those circumstances. That means
**The Easter message of life is found in the midst of death, not apart from it;
**The Easter message of hope arises from the center of our sorrows and losses, not apart from them;
**The Easter message of new possibilities is at the heart of business as usual, not apart from it;
**Death is real but it is not the end;
**Jesus died but he is not dead;
We may not see or touch Jesus but he is alive and with us.
Those are the truths of this day. They do not change the circumstances of our life but they change us in the midst of those circumstances. They do not eliminate our difficulties and problems, they see us through those difficulties and problems. They do not turn back time they take us to the “first day of the week, at early dawn.”
The first day of the week is not just a day on the calendar. It is Luke’s way of telling us this is a new beginning, a week of re-creation.
There is something about first days. The first day holds all things anew, creates possibility, and withholds nothing.
Recall the first day you saw your child or grandchild and how big, unlimited, and beautiful were your dreams for that child. On that first day you held the miracle of new life in your hands and your heart overflowed with love and thanksgiving.
Remember the first day you decided to straighten out your life, to do it differently, to step into treatment, to mend a relationship? You may have had no idea what you would do or how you would do it but something about that first day said there was more life ahead of you than behind you.
Then there is the first day of heartbreak, loss, or the death of loved one. You did not know how you would survive or if you would. That first day looked like the last day. But hidden in that first day was a new life, a new beginning. By God’s grace that first day unfolded into something you could not see then, a life that has brought you to this very moment.
Those are not idle tales. They are first day stories of life, hope, and possibilities. They are first day stories of God’s faithfulness to us. The Easter story is a first day story not just for some but for all. Regardless of who you are, what you have done or left undone, or what has happened in your life this is your story. The sun rises, and the Sun rises on and for all. No one gets left out.
“He is not here, but has risen.” The resurrection of Christ makes every day the first day. So what does your first day look like? What does Easter mean in your life?
Easter means there is another story for your life. Perhaps that involves living without regret or lamenting the past. Perhaps it means living without fear, without looking to the future and crying, “What if? What if that happens? What if that does not happen?”
God has a future for you and it means (fill in the blank).
Those are not idle tales. They are first day stories of your resurrection and they are possible all because “He is not here, but has risen.” The resurrection of Christ means God has guaranteed our life. “He is not here, but has risen.”
Images: bameanglican.wordpress.com/2019/04/21/easter-and-art-from-around-the-world/
