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The angels and ΙΗϹ said to Mary, “Woman, why are you crying?”

Alleluia! ΙΗϹ Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

᛭ INI ᛭

(5. Oops!: Death causes grief.)

Who’s missing? Whose chair will be empty later when you get together for your Easter dinner? Not the chair that’s empty because that person lives somewhere else, but it’s empty because, they’re, well, gone. We grieve the empty chair, not only because it means eating alone. Every empty chair confesses the same thing, it confesses that one day every chair will be empty. The person occupying it will be buried in a grave.

It grieves us to consider the reality that our loved ones have died. It grieves us to think about the fact that one day our chair will be empty in the lives of our loved ones. Those we love die. We will die. Death causes grief and tears and sadness.

(4. Ugh!: Even Christians grieve death.)

This is true for all mankind, but even Christians grieve! It’s different than the world, of course. It’s not as if your loved one has perished! Paul puts it this way in 1 Thessalonians:

I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not you grieve like other people who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so we believe that God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (1-Th 4)

Death is our enemy, the final boss! “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” (1-Cor 15) And when the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1-Cor 15)

Christ hated death. He also grieved over His friend Lazarus because of what death has done to Him and to the people who were affected by Lazarus’ death.

We grieve as Christians because of sin, for “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” It reminds us that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 5)—for us and for all our loved ones and for all people!

(3. Aha!: But why is this so?)

Grief is part of life. Death also is. We weren’t created for it to be so, but it’s how it is thanks to Adam and Eve. Even Christians grieve. We grieve with hope, but sometimes our grief is persistent—it sticks around. Maybe it’s all the time, but certainly around big days it starts scratching at us: anniversary, birthday, Christmas, Easter!

But why grieve, at all? Seriously? The angels and Christ ask Mary Magdalene as she’s standing at the graveside. “Woman, why are you crying?” “Is it obvious you dopes?” could’ve been her reply. She’s kinder than that, of course. But it’s a fair question to ask.

Dear Christian, why are you crying? Why are you grieving? All human grief is tinged with doubt. That’s part of it. But really let’s get back to who’s asking Mary. Yes, the angels but also Christ!

(2. Whee!: Christ is risen from the dead.)

Why grieve? I mean, really? Christ is risen from the dead! Because Christ came to life, isn’t grief a little bit silly? This is the proper framing of grief! A Christian grieving is like a pregnant woman whose hormones make her cry at the slightest nudging. That’s part of being pregnant, much like grief is a result of being human. And much like a pregnant woman might laugh at her crying while she’s crying, so also a Christian can smile and cry, have tears of sadness and joy, be sad and happy or relieved or rejoice—all at the same time!—over a loved one who’s now with Christ.

Not because we’re crazy—though that might be a separate matter. No, it’s not because of anything us, but because Christ really is risen from the dead. It’s beyond a reasonable doubt! Grieving Mary or Peter or John or pick an Apostle, any Apostle—they all went to their death’s not grieving or fearful but fully confident that they had seen the risen Christ face to face. They saw Him dead; they saw Him not dead. 500 hundred saw Him! Paul the Persecutor claimed to have seen Him. His step-siblings saw Him, who had once come to take Christ to the funny farm! But then they all believed! They all maintained to their graves, to the end of their lives—often brutally so—that Christ was risen from the dead. And if any of them denied, let me tell you, we’d have heard about it. Anyway, Christ’s resurrection affected their daily lives—every day of their life!

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

(1. Yeah!: CHRIST’S RESURRECTION LEAVES GRIEF AT THE EMPTY GRAVE.)

Christ is risen from the dead. It makes grief, when it’s put in the glorious shadow of the empty tomb, silly albeit inevitable. Christ would ask any of His followers the same question as Mary. Maybe with a hint of confusion. “Why are you crying?” But the grief won’t keep coming back or may not fully be gone until Christ does with Mary. He speaks her name, and then she sees Him face to face. What grief then? Grief destroyed!

Christ is risen from the dead. He destroyed death. But what of grief? Christians grief? Your grief? Well,

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION LEAVES GRIEF AT THE EMPTY GRAVE.

Mary’s grief was only gone once she was standing next a grave that was empty not because of theft but because of life restored! So it is with you and I dear Christian. CHRIST’S RESURRECTION doesn’t LEAVE GRIEF behind. It should! It should leave grief dead and in the dust along with death and sin. But our flesh won’t allow it! No, dear Christian CHRIST’S RESURRECTION LEAVES GRIEF AT THE EMPTY GRAVE—once the grave that causes grief is empty when the person you love lives as Christ now lives and you see Him face to face.

Hopeless grief is forgiven. For Christ “was delivered up for our transgressions and raised for our justification,” (Rom 4) that is, our forgiveness, our innocent verdict, our clean slate! By your faith in Him, Christ, who shed His blood for you, died for you, rose for you, forgives you all your sins. He promises a similarly empty tomb for you too! It’s the promise of the font, the Supper, too. “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will resurrect him on the Last Day.” (Jn 6)

So it will be for you. CHRIST’S RESURRECTION LEAVES GRIEF AT THE EMPTY GRAVE. Not just His empty grave, but yours! (And your loved one who died in the Lord!) Only then on the Last Day will grief be completely gone. “Now we know in part. Then we shall know fully even as we have been fully known.” (1-Cor 13) In fact, on that Last Day, “there will be no more death or grieving or crying or pain.” (Rev 21) “God will wipe away every tear from your eyes.” (Rev 7)

Alleluia! ΙΗϹ Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

᛭ INI ᛭